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Implied Accents

This week, the subject of implied accents has come up 5 different times in 5 different ways with 5 different students. I felt that if I was being asked about it this much, it needs to be told on a broader scale. By the way, if you have a question you would like me to answer about music, feel free to contact me. I can feature your question in an article.

So, let’s learn some music theory!

If you can’t tell, I love music theory, which is a good way to put people to sleep at parties. If you like talk about music theory, we should totally hang out. 🙂

What Is an Implied Accent?

An implied accent is an accent that the composer assumes you already know because of music theory and common performance rules. Sometimes they’re also called imaginary accents. Here are the two major implied accents:

  1. Time Signature Accents
  2. Slur Accents

Time Signature Accents

There are accents in each measure based on the time signature. I will list the most common time signatures below. I didn’t officially learn about these until I took percussion pedagogy class in college, but I subconsciously knew about them before that. Implied accents aren’t always taught by the teacher. Most teachers expect you to pick up on this information naturally.

  1. 2/2 or 2/4 – The accent is on beat one. This is one reason why 2/2 is usually used for marches – the right foot is dominant when you’re marching along.
  2. 3/4 – The accent is on beat one.
  3. 4/4 – The accents are on beats one and three, with the accent on three being weaker. This is very evident in rock music, where the bass drum is on 1 and 3 and the snare is on 2 and 4. A higher sound is weaker in our subconscious minds. This is also why we clap on 2 and 4.
  4. “Fast” 6/8 – Fast 6/8 is compound time, so there are two beats per measure. This would fall under the same rules as 2/2 or 2/4, where beat one gets the accent.
  5. “Slow” 6/8 – Slow 6/8 is simple time, and you’re counting all 6 beats. The accent depends on the situation. Where are the slurs? What format are the arpeggios? Sometimes the accent is on 1 with sub-accents on 3 and 5. Sometimes the accent is on beat 1 with a sub-accent on 4. The accent pattern will be the same for the entire piece.

The Slur Accent

Whenever there’s a two-note slur, the first note should be louder than the second note (Trevor Wye explains this in his omnibus book.) This has been common practice since the Baroque period, and is still considered common practice today. The first note of the two-note slur is part of the melody and the second note is part of the harmony.

Going Off-Topic into Slurs in the Baroque Period

Original Baroque music generally didn’t have slurs marked. The slurs were up to the performer. The beginning note of any slur, whether it was two notes or larger, was considered the melody and the rest of the slur was considered harmony. This is also information I read in Trevor Wye’s Omnibus.

If you have an edited piece of music from which you’re working, the slurs are already marked. These can be changed if you wish, but you may decide that the editor is a very smart person who did their research and what they chose is the best for the piece.

If you’re working from unedited music, you get to decide if and when you want to add slurs to change up the melody. It calls for extra analyzation, but it can be fun. Baroque music was all about the improv.

Conclusion

Thank you for following me off-the-path into the land of Baroque slurs. They’re not technically part of this subject but they’re related enough that I thought it would be worthwhile to mention them.

I hope this information helps you interpret your repertoire better in the future. I also hope this article clears up any mysteries that have cropped up around this subject. So much of learning music is one-on-one, teacher to student, and sometimes things are taught in a way that doesn’t make you realize there’s a rule about certain subjects. I’m all about clarity.

The Basics of Tonguing

There are two common problems with tonguing – one for beginners and another for late-intermediate students. For the beginners, the lesson book says to say, “tu,” in order to tongue. That’s not always clear to everyone, especially the over-thinkers.

For the late-intermediate students, they find their tone fuzzing out here and there whenever they’re doing a lot of tonguing. Here’s an explanation that will help.

Everyone’s Anatomy is Slightly Different

Based on your personal anatomy, you might want to place your tongue in a different place in your mouth than someone else would for their tonguing. Everyone is different. You need to find the optimal place for your tone and ease of playing. It’s all about your personal choices and needs.

What Not To Do

There are three things that won’t work with anyone’s anatomy. They’re glottal tonguing, tongue curling, and the “TH” tongue.

