water dripping out of the flute

johnbegud · Post by **johnbegud** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 12:47 pm

spitting saliva is an effect of
tonguing? i'm just starting to learn tonguing.

FluteMasterGuy · Post by **FluteMasterGuy** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 7:01 pm

Well, i don't get drips from my flute
until about an hour into practicing. When it does start dripping, that signals
me that I have practiced enough.[:p]

ick27 · Post by **ick27** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 8:59 pm

Some saliva does get into the flute
when you play, but this water that drips out the end after a while is mostly
condensation. You'll notice that you produce more water in a cold room than
warm room... During practice, I shake the flute gently and then dry the pads
with paper. You should check out Roger Holman's flute flag--it allows you to
dry your flute without disassembling it.
http://home.nethere.net/roger45/fluteflaga.htm -Bradford

IDigAPony · Post by **IDigAPony** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 6:50 am

As James Galway wrote, we tongue in
playing the flute and you can not help to put saliva into the flute in doing so.
Maybe after an hour of practice you are getting hungry and it increases your
saliva production. Water drips out of flutes where the air is dry and where the
air is warm. Condensation is not a significant factor in any area and completely
irrelevant in almost all conditions. They dont call it a spit valve in a trumpet
because its really a condensation valve and spit just sounds more jazzy. If you
stay with your instrument for a while you will meet many people. Some produce
more saliva than others. For some it is not a problem, often you just learn to
swallow a great deal of it. Almost all professional players have commented on
the spit comming out of their flutes at one point or another. Oh look at that
cherry pie, it looks so good I can feel my mouth condensate.

woof · Post by **woof** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 8:12 am

[quote] ---------------- On 3/25/2004
6:50:29 AM . Water drips out of flutes where the air is dry and where the air is
warm. Condensation is not a significant factor in any area and completely
irrelevant in almost all conditions. ---------------- [/quote] Hmmmm? When you
open your mouth very wide and breathe onto the surface of a mirror (try it) is
that saliva or condensation that coats the mirror??? Actually, you loose quite a
bit of water each day through the air you expire from your lungs- medical fact.
That is what provides moisture for condensation on the surface of the mirror and
any tube you "breathe" into!

IDigAPony · Post by **IDigAPony** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:43 am

Condensation is not a substance, it is
a process. Yes if you breath on a mirror and collect the liquid, it will have
the same general contents as if you spit. That is why you should brush your
teeth and rinse your mouth thoroughly of all drinks and foods before you play.
Because the moisture you put in that flute and on those pads will be determined
by your saliva. The closer you saliva is to just water, the less chance of doing
damage or sticking.

woof · Post by **woof** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 1:13 pm

[quote] ---------------- On 3/25/2004
10:43:34 AM Condensation is not a substance, it is a process. [true enuf but
common usage also allows the use of "condensation" to refer to the
product/condensate=water] Yes if you breath on a mirror and collect the liquid,
it will have the same general contents as if you spit. [only slightly more so
than distilled water resembles the water from which it was distilled]
---------------- [/quote]