Ugh...high notes

[flutytooty91]

Hello, I have trouble with my upper range starting with the high E and up. I feel like all I am doing is forcing and producing an ugly, airy sound. I have been playing for about 5 years and have read many other posts about this. I know that I must relax my embroshure and keep a small air stream. I have tried (as much as I can without becoming frustrated) but I can't seem to figure it out. When I relax my embroshure, I end up missing the notes completely. Also, I think I have read somewhere that you should shy away from making the kind of smiling embroshure if you know what I mean. My old flute teacher didn't really seem to address it so I'm guessing it will improve with work and time. She did tell me to think as if I am blowing up..I noticed that when I was practicing my chromatic daily to prepare for districts, they seemed to pop out much easier. I took some time off of practicing during the holidays and now I am in the same position i was in before. Can anyone help?

[fluteguy18]

Here is an analogy that my current professor uses quite often when I [ or anyone else for that matter] has trouble with embouchure issues. Think of your embouchure like a garden hose. You know how if you turn on the hose, and put your thumb over the end, water sprays everywhere? Then, if you take your thumb off, and the water flows quite freely? Well, this is what happens with your embouchure. The more you tighten up, the more your air "sprays" everywhere. So, think about your embouchure like that hose, and release excess tension. Think about your airstream as a column of air, and your lips/ embouchure should be shaped around that column of air.

So, basically free your air. Also, dropping your jaw, and creating as much space as you possibly can in your mouth will help you. But, mostly work on getting a relaxed embouchure, and air support. This relaxation and support will work wonders on your range and how easily the notes come out. A tip on how to work on a relaxed embouchure go as follows: say the word 'hope'. when you pronounce, the "O" sound in hope, that is the basic position that is typical of a good embouchure [ where the corners of your mouth are]. You should control your air/ embouchure not by pulling or tucking with the corners of your mouth, but rather by adjusting your muscles in/ above/below your lips. I know that Melbay publishes a book about how to play the flute [ a beginner's book] and the very beginning is a long essay [ with illustrations] about embouchure. I have found it very useful many times.



Anyone else have any other ideas?

[musical_K]

When I am not warmed up, I often cannot play high notes without going up to them in a scale.
Try just doing the top octave of a few scales, up and down, and hopefully practice will make the top notes stronger.

[flutepicc06]

I suggest popping notes that you wouldn't normally have a use for (I like to use E4, as it speaks easily for me, but is still high enough for this purpose) every so often. If you can learn to hit pitches above those that you actually need, the ones you need will be much easier.

[concertino]

Believe it or not, one of the best ways of getting out your high notes, is to puff your cheeks a little. My teacher has a little picture of Julius Baker playing high notes, and his cheeks are puffed. She shows it to me every time I have trouble with my high notes. At first, just try relaxing as much as you can, and then slowly build up to a puff. Good luck! ^_^

[flutepicc06]

Believe it or not, one of the best ways of getting out your high notes, is to puff your cheeks a little. My teacher has a little picture of Julius Baker playing high notes, and his cheeks are puffed. She shows it to me every time I have trouble with my high notes. At first, just try relaxing as much as you can, and then slowly build up to a puff. Good luck! ^_^

That may have worked for Baker (or at least the photographer snapped his picture when he wasn't expecting it), but it may not work for everyone. Personally, I never puff my cheeks at all. Feel free to give it a try and see how it works with your embouchure and flute setup, but don't necessary feel that that's the way it must be done.

[flautists_r_us]

When I had to adition for Honors Band, the band "Assistent" I guess, would make me practice the Bb scale (two octives) 50 times every other night. Soon, I only had to "pop", as someone called it before, the high A and Bb. It really helped just practicing. Now I love playing the high E and Eb because I can get a very nice sound. Also, when I went to solo and ensemble, the judge told me to use faster air. I guess we can go back to the hose idea someone mentioned before...when you turn up the hose, the water moves faster and their more pressure behind it. Use a lot of support and faster air pressure I suppose.

[fluteguy18]

Also, when I went to solo and ensemble, the judge told me to use faster air. I guess we can go back to the hose idea someone mentioned before...when you turn up the hose, the water moves faster and their more pressure behind it. Use a lot of support and faster air pressure I suppose.

I was the one to use the hose analogy. Just to clarify, it was in relation to tension in the embouchure [ too tight of an embouchure makes the air 'spray' and a looser embouchure lets the air 'flow'][ much like a hose, if you put your thumb over the end, the water sprays, and if there is nothing over the end, the water flows]. I just dont want the analogy to get muddled and someone accidentally take it the wrong way and form bad habits. Just use a lot of support, and make your air speed faster, but not neccessarily use more air.

[kakure-basho]

The higher notes are a pain in my butt. I can get up to that high A comfortably, but everything else above it is a pain. I realize I need to relax, but its frustrating. I am auditioning to be a music minor next winter here at BSU, and I've honestly up to this point never been required to learn anything above that A. I've tried, but other than scales, I've never really even seen anything in any music Ive been given that goes any higher than that. If I found something like that maybe I could give myself a little motivation that way...