The first incorrect tonguing technique is to do what’s called a glottal tongue. This is when you bring up the back of the tongue to make a seal at the back of the mouth. This a correct technique for double-tonguing, but not single tonguing. The back of the tongue doesn’t work as fast as the front of the tongue, so you’re holding yourself back by doing the glottal tongue. It also makes the mouth smaller at the beginning and the end of the note, which can fuzz out the tone.

Another incorrect tonguing technique is to curl your tongue back into your mouth. At the beginning of the note, the tongue blocks the airflow through the mouth and fuzzes out the tone as the tongue comes back down. Also, it’s a lot of extra work for the tongue, so it makes tonguing go slower.

The final incorrect tonguing technique is to do the “TH” tongue. This is to place the tongue at the bottom of the front teeth, creating a “th” sound. This creates a sloppy articulation sound and makes it impossible to make a nice, crisp staccato.

Unfortunately, your teacher can’t look inside your mouth to make sure you’re not doing these things. You may be so good at your preferred tonguing technique that your teacher can’t hear that you’re doing it incorrectly. This is why I made this short list of what not to do. I’ve encountered each of these issues over the years.

How to Find your Optimal Tonguing Spot

Step 1: Brace the sides of your tongue against your top molars. This seals the airflow to go forward, through the embouchure.

Step 2: Feel the roof of your mouth with your tongue. There will be a flat portion right behind the teeth, then it will curve up into a bowl shape.

Step 3: Place the tip of your tongue where the flat part meets the bowl. Play four quarter notes in a row, tonguing at that point.

Step 4: Place the tip of your tongue slightly forward from the point in step 3. Play four quarter notes. Is the tone better? How does it feel?

Step 5: Keep going forward, bit-by-bit, comparing your tone and feel with each spot, all the way so that your tongue goes between the lips (Marcel Moyse liked that spot for playing Bach).

Step 6: Choose which spot sounds and feels the best, and use it. The sound is more important than the feel. If it feels awkward, you’ll get used to it.

If you’re having a hard time doing the above steps, start with step one and two, then skip to tonguing between the lips as described in step 5, and go backwards through the different points in your mouth that are described in the steps.

Your first time going through this process, you may want to have someone listen to you and help you decide what sounds good. It’s a good idea to have an extra set of ears sometimes.

When to Do This

For a beginner, this process is for the over-thinkers of the world. Musicians tend to be just that, so it’s pretty common to go through this process with new musicians.

It’s also pretty common to go through this process in late high school or early college, as the first step to perfect your tonguing technique. If you went through this process as a beginner, you’ll still want to do it when it comes up later on in high school or college. Your embouchure has matured and your tonguing spot may have changed.

Conclusion

After I used this process (I was in the older category), there were a few spots that worked well for me because they provided different sounds and still had a good tone. It’s good to have options, and it’s also good to have a favorite spot – something automatic and reliable.

Work on your favorite spot first. Make it automatic and reliable. Use articulation studies and tongued scales. You can expand from there. It will serve you well.

Relationships with the Music Stores

It’s important to find and support a good music store. That store will support you. I hope this guide helps you find your music store home.

I walk into my favorite music store and the people who work there all know me by name. They greet me with a genuine smile and I know they’re happy to see me. My day is instantly brighter.

Perks of Having a Good Relationship with the Music Store

If you have read any of my blog posts, you know that I like lists. They clarify things. I’m writing the list below and explaining what I mean for each item in the sections afterwards. There are more perks than just these four things, but these are the main ideas.

  1. Good Advice
  2. Networking
  3. Trust
  4. Try Things Out

Good Advice

If you find yourself stumped, you have a ton of musicians at your fingertips to give you advice. For example, my first time switching a piano student from Faber to Bastien after the primer level, I wasn’t sure what to do. The student needed the faster-moving method book, but there was a big gap between where the Primers ended between the methods. Faber goes much slower than Bastien.

I asked the person behind the counter what he would recommend. He mentioned a couple of ideas – write a few pieces of music to get her through the gap, or use the first few pages of a third lesson book to get her to that point.

I didn’t want to re-invent the wheel, so I chose the second option and the student got through the gap famously.

