After.nearly 30 years of not touching my flute, I have taken it out again and am - at the age of 75 very happy about your wonderful and helpful teaching. It comes all back again. Thank you!
As an irish flute player, i tend to turn the headjoint in towards my lips quite a lot, because it makes the tone color i seek when playing irish music more easily attainable and sustainable, especially at a higher volume. To put it into perspective, the outer edge of my embochure hole is lined with the center of the fingerholes, assuming that the fingerholes are pointing at the ceiling.
Thanks SO much for this...after a long break in playing couldn’t figure out why my sound, although not unpleasant, was so consistently flat. Remembered from watching this when my teacher, 20 years ago, had me really turn the headjoint out then work to find a way to make the sound beautiful, rather than relying on turning in for that very focused but smaller sound. Just given it a go, using your hand position guide to finding the headjoint position, and ended up naturally in a perfect Rockstro with sudden appearance of a huge and deep and flexible sound ✌🏻 needs work now to refine it to a beautiful sound consistently rather than mixture of nice and a sharp airy mess, but I’ve totally remembered what I was taught and how to find that again. So pleased 🤩
My teacher was asking me to turn out the flute more and use less of a thumb under approach. So it was reassuring to hear your video on this. Appreciate all of your videos soooo much! I hear it in lessons, but don't retain it and having the video really helps keep me on track. :)
Petr Setek 1 week ago P.S.(Czech flutist) Even Theobald Böhm had this problem. He knew that his 1847 model flute was too heavy on the side toward the player due to the long rods and screws and therefore he used a contrivance popularly called a "crutch". The crutch, a big T shaped screw turned upside down, was attached to the flute from underneath an "sat" in the indentation between the left thumb and point finger. If I am right about this, Böhm carried the flute in his left hand. Therefore he could recommend the alignment of the head joint - center of embouchure hole, center of keys on the middle joint. If a player had thinner lips and needed to turn the embouchure hole more inside, the whole instrument could be turned inside with or without change of the alignment. No balancing was necessary. But the flutists did not like the crutch because it hampered the movement of the thumb, BUT they FORGOT to turn the head joint in. When I was young I played a flute with the crutch made by Hans Rainer, and can confirm this. Without the crutch, I believe, the Rockstro alignment would be more comfortable. In my opinion - outer edge of the embouchure hole - centers of keys on the body. Concerning the right thumb: there is no ideal position. I personally move it a little not to get pain in it after a long playing. It depends what type of thumb you have. If you have a thumb like Phillipe Bernold, "u" shaped, then you can hold the flute underneath or on the side. I, with my pointed thumb, cannot hold the flute on the tip
Naturally people want to mimic what the best of the professions do. When I look at James Galway, his upper lip seems to be positioned over the blow hole, and his lower lip is pressed by the lip plate towards his lower teeth that will keep the lower lip from closing over the blow hole, allowing air to enter. Then on a youtube video, the female teacher talks about the 'french embouchure' where the lip plate is pressed against the chin, with the lower lip not touching the lip plate but actually above the blow hole forming an opening between the upper and lower lip that is much like a 'pout' with the air stream crossing over the blow hole much like when you whistle a tune without the help of an instrument. I find that a combination of those positions is necessary for me to make a pleasant flute like sound. I put the flute on a level table, that establishes the 'up' position for the flute, that will have the finger keys slightly point away and down. Then I put the head joint blow hole pointing directly up and that will be slightly offset away from your face, but still evenly facing up. Then I pick up the flute and place the foot joint onto the flute. When the foot joint is fully pressed on to the body of the flute, the foot joint key levers (where your right hand small finger rests on the D# lever) will be somewhat in line with the finger keys, that are slightly on a down slope away from your face. Now here comes the tricky part...because the small finger of your right hand will be used to press on the levers for FOUR notes. D# (Eb), C# (Db), C, B, in order to reach each lever you will have to twist the foot joint, while the right hand is holding the flute in the playing position until the fleshy part of the little finger is directly on the C lever, that when you play (sound) the C note, your little finger will be pressing on the C# AND the C roller. When you play (sound) the B note, you will be flexing the tip of your little finger downward pressing on ALL three of the levers. When you play (sound) the C# note, the little finger will be press only the C# (Db) lever. Adjusting the foot joint twisting it towards or away from your face, until your little finger can play all the notes on the foot joint while your right hand stays comfortably away from the TRILL keys that will be driving you NUTZ as they are unintentionally opened and closed by the other fingers, until you get the 'hang of it'. Because the D# lever is in the normally closed position, pressing on it, while you play (sound) the D opens the hole sounding the D# note. I've described what adjustments I have to make the flute comfortable for my sized hands and embourcher, play around until you find your flute adjustments to fit yours, just like the teacher says.
