Long tones as punishment

[bvconway]

With all due respect to Marcel, I've always thought of long tones as a form of punishment for flutists, secretly devised to drive students crazy and make them lose all interest in flute playing, so I've come up with a partial solution. One solution is to play something like Syrinx, but play it very slowly and pick out all the long-ish tones and hold them much longer than the music requires but think about them as you do it and try to improve their sound and intonation - in context with the music.

Another idea is to kill two birds with one stone. How about getting an interesting scale, say the Byzantine (or double harmonic) Scale:

C_Db_ E_ F_G_Ab_B_C

and play those as long tones? (If you do the same with a major scale, it sounds a lot like torture - for you and the listener - rather than fun). This way, you're (i) learning a new scale and (ii) practising long tones at the same time.

Another idea is to compose your own "Hymn", as Paul Horn has done. You can call it "Ode to Long Tones" if you want.

So, dear students, here is your long tone practice for today:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jazzflutist ... xBQ&fmt=18

Of course, you can also use pentatonic scales for your long tones as well - they sound like instant music:

C_D_E_G_A_C etc. (major pentatonic)
C_Eb_F_G_Bb_C (minor pentatonic)

And, when you get sick of long tones, take the same scales, double each note and play them presto up and down through 2 or 3 registers.

[Arlee]

I have always sort of thought of long tones in the same way... which probably isn't fair to them.

I like the idea you cam up with of doing them with different kinds of scales and well be trying that to help keep me "tuned in" on my Long tones

[bvconway]

I think they do have some good uses though. For example, if you DON'T want to concentrate on music per se but on your way of holding the flute, putting the embouchure into your chin, facing the stand at the right angle, not moving the flute around on your face too much (affects intonation), or if you have a troublesome note that you want to correct. In that case it is helpful to just stay on one note and look what is happening ergonomically (standing, face, lips, hands etc.).

For me, my middle register A is always flat-ish when playing low E up to that A, so it is useful to me to concentrate on that A alone and see what is happening mouth-wise and embouchure-wise. I almost have it figured out - I think I'm covering slightly too much and not forming a proper "Oh" in my mouth when playing. And, it was only by staying on that one note that I could really slow myself down and take a closer look at it.

For warmups, and hearkening back to my jazz studies, I do things like play major (or minor) pentatonics (or blues scales) around the cycle but I play them as long tones. Or, I play harmonic minor scales slowly around the cycle (natural minors sound boring to me). In other words, when doing long tones I have to find something interesting, otherwise I get sidetracked and go for my stack of music.

I have always sort of thought of long tones in the same way... which probably isn't fair to them.

I like the idea you came up with of doing them with different kinds of scales and well be trying that to help keep me "tuned in" on my Long tones

[kmj]

i really hadnt ever thought about it... but its awesome to have this insight. i guess thats teh best thing about being a young flautist in these forums , im learning from others expirience and ideas! hehe

[andy957]

With all due respect to Marcel, I've always thought of long tones as a form of punishment for flutists

LMAO.