Tag: tone

The Second Tone Lesson on the Flute

The second lesson on tone and how to continue your study.

This article is designed to be read after this one. Please read the first article before you read this one.

Long Tones

The definition of Long Tones are to go up or down the chromatic scale very slowly. At first, it’s two notes per breath slowly.

The first step of Long Tones is to take that fabulous tone that you learned in the first step and extend it down to Middle C. In the second lesson on tone, you don’t go above the B natural in the middle of the staff.

One person once told me that each note should sound like pearls on a necklace. Another person once told me that you should imagine the honey dripping out of the end of your instrument. Whatever analogy works best for you, each note should sound equally great.

Stumbling Blocks

While going down, if you start to lose your best tone, go back up to the better note and play the two notes – the one with good tone and the one where you’re starting to lose the good tone – one at a time, until the second note sounds better.

While going down, if you get a note that sounds better than everything else, go back up. You need to expand that great tone from (usually it’s a G) back up to your B natural. Now your B natural is even more fabulous!

Why?

Why don’t you go up at first? Why only go down to Middle C? The reason you go down first is because you need to create a good base in order to have good tone in all of your registers.

Sometimes when you hear about a person’s tone, the experts talk about overtones and undertones. In order to have good undertones for the higher notes in your range, you need to have good notes at the bottom of your range. We work on undertones first so you don’t sound shrill.

The Book(s)

When I first teach tone, I teach it from this book (affiliate link), Trevor Wye’s Tone Book. We take one exercise at a time, bit by bit, until we’ve gone all the way through the book.

After we learn the Trevor Wye book, we start on this book (affiliate link), De La Sonorite by Moyse. It may be old, but you know what they say – if it ain’t broke…

Other Options

The two books listed above are kind of like eating your vegetables. Not fun, but necessary. There are days that you can’t make yourself do it. Once or twice a week, you can give yourself permission to play something beautiful and simple, instead. If you’re having a hard time practicing in general, take a look at this article.

I love Disney and all things geek, so I like to play along to this Disney book, with the recording, so I know I’m working on intonation. I can pretend I’m James Galway by playing Lord of the Rings with the recording, for the same reason. Of course, there’s always Harry Potter and Star Wars, too (all affiliate links). If pop music is more your jam, those books exist, too.

Depending on why I don’t want to work on tone, sometimes I’ll pull out my hymnal (not an affiliate link) to work on tone, too. One nice thing about using the hymnal is that sometimes when you’re not in the mood to work on the tone books, it’s for a good reason. Playing hymns sometimes turns those things around. Also, if you’re having a bad day, take a look at this article. It might help.

Conclusion

This article isn’t intended to be used instead of having a private teacher. Sometimes it’s nice to see everything all laid out in an article so you can see the hows and the whys. Sometimes it’s nice to see an explanation that’s in someone else’s words. Sometimes it’s just good to have a review.

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.

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?

Matching Tone Colors

There are several ways to meld tone colors. Here are two.

Awhile back, I had the opportunity to play with my old stand partner from college. Both of our natural tone colors had changed, but our tones melded together so we sounded as one, within seconds.

There are several ways to meld your tone colors. Here are two.

The Natural Way

It takes a few months. As you play with a group, you will all eventually come to a consensus on tone color. It requires everyone to do a good job of listening to each other, so sometimes it can take longer than a few months.

On a side note, this is why it’s important for you to play duets with your teacher. Your tone color ends up automatically matching hers during the duets and you learn a lot about tone by matching her.

Matching Tone Color On Purpose

First chair has priority on dictating tone color. She shouldn’t have to say anything, everyone else should try to match her. She also has the right to change the tone color based on the song.

Let’s say the first chair’s natural tone color is sunshine yellow and yours is blue velvet. You can use this method to change yours to sunshine yellow. It might not be the same exact sunshine yellow, but it will be close enough.

Another Idea

One time I went to the Omaha Symphony and the flutes were doing a lovely soli. They had perfect intonation and matched each others’ tone color perfectly. They sounded like one person.

The next time through the melody, the clarinets joined in. The flutes changed their tone color to allow for the clarinets. Rather than flutes and clarinets playing together, they were “team woodwind.”

I knew exactly how they did it, it had just never occured to me to blend in that way. It was powerful.

This is a somewhat advanced skill, but it’s important to understand and be able to implement. I hope these ideas help.

The 5-Minute Warm-up

Ah, the 5-minute warm-up.  If you use it correctly, you will sound like a genius before rehearsal, auditions, or a performance.  It will also make you sound like a million bucks while playing your pieces.

In addition to using it as described above, you use this because you are freaking out because you have to finish learning a piece by next week and you’re not even close.  You don’t have time to go through the regular warm-ups, but you know that warming up will make you play better. I call this the time crunch purpose.

The 5-minute warm-up touches all the points that you do in your normal warm-up – tone, scales, and technique. You only play through them, you don’t work on them.

Here is an example of what you can do for each of the instruments that I teach.

Piano

Find the key signatures that you’re playing in your pieces of music. In those Major or minor keys, play each of these below:

Scales
Chords
Cadences
Arpeggios

If you have time, do all 12 Majors and/or minors.

Do whatever you can to the best of your abilities.  If you only know how to do a root position chord, that’s what you do.  If you’re normally doing 3 octave scales, that’s what you do.

Flute

  1. Long Tones – lower register
  2. A Beautiful Tune – It should be memorized in the middle register, and maybe stretches up to the upper register.
  3. 12 Major or minor Scales and Arpeggios – if you’re really crunched for time, just do the keys that you’re playing later.
  4. Harmonics or Octave Jumps – don’t be a perfectionist about these. If you can’t hit that last harmonic, don’t try to pick it up. Just keep going.

Do this to the best of your abilities.  If you are at the first step of good tone and learning how to get a good B natural, that’s what you do.  If you like to do T&G exercise #1, memorized, for your scales, that’s what you do.

Fear and Awe

A good 5-minute warm-up can strike fear or awe in the hearts of everyone around you.  I once saw Arturo Sandoval (famous trumpet player) do his.  He did long tones, then When You Wish Upon A Star in 3 octaves.  Everyone’s jaw dropped. 

What’s your favorite 5-minute warm-up?

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.