Hi all,
I'm full of bad habits learning the flute I guess....and one is about breathing. Do I have to breath just by my mouth? Or mouth and nose as a quick diafragm breath??
And another question is about my right hand fingering. I recently got a Rob Forbes flute. It sounds very nice but I was wondering if the hole spacing (for the bottom three holes) is larger than those wooden flutes that have the extra two holes. I have large fingers but it seems ipossible for me to use the last part of my fingers to seal the holes properly. And that's what I see on many players using good wooden flutes. I see they use that part of the fingers but the only way for me to cover them properly is using the second part, something like piper's grip I guess. Or perhaps having large fingers makes it harder to do it this way??
I hope you can help me.
Many, many thanks.
I've never heard of any rules about breathing. Get the air in, preferably without making a noise, any way you want. I've always found it better to take a breath before you have to -- rather like running your car with a nearly full tank rather than a nearly empty one -- but sometimes it's a close-run thing.
As far as your fingering goes: if you have large fingers you should be able to cover the holes OK. Try this: play for a few seconds to get your fingers seated the way you usually have them, then stop and -- without moving your right hand -- pinch your right fingers one at a time against the hole it is sitting on with your left hand (you may need to rest the flute on your shoulder). The idea is to leave a clear imprint of the hole on your finger. You can then have a look and see whether or not it was seated properly.
Breathing is like walking it comes naturaly, if you started thinking about walking ie,. witch foot and when you would just fall over, so just let it happen as quitly as you can.
Some tunes seem to be easier than others with regard to breathing. The phrases are not too tricky and breathing is easy to come by. But, others are not, especially when they are new and I'm still learning them. For these tunes I slow them down and find places to breathe that don't interfere with flow or phrasing. I also try not to breathe in patterns; every other bar, or every four bars.....I honestly don't think about how I draw the air in. I guess I breathe though my nose. The better I know the tune, the easier it is to breathe.
I like using the second part of the fingers on my right hand, too. It just more comfortable for me that way.
I look forward to reading other opinions on this! I'm sure it will be helpful!
No problem playing in piper's grip on a keyless flute. I use a grip that's on the second part of my index and middle finger and the fingertip of my ring finger because that's where my hand falls. On a keyed flute sometimes you hit the blocks and can't seal holes in pipers' grip so it's good to be able to play flat-fingered on fingertips if you need.
As for breathing, I breathe through my mouth. I'm not exhaling through my nose as I play so my nose is "closed". I tend to change as little as possible as when I breathe to make breathing quick. As a result air only comes in through my mouth.
breathing on a wind instrument should of course be done using your diaphragm, but when you are taking in a breath, you need to open up your throat all the way.
to show you what i mean:
1. try breathing in and out really fast, as if saying "hee hee hee"
2. now, try breathing in and out really fast, as if saying "hah hah hah"
3. now try panting like a dog, opening your throat, and putting your tongue out (just to get the sound right).
now:
try taking a full breath with each method.
the 3rd way wins hands down. can you see that in panting that it moves the most air, and that in a full breathe it is much quicker? you must learn to find those same muscles to open your throat (but don't stick out your tongue).
with a stopwatch, i can easily get a full breath in 0.20 seconds by opening my throat. it takes a full 2.0 seconds to get it with the "hee" and about 0.02 seconds on a "hah" (without opening my throat.
so, don't listen to people saying "it should come naturally." yes, it is natural to breathe that way--when you are shocked. think "GASP" and that is the type of breathing in you are doing during flute playing. to gasp quickly efficiently on command, while puckering your lips and twiddling your fingers is not natural, and requires practice.
i agree with elaine that you should not intentionally use your nose.
oops. i meant to say that it takes about "0.92" seconds to breathe in on a "hah." that's over 4 times as long as the "open throat, dog-like, gasp-like" breath.
I'm speaking from a classical background, but I was taught (and I teach my students) to breath deeply and use the diaphragm for control. That is to say, Daiv's description of panting breaths. Opening the throat is really important, especially for tone, and make sure when you breath in your shoulders don't come right up, your ribs should expand, balloon style.
Flute breathing question
Flute breathing question
Hi all,
I'm full of bad habits learning the flute I guess....and one is about breathing. Do I have to breath just by my mouth? Or mouth and nose as a quick diafragm breath??
And another question is about my right hand fingering. I recently got a Rob Forbes flute. It sounds very nice but I was wondering if the hole spacing (for the bottom three holes) is larger than those wooden flutes that have the extra two holes. I have large fingers but it seems ipossible for me to use the last part of my fingers to seal the holes properly. And that's what I see on many players using good wooden flutes. I see they use that part of the fingers but the only way for me to cover them properly is using the second part, something like piper's grip I guess. Or perhaps having large fingers makes it harder to do it this way??