Networking

The people at the music store know the best local bands, where they play, and what times. They know what music seminars are coming to town. They know which ensembles have openings and which ensembles have good reputations. All you have to do is ask, and they’ll help you out.

Trust

If you have created a good relationship with the people in the music store, you can trust them to give you good service. The repair techs will take their time on your instrument. If you have a problem with a product that you bought, they’ll trust you that it was an actual problem, and they won’t doubt you.

Try Things Out

A good music store will allow you to try things out that you would be surprised about.

When I accidentally put my electric metronome through the washer and dryer, I went to my favorite music store. I told them what happened and I brought my piccolo along. They opened up the metronome packages and allowed me to try each electric metronome that they had. The very last one was the one I could hear above the sound of the piccolo. The salesman knew how to open the packages so they would close up without anyone knowing.

I had no clue that trying out the packaged metronomes was even an option. When I was younger, they had metronomes behind a glass case that you could try. That’s why I brought my piccolo. I was very appreciative.

Supporting a Good Music Store

I personally drive half-way across my city in order to go to the music store that treats me right. The techs know what they’re doing and the staff is fabulous. In order to go there, I drive right past the music store that is 8 blocks from my house because they don’t treat me right. In the past, I have driven up to three hours in order to take my flute to a tech that I liked.

What with the amount of students that I have, the amount of sheet music that I buy is the equivalent of buying a student instrument once a year. I recommend this music store a lot to my students and to my colleagues. I support them the best that I can.

It’s important to me to have the resources that I need from the places that I go. I try not to order online if at all possible so I can support my local music store. I hope music stores never go away because online shopping can’t hold a candle to the service you get at a good music store.

Finding a Good Music Store

Good music stores can be hard to find. Some choose to hire people who are arrogant and condescending. Some choose to hire people who are only after your money and treat you like a cash cow. Some choose to hire repair techs who use shortcuts on your instrument, which makes things worse in the long run.

Test out the music stores within driving distance from you, systematically.

One test is to peruse the music. Do they ask if they can help? Do they stand there with an attitude?

Another test is to try to strike up a conversation. How do they respond? Do you have a nice conversation, or do they act like you’re stupid?

A really good test is to ask if they carry a folding music stand that gets at least 5 ft tall. They probably don’t. How do they treat you? If they just apologize or offer to order one, those are the best responses. Do they say that those stands don’t exist? They exist online. Do they talk about how you don’t need a stand that tall for various reasons? It’s a good idea to have one that tall for practicing while standing up.

If you need to get your instrument repaired, call around to all the stores in the area and ask to talk to them. Ask about their processes. How do they treat pads that stick? If they mention powder paper, run the other direction. That’s an emergency-only item.

As you can see, it’s a process, but it’s important. What if you unwittingly took your flute to a tech that makes your flute worse? What if you were sold something that’s unnecessary or the wrong thing for you? It’s important to take the time to find a good music store.

Conclusion

It’s important to find and support a good music store. That store will support you. It’s also just as important to not support the bad music stores, for obvious reasons. I hope this guide helps you find your music store home.

How to Reduce Homework Time by Half

When I took grade school curriculum class in college, the professor said that 5th grade is the hardest. This is because the children are finally fluent in reading, their brains have reached the next stage of development, and the textbooks increase the load. Quickly.

I try to teach the information in this article at the beginning of 5th grade, but sometimes the problem crops up earlier or the student forgets about that conversation. So, I often have the following conversation:

Student: I didn’t practice this week because I had too much homework.

Me: How much homework did you have?

Student: 2-3 hours per night.

Me: Wow, that’s a lot. I completely understand, and your homework is more important than everything else. Can I give you some advice on how to make your homework go faster?

Start with a Piece of Music

Play something. Anything. Play something that inspires you. Something that helps you with any emotions that you’re feeling at the time. Something that you might already know. Play just for the enjoyment of playing.

This supercharges the brain so that you can work at optimal level (an article containing research on that statement is here.), and you are able to do your homework faster from the start.

20 Minutes

Focus begins to wane after 20 minutes (an article containing research on that statement is here, scroll down to the end). Therefore, I recommend that the student sets the timer for 20 minutes and does their homework.

