Blow hard Blow fast - HELP!

minsmusic · Post by **minsmusic** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 2:22 am

I''ve read in your comments that you
shouldn''t blow harder to reach the next register, you should blow faster. So
I''ve tried that and yes I can get the upper octave. However I''m a bit
baffled at the terminology. To me faster also seems ''harder'' What''s the
difference? I''m not doubting there is one, but could somebody perhaps give me
an example or something specific to do to ''experience'' the difference
between harder and faster. Much appreciated. I''ve only been playing for three
days but am thoroughly enjoying it[:)]

AG950Flute · Post by **AG950Flute** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 8:50 am

well, from personal experience to reach the
next octave i think that your lower lip should cover more of the embouchure
hole. however, i do think your question about blowing faster and harder air is a
good one. i think what happens sometimes when we think of just blowing harder
into the flute our embouchure has a tendancy to become much bigger and the focus
of the air is much more spread out and the tone may either get fuzzy or lost
completely. when blowing faster air the embouchure tends to get smaller and can
focus the air stream a little bit more. but honestly, i'm not 100% sure. i'm
sitting in front of my computer experimenting with blowing harder and faster and
trying to figure out the real difference. try doing the same. [:)] maybe you'll
come to some different conclusions, but at least then you'll have first hand
experience. best of luck on learning the flute!

krichards · Post by **krichards** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 10:14 am

For me, reaching the higher notes is a
combination of two things: 1) repositioning my chin/lips so that my stream of
air hits the embouchure hole a little higher up...rather than blowing more into
the hole for the lower notes, you'll be blowing more over the hole. I find my
chin juts out ever-so-slightly, creating a bit of an underbite. and 2) a faster
or "tighter" stream of air On that second point, here is an odd way of thinking
about it, but one everyone can probably relate to. You've no doubt discovered
already that flute playing is akin to playing a beer bottle! I'm not a big
drinker and often find myself with a juice or something when I'm out with
non-flute playing friends. While they hit the lower notes on their beer bottles,
I outdue them by playing the higher overtones. And then I move on to playing the
straw that came with my juice. Hitting the higher notes on the flute is like
playing the straw. You need a much more narrow stream of air...the diameter of
the straw opening rather than the beer bottle opening. So, maybe thinking of
your flute as a straw instead of a beer bottle might help hit those high notes
more consistently. You don't blow harder, but "faster" as the same amount of
air is being forced through a narrower opening in your lips. For lower notes,
relax your embourchure and think of a beer bottle. How "uncivilized", I
know...but I think it's the same principle![:bigsmile:]

MvAuMsPrInCeSs06 · Post by **MvAuMsPrInCeSs06** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 5:34 pm

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTIPS ON WRITING MUSIC
IN MINOR KEYS?

minsmusic · Post by **minsmusic** » Wed Feb 04, 2004 8:28 pm

Great tips Karen and Courtney! Thank you.
So I'll practise repositioning my chin/jaw, (don't think I've been doing
that) and I have quite a few straws at home (no beer bottles - I'm like you
Karen, I don't drink beer - cocktails, well that's a different matter
...[:bigsmile:] ) so I'll practise directing the air stream 'across?' that.
I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for the advice girls. I was telling my
husband only last night that I don't need a teacher, this forum is like having
heaps of teachers! (For all those teachers out there, I know the inaccuracy of
that statement - just an expressed feeling[;)] )

minsmusic · Post by **minsmusic** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 7:30 am

"I find my chin juts out ever-so-slightly,
creating a bit of an underbite." - Karen. I've practised doing this and voila!
upper register sounds much clearer now. Thanks.

woof · Post by **woof** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 8:45 am

[quote] ---------------- So, maybe thinking
of your flute as a straw instead of a beer bottle might help hit those high
notes more consistently. You don't blow harder, but "faster"
as the same amount of air is being forced through a narrower opening in your
lips. For lower notes, relax your embourchure and think of a beer bottle.
---------------- [/quote] I have to laugh at the beer bottle practice. Actually
that is how I learned to get C1. Once I got a good tone blowing across an empty
beer bottle (soda would work as well) I was much better at C1 on the flute. Now
for the straw!!!LOL

krichards · Post by **krichards** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 9:57 am

Glad you found my post helpful! I'm not
sure you actually want to start blowing across a straw just yet. That was meant
more as a "visual" for you. Something tells me it might be easier to hit the
higher notes on a flute than get a note out of straw, to start with anyway. I
can play the straw, but maybe save that for later...as a silly bar trick. Try it
though...maybe working with the straw will help you now. Definitely IMAGINE
yourself blowing over a straw as you aim for the high notes on your flute. And
always, always...high notes or low...good strong support from your diaphram.
Good luck!

minsmusic · Post by **minsmusic** » Thu Feb 05, 2004 8:49 pm

[:p] LOL - I DID try blowing across the
straw Karen, and I was so excited when I got a kind of 'sound' out of it I
jumped up and down, exclaiming to hubby, "Listen! Listen! This is a sound,
right?" He thought I was mad. Now for my next trick ... onto that beer
bottle.[;)] Just have to get somebody to drink it for me first.

FluteDiddy · Post by **FluteDiddy** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 7:09 am

from personal experience to reach the next
octave i think that your lower lip should cover more of the embouchure hole. 1)
repositioning my chin/lips so that my stream of air hits the embouchure hole a
little higher up...rather than blowing more into the hole for the lower notes,
you'll be blowing more over the hole. I find my chin juts out ever-so-slightly,
creating a bit of an underbite. You might want to check with a teacher before
adopting either of these techniques. Most teachers will tell you both are
incorrect and could lead to problems. You don't want to screw up your
intonation just to hit your harmonic. Covering more of the hole wont help. Often
people do two things at once and give the wrong one credit. To hit that third
register, make your embouchure smaller and the blow the same air. Like a water
hose that you put your finger across and make the water come out faster, your
air will come out faster. It is important to keep your air hitting what pros
call the sweet spot no matter which octave your in.

dancingflutist3000 · Post by **dancingflutist3000** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 5:23 pm

Here is the difference: Blow as hard as you
can. . .did your cheeks puff out? I bet they did. Blowing hard means your
blowing uncontroled air out. With any wind instrument your goal is not to just
blow random air but to CONTROLED air. Blowing fast air means keeping your
embousure (sp?) and mouth form but increasing the speed in which air goes into
and through your flute.

Mik · Post by **Mik** » Fri Nov 26, 2004 1:48 pm

krichards,

I think that beer bottle/straw-thing works for me.

I've been battling with the second octave (E5 --->)
and today I was able to get the E5 and F5 with the "straw".

This is what I needed to motivate me to carry on.

And now I know why the first octave was so easy for me...

mmmm..beer...

(read my first post and my signature...I'm very impatient when it comes to learning something...Ijust want to play)