Embouchure Improvements

[Fox]

Well, my teacher suggested that my embouchure needs to be smaller. I tend to have a lot of blowing sound underneath my tone. So, I'm back to working on my embouchure.

I've made a few corrections, making my aperture smaller, shifting the flute to the right a bit more, trying to support my breath with my diaphragm more, and opening up my throat. Been working on this for two weeks now and the results are that my tone is becoming I guess I could say thicker and more solid instead of my usual airiness/breathiness.

Now if I can only learn to count, play, and read music at the same time I'd be all set!

[Mark]

glad you're making progress.

[Fox]

Thanks! But it's slow going. Every couple of lessons I realize how important it is to have a teacher.

[James_Alto]

Well, my teacher suggested that my embouchure needs to be smaller. I tend to have a lot of blowing sound underneath my tone. So, I'm back to working on my embouchure.

..... or your flute needs to be bigger. Get an alto flute

Seriously though - that's pretty spot on. Stretching/tightening your embouchure along the mouth axis helps. I found switching to ethnic world flutes one of the greatest (and rewarding) challenges ...circular embouchure holes...rectangular ... elliptical .... oblong ...different sizes too - some barely 7mm across.

[Zevang]

..... or your flute needs to be bigger. Get an alto flute

Seriously though - that's pretty spot on. Stretching/tightening your embouchure along the mouth axis helps. I found switching to ethnic world flutes one of the greatest (and rewarding) challenges ...circular embouchure holes...rectangular ... elliptical .... oblong ...different sizes too - some barely 7mm across.

Really funny though it's really the principle of a flutist being able to play the C flute, piccolo and Alto Flute (and maybe others..) at a time. What really changes is the shape and size of the embouchure. Once I was in Korea and went to their traditional Korean National Theater, dedicated to folk orchestral music. They play only typical korean instruments. I just found their wooden flute the most difficult instrument I've ever blown in my life! Lots of air and constant movement of the jaw and hands to make effects maybe we never dreamed of in our tradicional modern flutes. And the embouchure hole was so big!