After the timer goes off, they should switch from homework to practicing one piece, whether it be a scale, something from the lesson book, or the current repertoire piece. The student should be away from their homework for at least 5 minutes to allow their brain to reset.

Notice I said, “reset,” and not “rest.” The brain is going to supercharge itself for the next 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes of practice, they can go back to homework for another 20 minutes. Keep cycling in this way until the homework is done.

Here’s what the cycle looks like in list form (I think lists are easier to read).

  1. Play something that’s fun, inspiring, or emotionally cleansing.
  2. Do your homework for 20 minutes, with a timer.
  3. Practice for at least 5 minutes. Usually one item. Scales don’t take long, so it might be scales and something else.
  4. Do homework for 20 minutes, with a timer.
  5. etc.

Results

Over the years I have had several students take me up on this advice. Invariably, they say that their homework time is cut in half. I haven’t timed it myself or witnessed it, but the parents confirmed that it happened.

Some students don’t like this method because they have a tendency to hyper-focus. Hyper-focusing tends to cause loops in thinking, so it’s imperative that a hyper-focused person break up their focus into 20-minute increments (This information is from Healing ADD by Dr. Daniel Amen). This practice technique is something that a parent would have to force on the student because the hyper-focused student wouldn’t allow it for themselves.

From what I’ve seen, most students with attention problems tend to do very well with this method. They love it because they feel that they get part of their lives back. Sometimes these are the ones that report they got their homework done in less than half the time.

The Flip Side

Because of the 20-minute focus rule, if a student is practicing for longer than half an hour, I tell them to set a timer for 20 minutes and stop practicing for five minutes or so, then finish it up.

For myself, I stretch and get a drink of water during this five minute break. Sometimes I’ll even foam roll my shoulders. I come back to practice ready to go.

Not only does this make you more productive in practice, but it also gives you more stamina and it’s good for your muscles and joints. Many musicians have sports injuries from playing an instrument. The practice of taking a short stretching break every 20 minutes helps to prevents this, in addition to other things.

Housework

I hate doing housework. When I’m particularly loathing cleaning on any given day, I like to play Lorie Line’s Heritage II book on the piano. First I straighten the house for 15 minutes, then I’ll play the first piece in the book. Then I dust. Then the second piece. So on and so forth until the house is clean.

By the time I’m done cleaning the house, I’ve also played through the whole book. It’s my way of rewarding myself.

I’ve tried practicing flute while doing housework in this way, but it doesn’t work as well for me. Part of the reason is the fact that I’m feeling emotional. Piano moves my emotions and helps me deal with them more efficiently than the flute.

Another part of the reason why piano helps me clean better is the fact that the piano is a standing instrument. It feels easier to get on and off the bench than it does to pick up my flute, even if I leave it put together while I’m doing the next task. I know that it isn’t actually easier, but sometimes you can’t argue with your subconscious.

The final reason I can’t do housework while playing the flute is because I forget that I was cleaning the house because I’m having so much fun playing the flute. I end up playing for an hour or two, look around the house, and say, “Oops!”

Conclusion

Cycling between homework and practice really helps a student be more efficient with their time. I’ve seen it decrease the amount of homework time, reportedly by half. I haven’t witnessed it, but enough students and parents have reported to me how well it works.

I wish I would have known about this back in college when I was struggling to write papers and doing all-nighters. It might have been a little disturbing for my roommate if I pulled out my flute at 3AM, though (mischievous smile). I wonder how many college kids would be knocking down the door of a practice room if they saw the person inside doing their homework.

Practicing Music Via Osmosis

It’s a way to correct mistakes and problems without nitpicking, so I like to use it with a student who seems demoralized. This is for the student who feels that everything they do is wrong.

This practice technique is very effective, but it isn’t one you can do yourself. You need a partner, preferably one who you want to emulate. I use this as I teach for both flute and piano, so there are sections in here that just apply to flute alone. The other portions apply to both instruments.

What is it?

Practicing music via osmosis is just playing with someone else. It’s a way to correct mistakes and problems without nitpicking, so I like to use it with a student who seems demoralized. This is for the student who feels that everything they do is wrong.

