Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • September 2013
13
Although flute requires a great deal of air, don’t force
too much air through the flute. Like Goldilocks you
need just the right amount…not too much or too fast,
not too little or too slow. Allow the air to flow unrestricted
by the throat, the tongue, or the lips. Just use the lips to
gently guide the fast, but unforced airstream.
Because of physical differences, not all flutists
will look “right” in order to get their best sound (for
example, a Cupid’s bow almost always requires playing
off to one side. If they sound good, but look funny—
don’t change anything! (If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”)
Watch and Listen for:
• Tense throat—often accompanied by throat noise.
This is difficult to cure, but often is caused by too little
air. Reinforce the idea of moving
lots
of air from the
bottom of the lungs: freedom of air=freedom of tone.
TENSION KILLS TONE!
• Flute drooping at angle not parallel to opening in
lips—causes fuzzy, distorted sound.
• Common causes of thin, weak tone are poor
support, too much embouchure hole covered, arched
tongue, aperture too tight, and teeth clenched together.
An unfocused tone is caused by embouchure hole too
uncovered and/or aperture too big.
PLAYING HIGH AND LOW
To play low, keep teeth open and jaw relaxed. Aim
the air more down into the hole (use upper lip “beak”
to aim. Think “Ah”. To play high, push lips forward
(corners move forward toward from teeth). Aim air
more across the embouchure hole. Think “Ooh”.
The TWO BIGGEST NAUGHTY NO-NOS:
1. Never instruct students to pull corners of lips
back (making embouchure tighter) to play higher.
This makes 3rd octave thin, shrill, and extremely
sharp—sometimes even causes lips to buzz.
Remember: push lips forward to play higher!
2. Don’t try to make young players play softly in the
3rd octave. This causes the embouchure to tighten, air
support to sag, teeth to clench, pitch to go even higher.
Encourage them to play very strongly in the beginning!
Control will come later.
Teach the full range of the flute as early as possible.
A 3-octave chromatic scale (with all correct fingerings
including lever Bb) should be attainable within the
first year. The sooner the students are exposed to the
lowest and highest notes, the easier it will be.
THE GREAT B-FLAT MYSTERY
There is no “RIGHT” or “WRONG” fingering for
B-flat…it’s a matter of efficiency! Teach all
three
(yes,
three!) fingerings in the first year!!!
THUMB B-flat (TBb):
• Use
any time the key signature has 1 or more
flats
. (exception: 6 or more flats: G-flat or C-flat Major)
• Do
not
use TBb in keys w/no flats or for the
chromatic scale.
• DO NOT ROLL THUMB FROM Bb to B-natural
(except in infrequent advanced passage)
LEVER B-flat (L):
• Introduce w/chromatic scale and B Major scale.
• Lever is almost
always
the best (most efficient)
fingering for A#.
• Lever is great for G/B-flat/B-natural passages (&
the enharmonic equivalent)
• Use for any chromatic scale or when B-natural
and B-flat occur side by side.
ONE and ONE B-flat (1&1):
• 1&1 is great for F/B-flat/B-natural or any passage
in which RH #1 is down preceding B-flat/B-natural.
• Use for any chromatic scale or when B-natural
and B-flat occur side by side.
Flute is Not a Four Letter Word