Category: Tone

The First Lesson on Tone for Flute

Do you need to work on tone but don’t know where to start? Here’s the starting point.

This is a lesson that usually only takes 5 minutes. I like to go over it before we start working in-depth on tone.

Where to Start?

Start with the B natural in the middle of the staff. Adjust your mouth, jaw, lips, and throat while listening to yourself. Try to memorize where everything sounds the best.

How Will It End Up?

You’ll find that your throat will be open like you’re yawning. Your jaw will be as open as possible. Your lips will be relaxed and focused.

Your Throat

It’s really hard to remember to hold your throat open at first. It’s also really hard to remember how to keep your throat open. Try yawning. That will remind you what it feels like to have it open.

Your Jaw

It’s hard to imagine without doing it, but you’ll notice that you will drop your jaw as much as your lips will allow. This will help with the richness of your tone.

Your Mouth

Your mouth (not including your lips) will be as open as possible. This gives the air a chance to resonate. If it helps, you’re trying to blow out hot air rather than cold air.

Your Lips

Find a way to keep your lips relaxed while still focusing your sound. The opening (aperture) should be close to, if not at, the center of your lips.

Some people have to play a little to the side because of the shape of their lips.  The most common reason for that is because the top lip comes to a point. I personally have to go a little to the left side because I have a mole on the right side of my top lip that makes that side not work quite as well. We have to work with what God gave us.

Note that I’m saying a little to the side. The aperture should still be in the center third of the lips.

How to Practice Tone

Every day, at the beginning of practice, play your B natural and find your best tone. Look at yourself in the mirror. You will see how your mouth, lips, jaw, and throat change when your tone changes.

Results

Your tone will naturally improve when you start working on tone. It will transfer to the rest of your practice. Try to do this every time you play, it only takes a minute.

Tone on the Piano

Wait, you can have good tone on a piano? I thought you just pushed the key and it made a sound. I thought tone had everything to do with the piano and nothing to do with the player. That’s what I thought the first time my piano teacher talked to me about tone.

Wait, you can have good tone on a piano? I thought you just pushed the key and it made a sound. I thought tone had everything to do with the piano and nothing to do with the player.

That’s what I thought the first time my piano teacher talked to me about tone. I was playing Debussy. It was flowy and beautiful, so she taught me to stroke the keys as I played.

The other way to have good tone is to have perfect hand position – no collapsing fingers, no flat fingers, no collapsed wrists. Your hand needs to be perfectly rounded, wrists at or above the hand, and a strong (not stiff) first finger joint.

Scales

Scales are a great tool for any number of things because they’re simple and should be memorized. The other instruments begin their practice with tone, and piano should be no exception. Play your scales slowly and watch your hands like a hawk.

Scales are a separate category of practice from tone. This is practicing tone, and it should be done before scales. Scales usually have a different focus, given to you by your teacher or your personal goals.

Should I Practice Both Kinds Of Tone Each Day?

Maybe. It depends on how long you practice each day. If you’re practicing for half an hour per day, just pick one. Start with the perfect hand position one until it’s mastered. Afterwards, master the finger stroke. If you have already mastered both, then alternate each day.

If you’re practicing for an hour or longer per day, then practice each kind of tone each day. If you’re in the inbetweeny stage where you’re practicing between half an hour and an hour per day, then go with your gut. If it’s boring to you, just do it once. If you enjoy it, do both kinds.

What About My Other Music?

As you practice tone, your good tone will naturally expand to the other music. It will stay in the back of your mind because you began your practice with concentrating on it.