The way this works is the person who needs it automatically adjusts based on what the other person is doing. It’s an involuntary reaction, they don’t even realize they’re doing it.

When do I use it?

There are various times when it’s a good idea to use this practice technique, and I’ll cover each one separately.

  1. You just can’t “get” a section of music.
  2. You want to learn good tone quickly.
  3. You want to learn good technique quickly.
  4. You need to build your confidence.
  5. Someone needs to practice but wont (*whistles innocently*).

You just can’t “get” a section of music.

It’s easier to mimic someone who’s better than you when you’re playing the exact same thing at the exact same time. When playing together, your bodies naturally sync, all the way down to your heartbeats (an article about that is here). This is a good idea for when you’re repeatedly missing a note or a rhythm.

I use this more with piano students than with flutes. If they’re working on a recital piece, need help with rhythm or correct notes, I play the exact same thing right along with them a couple octaves higher on the piano. The issue goes away by the second or third time we repeat that section, like magic.

You want to learn good tone quickly.

This section is for flute alone. Duets work the best for transferring tone. Your tone quality and color should naturally reach towards each other (more on that here).

I’ve seen this work instantly with my students. I’ll play the flute with a new student who still has a beginner tone, and the student’s tone will instantly become the same as mine. Afterwards, the student’s tone will be better than before, but it won’t be the same as my tone.

You want to learn good technique quickly.

The better player sits/stands up straight, so do you. The better player holds their hands in a different way, so do you. You don’t even think about it, you just automatically do it.

Another aspect of this point is that you take on stylistic things that the other player is doing, such as the way they handle their large intervals and their phrasing.

I sing in a church choir. I’m only choir-trained, but ever since I graduated college, I’ve always sat by the best singer in my section. Just by singing next to her, I learned how to hit the high notes without closing my throat, how to choose correct diction for the situation, and how to nail the tough intervals without trying.

You need to build your confidence.

The confidence of the better player will transfer to you. You will feel the other player exude confidence and your body will pick up on those vibes and take them on. It will only be bit-by-bit. You may not feel it the first few times, but it will come.

The exception to this is when you feel like the better player is perfect and you are the only one who messes up, ever. This is not true, by the way. Everyone messes up, even the pros. Please recognize that this way of thinking is a fallacy and allow the better player to transfer some confidence towards you.

Practice Motivation

Practicing together is a lot of fun. It helps the non-practicer associate practicing with fun. It also forces them to practice.

Here are some examples that I’ve seen over the years.

  1. Sometimes I’ll play with students who aren’t practicing to help them get ready for a contest. This is usually a last-ditch effort, and I make sure that the student knows that this shouldn’t be relied upon.
  2. I know a couple of moms who practice with their kids to get them to practice. They play the exact same thing an octave up or down on the piano or on a different instrument, depending on where their talents lie.
  3. I’ve seen section leaders offer to practice together with that one person who isn’t practicing or their style isn’t meshing with everyone else. This only happens with the really good section leaders or with adults. This last example leads us to…

Ettiquite

Be careful in offering to practice together to help the other person. If it’s done in the wrong way, you’ll easily offend the other person.

If you ask with the attitude of, “Let’s have fun!!!” that will work really well. This works best if you’re just proposing to goof off (and sneakily work on tone).

If you’re in rehearsal, a good way to ask is, “We’re not syncing on this part. Would you mind staying after rehearsal so we can get on the same page?”

If you ask with an attitude of, “You need help with this,” that will only work well if you’re a parent or the teacher. If you’re a peer, you’re asking for trouble.

If you’re the one who wants the help, all you have to do is ask. I’ve never heard of anyone denying someone this kind of help. The other person will be honored that you asked them. They’ll also be excited because it will be fun.

Conclusion

If you decide to implement this in your practice, I know it will work just as well for you as it has for me and my students. I hope this article also gives you the courage to ask for the help that you need.

How about you? Have you seen the magic of this technique in action?

Tips on Buying a Used Flute: An Interview

Chad Walker owns a local small business, Musician Gear Garage. He buys old student and intermediate instruments, fixes them up, and sells them. He also has a thriving instrument repair business.

