Flutes

[IkaruTiger]

What kind of metal do you like your flutes to be? I have a nickle base one and a silver base one. I like the sound of the silver better for ensambles, but I love the tingy sound of the nickle one for jazz.  

[suki owl]

Rosey Milk Tea

Um, I don't quite understand how you can get a higher note with the same fingerings, do you blow harder or something?

Rosey Milk Tea

Okay, please, please, please don't tighten your embouchure to get a higher note. Most flute players do and sure it might work, but it won't sound nice. You have to be completely relaxed and you'll notice that tight, puckered lips will just give a soft and airy sound and probably make it sharp so dropping your jaw and keeping a high air pressure against your cheeks is the easiest way for me to explain it on here. Don't let your upper lip or the corners of your mouth get tight though...yes, it will take a ton of practice to get it right but once you do, it'll be so worth it. If you want to be the best you have to practice the most.
And probably even most importantly to high notes, and getting harmonics to even come out is supporting. You have to and that's all there is to it. Having the air against your cheeks helps a ton with supporting because it raises your abdomen so take huge breathes and if your keep the pressure of the air against your cheeks your abdomen is more likely to stay raised. And some will say diaphragm but really the abs do all the work. The diaphragm is above the abs and below the lungs so they all have a part in how well your air stream is kept up.
So if you don't support your embouchure will have to make up for it which will take much more time and suffering. SO don't let your abs be lazy!

I sound so much like my teacher...but she's so right. I had years of drilling...so just apply it all now to save you the trouble.  

[Escargot]

Hello fluties~~ heart  

[flamingrice]

I like the flute and all, but I tried to play it once, and I failed misribly.  

[luciernagaluz]

Hi!
i've been playing the flute for 2 years and a half and I really love it. By the way, I live in Mexico. Here people dont usually like classic music but still, some do. well in the place i live almost no one plays the flute!

Anyway, I love the flute! My favorite composer is Bach, but i also like Vivaldi's flute concerto. Which ones do you like?  

[luciernagaluz]

crying sad no one will talk abou flutes... question exclaim  

[Miuzyk]

i've been playing the flute for almost 7 years now and have had a flute for almost 7 years and had gotten it used in the first place *shudders*

i recently got a new one though biggrin
it's a professional flute and i love it to death! it creates the most prettiest sounds = w = not only that it's shinier than my student flute @ w @ [loves shiny things]

i wish to learn how to play the violin though. our family owns one but no one knows how to play it (or well at least).  

[Big Will FTW]

i play the trombone but my mom just recently bought a sterling silver alto flute and its a LOT of fun to play and it looks just like this
 

[lil_kitty_TNA]

Model:: Brio! B10 Intermediate Open Hole Flute by Gemeinhardt.

Price:: $1,500.

Description:: Sterling silver headjoint by Dana Sheridan; Silver plated body featuring plated Y arm mechanism with steel springs. French case and fleece lined fabric case cover.

Others::
* Handcut sterling silver Dana Sheridan Series headjoint
* Silver-plated body
* Silver-plated Y-arm mechanism
* Stainless steel springs
* Open hole key mechanism
* B Foot Joint
* French case with fabric cover

I don't actually remember if the head joint is Solid Silver or Sterling Silver :S.



My beginner model died.

Flautist since 06 ^^.

 

[Skuttlefish]

suki owl

Rosey Milk Tea

Um, I don't quite understand how you can get a higher note with the same fingerings, do you blow harder or something?

Rosey Milk Tea

Okay, please, please, please don't tighten your embouchure to get a higher note. Most flute players do and sure it might work, but it won't sound nice. You have to be completely relaxed and you'll notice that tight, puckered lips will just give a soft and airy sound and probably make it sharp so dropping your jaw and keeping a high air pressure against your cheeks is the easiest way for me to explain it on here. Don't let your upper lip or the corners of your mouth get tight though...yes, it will take a ton of practice to get it right but once you do, it'll be so worth it. If you want to be the best you have to practice the most.
And probably even most importantly to high notes, and getting harmonics to even come out is supporting. You have to and that's all there is to it. Having the air against your cheeks helps a ton with supporting because it raises your abdomen so take huge breathes and if your keep the pressure of the air against your cheeks your abdomen is more likely to stay raised. And some will say diaphragm but really the abs do all the work. The diaphragm is above the abs and below the lungs so they all have a part in how well your air stream is kept up.
So if you don't support your embouchure will have to make up for it which will take much more time and suffering. SO don't let your abs be lazy!

I sound so much like my teacher...but she's so right. I had years of drilling...so just apply it all now to save you the trouble.

That's a good way to explain it. You also need to push the air faster (not harder as some people do.) I find that your lips will naturally tighten a bit. If you are tightening your lips too much you may end up buzzing your lips, so that is a sign to loosen up. My lips buzz sometimes while playing piccolo, that's how I know. Piccolo is much harder to get harmonics up.  

[strawberry_love4]

FLUTES ROCK!!!!!! does anyone have any hints on how to play louder?  

[Cataluna Nacht]

midgetmushroom

Aisai24

Hello! I've been playing the flute for about 5 years...now, I'm planning to buy a new flute....I've been thinking about buying a Yamaha 581 silver flute. Does anyone know about any other good models of flutes?

