Self Learning?

[azgoth]

If you are patient and take time to see which key is connected to others (and think a bit), you can adjust your flute yourself with the little screws. It's not really complicated. I had to do that to my Pearl flute because it was not very well factory-adjusted. I still think the pads are a bit distorted and don't seal perfectly, but I plan to try making my own pads with rubber (a crazy idea I know, but I will try on an easy place, the footjoint, and see if it was a good idea or not )

[pied_piper]

FYI- Selmer tried rubber/foam pads in Bundy flutes back in the 1970's and they were a miserable failure. First they totally change the feel of the flute. The keys feel mushy instead of crisp. Second, they we difficult to adjust despite the fact that Selmer named them " Adjusta-Pads".

[pied_piper]

To stay on topic, I bougt very basic flute 2 weeks ago. There's no teacher in my city, so I'm forced to learn by myself. I have very, very basis skill of sightreading as I played recorder in my youth, but I'm afraid I'm butchering it. Anyone can suggest good website, video lesson or free ebook (shipping cost to my country would kill me) about some very basic skills, like embouchure, 2nd and 3rd octaves and so on?

Try Jennifer Cluff's website. She has lots of good information for beginning flutists and it's free:
http://www.jennifercluff.com/articles.htm

[Phineas]

Thanks alot, it's a great website for beginners!

When we are at this, there's a thing that confuses me

Nina http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0XfoandDjk explains we should keep the flute really low, while this maestro http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQg0vScnQ8E seems to be holding it a bit higher. It's just my impression and in reality he keeps flute lower, or one of these advices is bad?

You have to make sure you hold the flute in a comfortable position so you can play it. One of my students is a sax player. When he came to me, he was complaining about his tone, and the instrument playability. First thing I did was adjust the position of his head joint, and foot joint. Second, I had him drop the flute into a comfortable position. Instantly, his sound and playability improved 500%

Do not believe the hype. I believe in good finger/body posture. However, I do not believe there is a proper position to hold a flute. Everyone has a different body shape, arm reaches, different size lips, etc... It is what ever is comfortable for you.

This is just one of many reasons having a few sessions with a good teacher is beneficial.

[gravelgertie]

I've been playing for about a year and already on my second teacher. I am amazed at the differences between teachers. The first one gave half-hour lessons, and seemed to throw up his hands when I was struggling (I am not young, and never played any instruments other than things like the xylophone in school plays and handbells in junior high - just playing around with stuff really). So I quit taking lessons, took to YouTube, and learned from James Galway in 15 minutes what I was not able to learn in months of private instructions: how to get the embouchure correct for the second octave.

Then I found another teacher, who gives longer lessons and is a bit more serious but I am starting to think that most music teachers are geared toward teaching kids and don't know how to deal with a beginner adult student. I am really starting to NOT enjoy lessons, although I love playing music, now that I can sort of do so. So I am considering stopping lessons, which is why I came to this discussion. I am afraid in a way, but then, I have found that I can learn something quite well on the internet. And cheaper too.

Like one of the other posters, I have a spouse who is a self-taught musician who learned to play first and then to read music MUCH later, and does not seem to suffer for it. My goal is to play for fun, for myself, as I am way too shy to ever perform in public.