I wanted to find out if anyone else has ever had this problem.
I have been playing a silver flute (like ones played in an orchestra) for about 10 months. The other day I sat down to practice a new lesson and could not play for the life of me. I could hold certain tones, but could not combind the notes without them going in and out of tune constantly. Often the notes sounded like a honking goose flying overhead. This went on for 4 days. On the 5th day, I could play Iike I used to play before this horriflying incident. Is there anyone out there who has had this happen to them? What would cause this?
Yes, to some extent. I could not relate the notes on my fiddle for the life of me. I was listenign to a tune and could not match any thing...any thing. I put my fiddle down for a couple of days and everything was fine.
When that happens you need to put your instrument away for a few days and let your brain and muscle memory sort out whatever it is they're chewing over.
It's counter-intuitive of course, but trying to fight your way through it does you no good. You should spend that time listening to whatever it is you're trying to play, or at the very least, 'listening' as carefully as possible to what's in your head.
this happens to just about everyone, i think. the causes can vary, though usually its just your muscles and your skills developing. i used to have trouble getting a good tone sometimes, especially if i skipped a day or two of practice. somedays, my tone was horrible, even if i practiced every day. it gets very discouraging, but i think that having bad days and good days shows progress in technique as well as growing awareness of your own skills.
what type of music are you playing on the flute? i play irish on the silver boehm flute. up until recently, i never had the luxury of being able to afford two flutes. now that i'm out of highschool, i've ditched classical to focus on what i really got my flute for. my new irish flute will be finished getting made soon, and i'll be right with you in having bad embouchure weeks!
Have you considered that it might be something to do with the flute, not you? One of those pesky little levers, keys, or mechanisms could have got stuck, the thing might have been leaking somehwere and then it sorts itself out & everything's OK again....
That probably happens to everybody. I get bad days when I cant get a good sound, timing is all off and fingers wont move fast enough etc etc. Makes me feel like smashing the flute!!!
You might have more success if try starting your practice sessions with rudiments and scales. Its not as glam as a slip jig or a reel, but we all had to start somewhere.
I would also choose some starter friendly material to play something that wont be so discourageing if its not working out. Save the Kilfinora set for maybe next year...
good luck...
practice...
Hmmm happens to me on the odd occasion and on retrospect usually turns out to be something outside the music causing stress. Don't worry about the musical aspect and you'll be OK, in my experience at least. I hate to say it but it's a bit like "a bit of the other" in that respect.
Thanks so much for your help. The only bad thing about this happening to me is I now don't trust the instrument anymore. I am afraid that I will one day be asked to perform somewhere and on the eve of the performance, the same horror will happen again.
dont fear that! its probably not the instrument, because otherwise it wouldnt have fixed itself. its not you, either, its just learning how to play. after a couple years you'll learn how to get good tone when you want, and learn what makes your tone bad so you can fix it when it goes out of control on its own.
If you figure out how to regain the ability to play, let me know. There are a few players on the Boston Red Sox I would like you to talk to.............
It sounds to me like a spring slipped (or some such occurence) that sorted itself out. If it happens again, I would bring the flute to your local music shop -- they'll probably verify that everything is ok for free, and then you'll know you can trust him/her again.
good point Kriana! i had a flute that would mysteriously refuse to play on certain days. This generally happened in the dead of winter (it played like a dream in the summer) and i surmised that due to the dryness it was leaking every so slightly but enough to almost silence the low D. once i started properly humidifying in the winter and sealing the joints, the problem went away. flutes can be very fussy unstruments.
The same thing happened to me! I had put away my silver flute for about 3 years. I had been playing a Casey Burns wooden flute instead during that time. When I tried to go back to the silver, it made the honking goose sound! Never happened to me before, so I figured I had changed my embrochure for the wooden flute and "forgot" the correct one for the silver.
From my personal experience, I was practicing for an Irish music concert several months ago, and my tone just suddenly vanished. Poof! ...for about two or three days I could barely get a sound.
I was overwrought with panic because the concert was only a week away, so I e-mailed by former flute teacher for advice. It was funny. I could hear his mellow, easy-going, laid-back voice as I read his e-mail reply back to me -- kind of like, "Yea, these things happen to all of us from time to time. No big deal. Maybe take a day or two off, then play again. Just don't worry."
At first I thought, "How can I take a day or two off? The concert is only a week away!" But I did, and he was spot on, and his laid-back response assured me that everything would be OK.
(By the way, daiv, I'd like to hear more about your new flute. Please e-mail me off-list...)
Losing ability to Play
Losing ability to Play
I wanted to find out if anyone else has ever had this problem.
I have been playing a silver flute (like ones played in an orchestra) for about 10 months. The other day I sat down to practice a new lesson and could not play for the life of me. I could hold certain tones, but could not combind the notes without them going in and out of tune constantly. Often the notes sounded like a honking goose flying overhead. This went on for 4 days. On the 5th day, I could play Iike I used to play before this horriflying incident. Is there anyone out there who has had this happen to them? What would cause this?
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by silver_flutist
Re: Losing ability to Play
Yes, to some extent. I could not relate the notes on my fiddle for the life of me. I was listenign to a tune and could not match any thing...any thing. I put my fiddle down for a couple of days and everything was fine.