Hello. I have been playing the flute for 15 years. Do not get a Gemeinhardt. They are good begginer flutes, but not for someone who is looking to upgrade. They are what we call "Band" type instruments, not hand made, and they are very inconsistent. Yamaha is good for intermediate flutes. Armstrong is another "Band" type, but at least they are more consistent. I reccomend Yamaha 481 and Emersons for Intermediate. For Pro, I like Altus, Brannen Bros, Muramatsu, Nagahara, and Miyazawa. Those are probably out of your difficulty level and price range, but it is nice to know I guess. Don't go by brand if the flute plays well for you. They key is to just try out lots of flutes, and involve your private teacher, or local college flute proffessor to help you make a wise decision.

What do you, or anyone else that cares to give me their input, think of the Yamaha 684? I'm planning on getting a new flute and I've tried this one out and it sounds really nice.

Also, I haven't had the opportunity to play in a while and I was wondering if anyone has tips on tone development - I'd be working on my own and not in a band or anything.  

[goffica_57]

midgetmushroom

Aisai24

Hello! I've been playing the flute for about 5 years...now, I'm planning to buy a new flute....I've been thinking about buying a Yamaha 581 silver flute. Does anyone know about any other good models of flutes?

Hello. I have been playing the flute for 15 years. Do not get a Gemeinhardt. They are good begginer flutes, but not for someone who is looking to upgrade. They are what we call "Band" type instruments, not hand made, and they are very inconsistent. Yamaha is good for intermediate flutes. Armstrong is another "Band" type, but at least they are more consistent. I reccomend Yamaha 481 and Emersons for Intermediate. For Pro, I like Altus, Brannen Bros, Muramatsu, Nagahara, and Miyazawa. Those are probably out of your difficulty level and price range, but it is nice to know I guess. Don't go by brand if the flute plays well for you. They key is to just try out lots of flutes, and involve your private teacher, or local college flute proffessor to help you make a wise decision.

Hey i've been playing for about 9 years and I recently upgraded my flute I didnt get an entire new flute but i got a new headjoint which is an altas and is amazing whilst keeping my yamaha body which i would advise they are both very good makes and as for getting the flute what you really want to do is find a shop which sells a wide range and go with your teacher to try a wide range out there are many different shaped flute headjoints you can get and it all depends on the person as to what suits them best as everyone is different as for tone quality as asked before aslong as you have a flute that suits you and use your diaphram you should be able to play with great tone if no matter what you do it doesnt sound good perhaps consider upgrading as i did it makes all the difference!  

[Rikku-the-Gaurdian]

Aikousen

suki owl

Rosey Milk Tea

Um, I don't quite understand how you can get a higher note with the same fingerings, do you blow harder or something?

Rosey Milk Tea

Okay, please, please, please don't tighten your embouchure to get a higher note. Most flute players do and sure it might work, but it won't sound nice. You have to be completely relaxed and you'll notice that tight, puckered lips will just give a soft and airy sound and probably make it sharp so dropping your jaw and keeping a high air pressure against your cheeks is the easiest way for me to explain it on here. Don't let your upper lip or the corners of your mouth get tight though...yes, it will take a ton of practice to get it right but once you do, it'll be so worth it. If you want to be the best you have to practice the most.
And probably even most importantly to high notes, and getting harmonics to even come out is supporting. You have to and that's all there is to it. Having the air against your cheeks helps a ton with supporting because it raises your abdomen so take huge breathes and if your keep the pressure of the air against your cheeks your abdomen is more likely to stay raised. And some will say diaphragm but really the abs do all the work. The diaphragm is above the abs and below the lungs so they all have a part in how well your air stream is kept up.
So if you don't support your embouchure will have to make up for it which will take much more time and suffering. SO don't let your abs be lazy!

I sound so much like my teacher...but she's so right. I had years of drilling...so just apply it all now to save you the trouble.

That's a good way to explain it. You also need to push the air faster (not harder as some people do.) I find that your lips will naturally tighten a bit. If you are tightening your lips too much you may end up buzzing your lips, so that is a sign to loosen up. My lips buzz sometimes while playing piccolo, that's how I know. Piccolo is much harder to get harmonics up.

The way I was taught to make high notes easier is to push your lips forward (WITHOUT tightening). The best way to practice this is with the overtone series. For example, start with a low C (below the staff), then raise it to middle C without changing the fingering. Continue doing this, and you will play the overtone series.
The notes will proceed as such:

C-C-G-C-E-G-Bb-C

And a point of note, the only time it is acceptable for your embouchure to tighten is in the lower register, and even then it is slight. To prevent tightening in the upper notes, you can put pockets of air in your cheeks (imagine a chipmunk, if you will). Nothing like Dizzy Gillespie, of course. Do not puff the cheeks, but allow air into them.  

[AyumiGosu17]

I've used nothing but silvers.

I started on an older (1993!) Armstrong when I was twelve. That was a sturdy instrument! Wow! But I ended up giving it to a middle school student over here where I go to college because hers was stolen, and the family couldn't afford another one. So my mom bought me a brand new silver Germeinhardt for my birthday. Oh my goooooooosh I love it! It sounds so beautiful - clear, warm, wholesome, easy... I've broken it in nicely; the start of this spring semester, our director looked at me on day one, "You're my first chair." Uh, what? lol