I wanted to interview Chad because I’ve learned a lot of things over the years from former teachers about older instruments. As I find myself discussing various things with other flute players, I have begun to realize that some of these “facts” that I was taught by my former teachers were really just opinions. I wanted to get information from someone in the trenches.

I actually encourage my beginner students to buy used. They’re probably only going to use their student flute for 3-4 years (plus marching band) before they move on to an intermediate, so it makes sense for the the parents to save their money for the intermediate flute.

If the price tag of an intermediate flute is holding the student back as much as their flute is, it’s better to buy a used intermediate than to not upgrade at all.

One nice thing about buying a new intermediate flute is being able to choose the flute that has the best tone for the student. The process rather reminds me of buying a wand in Diagon Alley. If you have someone like Chad in your area who has several flutes to try out, that’s a viable option, too.

Enough philosophy, on to the interview.

What are some things you personally look for in a used flute?

Pros: Favorite Brands

Cons:

  1. Physical Key Damage
  2. Trill Keys out of alignment
  3. How the flute bends in the middle (there should be a slight bow in the middle, but not a big one)
  4. G# tone hole
  5. Broken Keys

What brands do you look for?

  1. Buescher Aristocrat
  2. Pearl
  3. Gemeinhardt
  4. Yamahas made in Japan and China, but they’re usually priced higher than they’re worth.
  5. Music Medic has a new line – Wilmington.

What are some good questions to ask a seller when buying a used flute?

  1. Are you the original owner?
  2. How often has it been tuned up?
  3. More pics, please. I want to see the pads and all sides of the flute.

I hear a lot about how the technology changes about every 10 years or so, which makes the newer instruments better and more in tune. What’s your experience with the technology differences?

This was your best question [I sent him the questions ahead of time]. I don’t see a difference with new scales. I’ve measured them and I don’t see a difference. Usually it’s a rebranding marketing strategy.

Technology on pads have come forward by leaps and bounds in the past 10 years. They used to be very soft. Now they’re made of pressed felt, rigid cardboard, and don’t need to be clamped.

I’ve seen a lot of myths over the years about how overhauling a flute isn’t worth it unless it’s a pro instrument. What’s your take on that?

Putting better pads in it will make a flute last another 30 years. [An overhaul] will make it almost better than the factory because the pad technology has come so far, and everything is tight to your specifications.

Most student flutes aren’t worth overhauling, except Pearl and some other special situations, but most are worth a repad, especially if you compare it to buying brand-new.

What’s your favorite flute to repair?

Pearl and Emerson.

I haven’t seen a difference in the newer Emersons since Selmer bought them out. I think they’re still treating that division as special, but I’m still keeping an eye on it.

Take-aways

I don’t know about you, but I learned a lot from this interview. It gives me more confidence in buying a used flute. It also makes me realize that if I need major repairs on my flute that I love, I shouldn’t just buy another one. I should give it the love that it has given me and fix the major issues.

I Forgot How to Read Music!

I never forgot how to read music, but every year I have a few students who do. This is what I do to bring them back.

Okay, I never forgot how to read music, but every year I have a few students who do. It happens pretty often, just like 1st graders forget how to read words over the summer.

What Not To Do

Don’t write the notes into your music. You’ll pay more attention to the letters than you do to the notes, and you won’t re-learn the information. You also won’t notice which octave in which to play the notes.

A Grand Staff

Have a grand staff sitting next to your music while you practice. I really like this free one. It may be frustrating to look up the note you can’t remember every time, but this is how you learn. After awhile, you won’t have to look up the notes anymore.

Note Naming Worksheets

These are grueling, but they work. My favorites are these ones. They’re no-nonsense and they’re free.

Anchor Notes

What works well with anchor notes is that once you get those, you can use your intervals to get you around while you gain your fluency..

The Treble (G) Clef circles around the G. The two dots on the Bass (F) Clef are on either side of the F. Middle C is another easily identified note.

When my students are reviewing scales, I use the popcorn method, described here. If a student is struggling with note names, the student must name the note on the flashcard before they play the scale, chord, cadence, or arpeggio. If the flashcard shows a C or a G and the student gets the name of the note wrong, I draw again.