I hope you can help me.
Many, many thanks.
# Posted on July 23rd 2010 by peniguisel
Re: Flute breathing question
I've never heard of any rules about breathing. Get the air in, preferably without making a noise, any way you want. I've always found it better to take a breath before you have to -- rather like running your car with a nearly full tank rather than a nearly empty one -- but sometimes it's a close-run thing.
As far as your fingering goes: if you have large fingers you should be able to cover the holes OK. Try this: play for a few seconds to get your fingers seated the way you usually have them, then stop and -- without moving your right hand -- pinch your right fingers one at a time against the hole it is sitting on with your left hand (you may need to rest the flute on your shoulder). The idea is to leave a clear imprint of the hole on your finger. You can then have a look and see whether or not it was seated properly.
# Posted on July 23rd 2010 by gam
Re: Flute breathing question
Breathing is like walking it comes naturaly, if you started thinking about walking ie,. witch foot and when you would just fall over, so just let it happen as quitly as you can.
# Posted on July 23rd 2010 by Smikinni
Re: Flute breathing question
Exactly Smikinni. Don't overdue the thinking, or you will just mess up.
And many players use the second part of their fingers like piper's grip. If it helps you better, then use it.
# Posted on July 23rd 2010 by pipersgrip
Re: Flute breathing question
Some tunes seem to be easier than others with regard to breathing. The phrases are not too tricky and breathing is easy to come by. But, others are not, especially when they are new and I'm still learning them. For these tunes I slow them down and find places to breathe that don't interfere with flow or phrasing. I also try not to breathe in patterns; every other bar, or every four bars.....I honestly don't think about how I draw the air in. I guess I breathe though my nose. The better I know the tune, the easier it is to breathe.
I like using the second part of the fingers on my right hand, too. It just more comfortable for me that way.
I look forward to reading other opinions on this! I'm sure it will be helpful!
All the best!
# Posted on July 23rd 2010 by cfmgeek
Re: Flute breathing question
http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Learning.html
peniguisel: here is some more information. I like Mr. McGee's sight, lots of good stuff!
Chuck
# Posted on July 23rd 2010 by cfmgeek
Re: Flute breathing question
No problem playing in piper's grip on a keyless flute. I use a grip that's on the second part of my index and middle finger and the fingertip of my ring finger because that's where my hand falls. On a keyed flute sometimes you hit the blocks and can't seal holes in pipers' grip so it's good to be able to play flat-fingered on fingertips if you need.
As for breathing, I breathe through my mouth. I'm not exhaling through my nose as I play so my nose is "closed". I tend to change as little as possible as when I breathe to make breathing quick. As a result air only comes in through my mouth.
# Posted on July 24th 2010 by ElaineT
Re: Flute breathing question
breathing on a wind instrument should of course be done using your diaphragm, but when you are taking in a breath, you need to open up your throat all the way.
to show you what i mean:
1. try breathing in and out really fast, as if saying "hee hee hee"
2. now, try breathing in and out really fast, as if saying "hah hah hah"
3. now try panting like a dog, opening your throat, and putting your tongue out (just to get the sound right).
now:
try taking a full breath with each method.
the 3rd way wins hands down. can you see that in panting that it moves the most air, and that in a full breathe it is much quicker? you must learn to find those same muscles to open your throat (but don't stick out your tongue).
with a stopwatch, i can easily get a full breath in 0.20 seconds by opening my throat. it takes a full 2.0 seconds to get it with the "hee" and about 0.02 seconds on a "hah" (without opening my throat.
so, don't listen to people saying "it should come naturally." yes, it is natural to breathe that way--when you are shocked. think "GASP" and that is the type of breathing in you are doing during flute playing. to gasp quickly efficiently on command, while puckering your lips and twiddling your fingers is not natural, and requires practice.
i agree with elaine that you should not intentionally use your nose.
# Posted on July 25th 2010 by daiv
Re: Flute breathing question
oops. i meant to say that it takes about "0.92" seconds to breathe in on a "hah." that's over 4 times as long as the "open throat, dog-like, gasp-like" breath.
# Posted on July 25th 2010 by daiv
Re: Flute breathing question
Don't breathe in through your nose unless you want to develop circular breathing!
# Posted on July 26th 2010 by Bredna
Re: Flute breathing question
I'm speaking from a classical background, but I was taught (and I teach my students) to breath deeply and use the diaphragm for control. That is to say, Daiv's description of panting breaths. Opening the throat is really important, especially for tone, and make sure when you breath in your shoulders don't come right up, your ribs should expand, balloon style.
K
# Posted on July 27th 2010 by KatHurdley