I was having a real problem getting rid of the air problem, also getting a decent sound from middle E was very inconsistent. I decided to turn the head joint towards me a lot. To my surprise my sound improved a lot. Unconventional but it worked. Spent three weeks trying to get a decent sound. Need help.
As a sax player learning flute I found this video and the rockstro video very helpful. The keys facing skywards has changed my position and the projection and tone have both benefitted. However, I’m now basically a quarter tone out of tune throughout the entire instrument. Is this from adjusting the headjoint position too much or is it an ear thing?
I have learned the flute by myself and what I feel that has to be done is having your flute low enough so your lips can articulate (move) properly between octaves. Most other players I know tend to have the hole too high, usually almost on their lips, and their sound isn't as clear as mine. Again, I am self taught, so I might be wrong.
I came to watch this video cus I noticed some flute players turn their headjoint in towards their mouth. The reason I considered doing this for myself is because I can't do a C# without losing support in my hands and I lose proper grip of the flute. I don't have a teacher yet who could advise me if turning the headjoint in to combat this problem as being a good approach to tackle the problem. I found turning the headjoint in though does give my hands more stability to press the C# without left hand slippage. I'm still a beginner though so I'm looking at how to make this comfortable. The Yamaha 222 model actually puts arrows on the joints to show you where to position them when attached but where the headjoint meets the body I think that part could be moved in a bit for support. Please tell me what you think though. Maybe in the end it just ends up being personal preference. I also notice I can get softer high octave notes more clearly if I move my lips in more toward the hole covering 55% of the hole with my lips.
I turn it out because it feels better when I put it up to my mouth. I always go for comfortability and what feels better. No use playing an instrument that sounds out of the world but a nightmare to play because it isn't comfortable.
After.nearly 30 years of not touching my flute, I have taken it out again and am - at the age of 75 very happy about your wonderful and helpful teaching. It comes all back again. Thank you!
As an irish flute player, i tend to turn the headjoint in towards my lips quite a lot, because it makes the tone color i seek when playing irish music more easily attainable and sustainable, especially at a higher volume.
To put it into perspective, the outer edge of my embochure hole is lined with the center of the fingerholes, assuming that the fingerholes are pointing at the ceiling.
My head joint is neatly connected 🤗most of the time to my neck😉 so no problem with searching and finding. 🧐👌✌️
You are a great teacher, and I like your energy! Makes me pay attention to what you are teaching. Thank you
Thanks for the very very clear instruction. I like the dark sound, like yusef lateef. Go on with your instructions.
Thanks SO much for this...after a long break in playing couldn’t figure out why my sound, although not unpleasant, was so consistently flat. Remembered from watching this when my teacher, 20 years ago, had me really turn the headjoint out then work to find a way to make the sound beautiful, rather than relying on turning in for that very focused but smaller sound. Just given it a go, using your hand position guide to finding the headjoint position, and ended up naturally in a perfect Rockstro with sudden appearance of a huge and deep and flexible sound ✌🏻 needs work now to refine it to a beautiful sound consistently rather than mixture of nice and a sharp airy mess, but I’ve totally remembered what I was taught and how to find that again. So pleased 🤩
My teacher was asking me to turn out the flute more and use less of a thumb under approach. So it was reassuring to hear your video on this. Appreciate all of your videos soooo much! I hear it in lessons, but don't retain it and having the video really helps keep me on track. :)
I think in the end you really just need to find what works for you and go with that. Good luck on your journey!
thx for all your very helpful hints ❤
Petr Setek
1 week ago
P.S.(Czech flutist) Even Theobald Böhm had this problem. He knew that his 1847 model flute was too heavy on the side toward the player due to the long rods and screws and therefore he used a contrivance popularly called a "crutch". The crutch, a big T shaped screw turned upside down, was attached to the flute from underneath an "sat" in the indentation between the left thumb and point finger. If I am right about this, Böhm carried the flute in his left hand. Therefore he could recommend the alignment of the head joint - center of embouchure hole, center of keys on the middle joint. If a player had thinner lips and needed to turn the embouchure hole more inside, the whole instrument could be turned inside with or without change of the alignment. No balancing was necessary. But the flutists did not like the crutch because it hampered the movement of the thumb, BUT they FORGOT to turn the head joint in. When I was young I played a flute with the crutch made by Hans Rainer, and can confirm this. Without the crutch, I believe, the Rockstro alignment would be more comfortable. In my opinion - outer edge of the embouchure hole - centers of keys on the body. Concerning the right thumb: there is no ideal position. I personally move it a little not to get pain in it after a long playing. It depends what type of thumb you have. If you have a thumb like Phillipe Bernold, "u" shaped, then you can hold the flute underneath or on the side. I, with my pointed thumb, cannot hold the flute on the tip
Wonderful, thank you so much, took a weight off my conscience.