The students want to get a C or a G because in the 5-finger pattern, those are the only two without flats and sharps. This drives them to learn the C’s and the G’s on both staves. That’s a lot of anchor notes.

Flashcards

When I use flashcards with a student, I set the timer for a minute and have them say the name of the note and play it. This helps them understand which octave to put the note into on the keyboard.

I don’t care whether they say the name or play the note first. Usually they’ll name it first then play it, but it shows that they’re becoming more fluent when they play it first, then say it.

Fluency

The eventual goal is to get to fluency. In true fluency, you’re not even thinking note names. The goal is that you look at the note on the page and your finger automatically goes to the note. The name of the note is an afterthought. That is what it feels like to be fluent in the language of music.

Conclusion

I usually use all of these tactics at the same time, but sometimes I only do one or two of them because I can tell the student didn’t forget as much as they think. It’s a tough road, but it works. I usually talk to the students and say what the steps will be and tell them it’s going to be tough, but they can do it. They are usually more than willing to relearn how to read the music.

Managing Big Leaps on the Flute

Big leaps seem to be easy for flutes, but they aren’t. Here are some tips to get through them.

Big leaps seem to be easy for flutes, but they aren’t. Leaps are a lot easier on flute than brass instruments, but they still pose a challenge.

The Challenges of Big Leaps

The reason it’s challenging is because we have to adjust our embouchure so the airstream hits the embouchure hole at a different angle than the last note. Technically, each note has its own sweet spot for where the airstream hits, but that’s a subject for another day.

Here are the two main challenges of big leaps.

Challenge #1. When the note is higher, the airstream goes higher. When the note is lower, the airstream goes lower. If you over or under-adjust, the second note can be flat or sharp.

Challenge #2. Beginners tend to increase the amount of air when they go higher (louder) and decrease the amount of air when they go lower (quieter). This is an attempt to solve the airstream problem by making the airstream larger for the higher notes.

The second challenge creates a big dynamic problem. What if everything is at a piano, everything is low, but you have to hit an octave leap in the middle of each beat? You make a disruptive squawk.

Vice-versa, if you have a bunch of higher notes and have to hit an octave leap down in the middle of each beat, you won’t be able to hear the lower note. Another issue with each of those scenarios is that usually the notes that you’re leaping towards are the melody and you’re doing your own harmonization.

The Solution

Put your hand in front of your face so your fingertips are at eye level. Point your airstream at the fingertips, then move it down to the base of your palm, then back up to the top, over and over, five times. Only move your lips.

When your airstream is at the top of your fingertips, that’s approximately where the very high notes feel like they are on the flute. When your airstream is at the base of your palm, that’s approximately where the very low notes feel like they are on the flute.

Pick up your flute and do just the leaps, making your lips change the airstream just as you did on your hand. You may have to adjust the size of your embouchure to keep the dynamic level the same. Use a tuner or a tuning drone to help you find the exact spot your lips need to go. This is my favorite, free tuning drone. It’s not an affiliate link.

The Jaw

When you play the leaps, you’ll feel your jaw move. That’s okay, it’s supporting your lips. Allow it to do its own thing, and don’t think about your jaw.

The movement should come from the lips. If the movement comes from the jaw, you might be giving yourself TMJ. Not fun. The solution to this risk is to pay all of your attention to the lips and not the jaw.

The concept of playing leaps is very important. I try to teach it as soon as possible with my students, because they tend to have to play a lot of leaps in band.

Back to School!

There are a few different kinds of lessons I give when it’s back to school time. I thought it would be nice for you to see what to expect.

There are a few different kinds of lessons I give when it’s back to school time. I have first lessons with brand-new beginners, students who took the summer off, students who are coming back after a year or two away from lessons, and lessons with the students who took lessons through the summer.

I thought it would be nice for you to see what to expect.

First Lessons with Brand-New Beginners

I had a ton of first lessons this week. We talk about proper form on the instrument, I go through my practice incentive program, the students show me how they like to goof off on the piano, I assign the first few pages of the lesson book, and we start a rote piece. It’s a lot of fun and they’re very high-energy.