...I'll have to take some of these suggestions into account...except the puffy cheeks thing. I dont think that will work well for what I need. But if anyone has any other suggestions, let me know. !

[fluteguy18]

The higher notes are a pain in my butt. I can get up to that high A comfortably, but everything else above it is a pain. I realize I need to relax, but its frustrating. I am auditioning to be a music minor next winter here at BSU, and I've honestly up to this point never been required to learn anything above that A. I've tried, but other than scales, I've never really even seen anything in any music Ive been given that goes any higher than that. If I found something like that maybe I could give myself a little motivation that way...

...I'll have to take some of these suggestions into account...except the puffy cheeks thing. I dont think that will work well for what I need. But if anyone has any other suggestions, let me know. !

Having recently gone through the audition process a while back, I highly reccommend that you work on your notes above the A. In my auditions, I had to know all of my scales in two octaves except :B, C, D. Those, I had to know in three octaves, along with a 3 octave chromatic scale. But, I am a music major, so the requirements were probably different for the music minors here at EKU. And, things DO vary by schools. But, I do reccommend working on them, because even as a music minor, you will have to do your scales in two octaves, and Concert/Symphonic Band often gets into the upper register at this level of playing.

Other than that, I wish you the best of luck!

[kakure-basho]

The higher notes are a pain in my butt. I can get up to that high A comfortably, but everything else above it is a pain. I realize I need to relax, but its frustrating. I am auditioning to be a music minor next winter here at BSU, and I've honestly up to this point never been required to learn anything above that A. I've tried, but other than scales, I've never really even seen anything in any music Ive been given that goes any higher than that. If I found something like that maybe I could give myself a little motivation that way...

...I'll have to take some of these suggestions into account...except the puffy cheeks thing. I dont think that will work well for what I need. But if anyone has any other suggestions, let me know. !

Having recently gone through the audition process a while back, I highly reccommend that you work on your notes above the A. In my auditions, I had to know all of my scales in two octaves except :B, C, D. Those, I had to know in three octaves, along with a 3 octave chromatic scale. But, I am a music major, so the requirements were probably different for the music minors here at EKU. And, things DO vary by schools. But, I do reccommend working on them, because even as a music minor, you will have to do your scales in two octaves, and Concert/Symphonic Band often gets into the upper register at this level of playing.

Other than that, I wish you the best of luck!

Yeah, its the same audition reqs for minors as majors here, and the audition process is especially evil to woodwind players. The two octave stuff I have down. The stuff for the theory test of the audition, I can pass. Piano and voice placement I dont have to worry about. They are for placement and dont determine if I get in or not. The solos, I can handle. Sightreading usually doesnt kick me too hard either. Darn three octave scales.

Here at BSU, you cant even take Music Theory for Dummies unless youre admitted to the music school, so thats a total bummer anyway. However, I found out today that the flute professor here is going to help me. She has given me her permission to sign up for lessons next fall to help me prepare for the audition. (Here, the individualized lessons are for people already majoring and minoring, so I was totally psyched that she would do that for me.)

I have the whole year to prepare basically, so hopefully if I get myself back into the swing of things, I'll do great.

BTW: EKU? Awesome. Im originally from Williamstown, KY. I kind of miss it. I was gonna go to UK, but they are kind of stingy with scholarships...

[fluteguy18]

BTW: EKU? Awesome. Im originally from Williamstown, KY. I kind of miss it. I was gonna go to UK, but they are kind of stingy with scholarships...

I know... UK is very stingy. When I auditioned there, Dr. Cole told me I wouldnt get a scholarship ... Then, three weeks later, I got a letter in the mail, and he gave me the 2nd largest scholarship he had to offer. So, I was floored to say the least... but I turned it down [Eastern offered more money, and I liked their program better]. Whether he was just trying to keep me on my toes when he said that, or he genuinely didnt think I would get it.... I still dont know....

[kakure-basho]

BTW: EKU? Awesome. Im originally from Williamstown, KY. I kind of miss it. I was gonna go to UK, but they are kind of stingy with scholarships...

I know... UK is very stingy. When I auditioned there, Dr. Cole told me I wouldnt get a scholarship ... Then, three weeks later, I got a letter in the mail, and he gave me the 2nd largest scholarship he had to offer. So, I was floored to say the least... but I turned it down [Eastern offered more money, and I liked their program better]. Whether he was just trying to keep me on my toes when he said that, or he genuinely didnt think I would get it.... I still dont know....

I think my main problem with auditions is that they scare me for some reason. I can perform in front of 800 people no sweat, but for some reason having three people in a room judging me is awful... > <

[fluteguy18]

yeah, it can be tough [especially when your career is on the line by means of college auditions]. But, for the most part, everywhere I auditioned at was fine.

Where did this thread start again? Oh yeah... high notes...

oops

[flutytooty91]

hah thank you guys for all of your suggestions i have been working on them and they have been improving!