Don't know!!
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by I_Fel
Re: Losing ability to Play
When that happens you need to put your instrument away for a few days and let your brain and muscle memory sort out whatever it is they're chewing over.
It's counter-intuitive of course, but trying to fight your way through it does you no good. You should spend that time listening to whatever it is you're trying to play, or at the very least, 'listening' as carefully as possible to what's in your head.
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by _Steph_
Re: Losing ability to Play
this happens to just about everyone, i think. the causes can vary, though usually its just your muscles and your skills developing. i used to have trouble getting a good tone sometimes, especially if i skipped a day or two of practice. somedays, my tone was horrible, even if i practiced every day. it gets very discouraging, but i think that having bad days and good days shows progress in technique as well as growing awareness of your own skills.
what type of music are you playing on the flute? i play irish on the silver boehm flute. up until recently, i never had the luxury of being able to afford two flutes. now that i'm out of highschool, i've ditched classical to focus on what i really got my flute for. my new irish flute will be finished getting made soon, and i'll be right with you in having bad embouchure weeks!
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by daiv
Re: Losing ability to Play
Have you considered that it might be something to do with the flute, not you? One of those pesky little levers, keys, or mechanisms could have got stuck, the thing might have been leaking somehwere and then it sorts itself out & everything's OK again....
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by patsy
Re: Losing ability to Play
That probably happens to everybody. I get bad days when I cant get a good sound, timing is all off and fingers wont move fast enough etc etc. Makes me feel like smashing the flute!!!
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by Cealgach
Re: Losing ability to Play
happens to everyone. it'll pass.
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by Brendan
Re: Losing ability to Play
Happens to me every day.
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by TheSilverSpear
Re: Losing ability to Play
You might have more success if try starting your practice sessions with rudiments and scales. Its not as glam as a slip jig or a reel, but we all had to start somewhere.
I would also choose some starter friendly material to play something that wont be so discourageing if its not working out. Save the Kilfinora set for maybe next year...
good luck...
practice...
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by lamh trom
Re: Losing ability to Play
Happens to me when I sober up
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by geoffwright
Re: Losing ability to Play
definately i learnt the second part of the masons apron beatifully for a long while and now i just cant pivot right im only 17.
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by S.McMullen
Re: Losing ability to Play
Hmmm happens to me on the odd occasion and on retrospect usually turns out to be something outside the music causing stress. Don't worry about the musical aspect and you'll be OK, in my experience at least. I hate to say it but it's a bit like "a bit of the other" in that respect.
# Posted on July 31st 2006 by Conán McDonnell
Re: Losing ability to Play
Thanks so much for your help. The only bad thing about this happening to me is I now don't trust the instrument anymore. I am afraid that I will one day be asked to perform somewhere and on the eve of the performance, the same horror will happen again.
Tiffany
# Posted on July 31st 2006 by silver_flutist
Re: Losing ability to Play
dont fear that! its probably not the instrument, because otherwise it wouldnt have fixed itself. its not you, either, its just learning how to play. after a couple years you'll learn how to get good tone when you want, and learn what makes your tone bad so you can fix it when it goes out of control on its own.
# Posted on July 31st 2006 by daiv
Re: Losing ability to Play
If you figure out how to regain the ability to play, let me know. There are a few players on the Boston Red Sox I would like you to talk to.............
# Posted on July 31st 2006 by AlBrown
Re: Losing ability to Play
It sounds to me like a spring slipped (or some such occurence) that sorted itself out. If it happens again, I would bring the flute to your local music shop -- they'll probably verify that everything is ok for free, and then you'll know you can trust him/her again.
# Posted on July 31st 2006 by Kriana
Re: Losing ability to Play
good point Kriana! i had a flute that would mysteriously refuse to play on certain days. This generally happened in the dead of winter (it played like a dream in the summer) and i surmised that due to the dryness it was leaking every so slightly but enough to almost silence the low D. once i started properly humidifying in the winter and sealing the joints, the problem went away. flutes can be very fussy unstruments.
# Posted on July 31st 2006 by Brendan
Re: Losing ability to Play
The same thing happened to me! I had put away my silver flute for about 3 years. I had been playing a Casey Burns wooden flute instead during that time. When I tried to go back to the silver, it made the honking goose sound! Never happened to me before, so I figured I had changed my embrochure for the wooden flute and "forgot" the correct one for the silver.
# Posted on July 31st 2006 by O'Lehane
Re: Losing ability to Play
I agree with daiv 100%.
From my personal experience, I was practicing for an Irish music concert several months ago, and my tone just suddenly vanished. Poof! ...for about two or three days I could barely get a sound.
I was overwrought with panic because the concert was only a week away, so I e-mailed by former flute teacher for advice. It was funny. I could hear his mellow, easy-going, laid-back voice as I read his e-mail reply back to me -- kind of like, "Yea, these things happen to all of us from time to time. No big deal. Maybe take a day or two off, then play again. Just don't worry."
At first I thought, "How can I take a day or two off? The concert is only a week away!" But I did, and he was spot on, and his laid-back response assured me that everything would be OK.
(By the way, daiv, I'd like to hear more about your new flute. Please e-mail me off-list...)
# Posted on July 31st 2006 by browndog