One aspect that I don’t want to gloss over is that the new students show me how they like to goof off on the piano. This is actually a very important step that sounds like it’s not important at all. It helps me see what kind of music they enjoy and will be naturally good at.

  1. Do they bang on it or do they lightly play?
  2. Do they try to make melodies or do mostly harmonies (well, let’s admit it, it’s note clusters)?
  3. Do they try to make patterns with their rhythms or their melodies?

First Lessons with Students Who Take the Summer Off

This kind of lesson isn’t as high-energy as beginner lessons, but it’s still pretty high up there. We have to catch up a little with how the summer went and the student is really excited to get back into the routine of practicing and seeing my smiling face every week.

I do have to see how much the student forgot or gained over the summer. Some continued to practice, others didn’t touch their piano. The ones who continued do practice might have worked farther ahead in their lesson books.

The students who didn’t touch their piano might have to back up a bit in their lesson books. Nevertheless, it’s important to back up for them so they become more confident in playing rather than pushing them forward too fast.

Finding the right spot takes a ton of work on both our parts.

First Lessons with Transfer Students or Those Who Took a Year or More Off

These can be a little tricky. I have to double-check their form and make sure any mistakes didn’t creep in. If the form is really off, I create a plan on how to improve it. I actually really love this part because I’m creating a plan to make their lives better.

Then I work with them to see where they are in their lesson book or their repertoire, just like the students who take the summer off.

First Lessons with Students Who Didn’t Take the Summer Off

These are the most calm lessons of back to school week. We continue to work on what we’ve been working on, in the same order – theory, scales, technical studies, etudes (lesson book), and repertoire. I may be a little higher-energy than normal because of the other lessons, but it feels like sinking into a comfortable, familiar place.

I know that within a month, all of my lessons will feel like this.

The “Divide and Conquer” Practice Technique

This is a practice technique that can and should be done from day one of starting a new repertoire piece. It’s simple, it makes you better, and you may realize that you’ve accidentally done it before.

The only time you might not want to do this practice technique is if you’re in the process of learning all your scales. If you have time to do this in addition to learning your scales, go for it.

What You’ll Need:

You’ll need a metronome, a good scale book, and etudes (optional). I can’t make a good recommendation for a piano scale book, but Pares Scales (affiliate link) would be a good place to start on the flute.

If you don’t have a metronome, there are a ton of good, free metronome apps that you can use on a phone or tablet. If you need a real one because you want to reduce screen time, I really like this Matrix one (not an affiliate link). It’s loud enough for me to hear with earplugs and over the piccolo.

Analyze Your Piece

First you have to ask yourself a couple questions:

  1. What key(s) is my piece in?
  2. Does the piece transfer into a different key for awhile using accidentals?
  3. Double-check. Is it Major, minor, both, or modal?

Scales

When warming up, play in the key(s) of your piece all scales, arpeggios, chords, and thirds with a metronome.  Keep increasing the speed of the metronome over the course of the weeks/months that you’re learning the repertoire.

For variety, use the various scale exercises in your scale book. They’re designed to even out your fingers. They’re also designed to practice the common trouble spots that you might encounter in the music.

Etudes (optional)

An optional part of this is to find etudes that are in the same key(s) as your new repertoire piece. Play a new one each week.

Etudes weave into a melody a problem-pattern that is common in your instrument. If you practice etudes that are in the same key as your repertoire piece, the problem-patterns that the etudes bring up are more likely to be the problems you’ll encounter in your repertoire piece.

These are the reasons I can think of that etudes are optional for this practice technique. I’m sure there are more.

  1. You’re going through a lesson book and you need to go through those etudes in the order given (lesson books are etude books).
  2. You have a goal of going through certain etudes. It feels good to say you’ve played all of a certain composer’s etudes, and I’m not one to get in the way of your goals.
  3. It’s hard to find etudes based on key signature, and you don’t have the time or resources to scour etude books for hours on end.

This technique can and should be used in conjunction with all the other practice techniques.  It helps you recognize parts of the song that may look hard at first, but then you realize it’s just a scale.  It also helps you keep your fingers even.