Awesome. Great tips.😊😊
THANK YOU, you’ve helped me so so much !
As a rookie, I'm still trying to find my sound, but I'm absorbing lots of useful information already!
Invaluable! Thank you.
:) Thank you!
Naturally people want to mimic what the best of the professions do. When I look at James Galway, his upper lip seems to be positioned over the blow hole, and his lower lip is pressed by the lip plate towards his lower teeth that will keep the lower lip from closing over the blow hole, allowing air to enter. Then on a youtube video, the female teacher talks about the 'french embouchure' where the lip plate is pressed against the chin, with the lower lip not touching the lip plate but actually above the blow hole forming an opening between the upper and lower lip that is much like a 'pout' with the air stream crossing over the blow hole much like when you whistle a tune without the help of an instrument. I find that a combination of those positions is necessary for me to make a pleasant flute like sound. I put the flute on a level table, that establishes the 'up' position for the flute, that will have the finger keys slightly point away and down. Then I put the head joint blow hole pointing directly up and that will be slightly offset away from your face, but still evenly facing up. Then I pick up the flute and place the foot joint onto the flute. When the foot joint is fully pressed on to the body of the flute, the foot joint key levers (where your right hand small finger rests on the D# lever) will be somewhat in line with the finger keys, that are slightly on a down slope away from your face. Now here comes the tricky part...because the small finger of your right hand will be used to press on the levers for FOUR notes. D# (Eb), C# (Db), C, B, in order to reach each lever you will have to twist the foot joint, while the right hand is holding the flute in the playing position until the fleshy part of the little finger is directly on the C lever, that when you play (sound) the C note, your little finger will be pressing on the C# AND the C roller. When you play (sound) the B note, you will be flexing the tip of your little finger downward pressing on ALL three of the levers. When you play (sound) the C# note, the little finger will be press only the C# (Db) lever. Adjusting the foot joint twisting it towards or away from your face, until your little finger can play all the notes on the foot joint while your right hand stays comfortably away from the TRILL keys that will be driving you NUTZ as they are unintentionally opened and closed by the other fingers, until you get the 'hang of it'. Because the D# lever is in the normally closed position, pressing on it, while you play (sound) the D opens the hole sounding the D# note. I've described what adjustments I have to make the flute comfortable for my sized hands and embourcher, play around until you find your flute adjustments to fit yours, just like the teacher says.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Galways' embouchure? Still trying to work it out & he's not that clear in explaining it.
@@derycktrahair8108 Sir James Galway uses the german embouchure. I hope this will be helpful to you.
Thank you!
Pleasure!
I was having a real problem getting rid of the air problem, also getting a decent sound from middle E was very inconsistent. I decided to turn the head joint towards me a lot. To my surprise my sound improved a lot. Unconventional but it worked. Spent three weeks trying to get a decent sound. Need help.
As a sax player learning flute I found this video and the rockstro video very helpful. The keys facing skywards has changed my position and the projection and tone have both benefitted. However, I’m now basically a quarter tone out of tune throughout the entire instrument. Is this from adjusting the headjoint position too much or is it an ear thing?
I have learned the flute by myself and what I feel that has to be done is having your flute low enough so your lips can articulate (move) properly between octaves. Most other players I know tend to have the hole too high, usually almost on their lips, and their sound isn't as clear as mine. Again, I am self taught, so I might be wrong.
Your lips should move between octaves.
Nothing should be read in your lips
I came to watch this video cus I noticed some flute players turn their headjoint in towards their mouth. The reason I considered doing this for myself is because I can't do a C# without losing support in my hands and I lose proper grip of the flute. I don't have a teacher yet who could advise me if turning the headjoint in to combat this problem as being a good approach to tackle the problem. I found turning the headjoint in though does give my hands more stability to press the C# without left hand slippage. I'm still a beginner though so I'm looking at how to make this comfortable. The Yamaha 222 model actually puts arrows on the joints to show you where to position them when attached but where the headjoint meets the body I think that part could be moved in a bit for support. Please tell me what you think though. Maybe in the end it just ends up being personal preference. I also notice I can get softer high octave notes more clearly if I move my lips in more toward the hole covering 55% of the hole with my lips.
How do you get your notes so perfect
Beautiful teacher, excuse me my english writting, May you recommend me, basic and intermediate flute repertoire
I turn it out because it feels better when I put it up to my mouth. I always go for comfortability and what feels better. No use playing an instrument that sounds out of the world but a nightmare to play because it isn't comfortable.