Band chairs.

stasha · Post by **stasha** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:03 pm

I have been playing the flute for 3 and a half years (I am 14 years old) I'm in 8th grade band and I always get last chair. My band teacher being the jerk he is won't tell me how to improve. So every time we have chair tests, I feel like I'm going to cry. I know the 1st and 2nd chair people make this tone that I have no clue how to produce and i'm almost thinking about quitting if i don't get better. Please help me. Thanks.

Band_Geek · Post by **Band_Geek** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:06 pm

First of all, welcome to the boards stasha. So what help you do need specificly? Is there a certain problem that you need help on?

stasha · Post by **stasha** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:17 pm

Band_Geek wrote:First of all, welcome to the boards stasha. So what help you do need specificly? Is there a certain problem that you need help on?

I'm not totally sure.

Its just very frustrating I know I breath to much but thats all I know.

Band_Geek · Post by **Band_Geek** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:22 pm

Interesting. Well lets see. I can relate to you because there are a few flutists (or flautists, Im not sure) in my band section that are in awe at how first and second chairs play.

To get a nice clean sound, keep your flute parallel to the ground because if its slanted to the side of your mouth, all of the air doesnt go into the flute. Keeping your embrochure hole aligned with the first key held down helps a lot. Be sure to keep 1/3 of your bottom lip on the embrochure hole because too much prevents air passing through.

If your breathing too much, you should practice more and build stamina to go longer without taking a breath of air. I think someone here said that if you breath too much, you get stale air in your lungs and something goes wrong. So you should try to get as much air out as possible but not so much that your struggling to hold a note.

Need any more help?

stasha · Post by **stasha** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:25 pm

Well there is something they do that make the note sound wavey (I dunno what its called.) How do you do that?

Band_Geek · Post by **Band_Geek** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:26 pm

A crescendo or decrescendo? Is it where they get louder and softer so it seems like a wave?

stasha · Post by **stasha** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:28 pm

Band_Geek wrote:A crescendo or decrescendo? Is it where they get louder and softer so it seems like a wave?

I'm pretty sure that's it. They play it in scales and anything that is a half note or longer.

Band_Geek · Post by **Band_Geek** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:31 pm

Or could it be vibrato? Here is something that I found in a search. This sounds more correct:

Vibrato is one of those things that can be difficult to explain. Some people just pick it up naturally and some people have to learn it from scratch.

Vibrato is "simply" a variation in the pitch of the note. If you imagine a note as a long, straight line, vibrato would be a line with the same start and end place, but with smooth waves in the middle.

One way to learn this is to take a note that is comfortable for you (probably in the middle register).. set your metronome at a low number.. and play this note thinking either quarter notes or eighth notes (whichever is more comfortable for you.. may be easier to start with quarter notes).. at each beat, add a little "pulse" to the note. This will involve pushing a little more air out of your mouth, so that you get little pulses. Or you can think of them as waves. Keep increasing the metronome.. this will make sure you are being steady and even with the vibrato. Eventually you will be able to do this a lot faster, and this is essentially vibrato. Once you get good at it you can experiment with varying speeds and widths (of the pitch).

stasha · Post by **stasha** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:35 pm

Interesting its gonna be a bit more harder for me because I don't have a metronome. Any tips for a beginner. Every time I look it up on google it tells you how to start playing the flute, or books you can buy to make it better.

Band_Geek · Post by **Band_Geek** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:39 pm

Well you dont have to use a metronome. You could tap your foot at a certain speed. So what is it exactly that you want to know how to do?

stasha · Post by **stasha** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:42 pm

Well I want to know how to get 1st chair.

I practice and hour a day but I still suck.

Band_Geek · Post by **Band_Geek** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:46 pm

Well if you want to improve your sound, you should practice at least half an hour, and at least 4 days a week. You should warm up with long tones or scales. Then practice songs that you are comfortable with at a comfortable speed. If you cant get it right, start at the end, and work your way backwards. This is the instructions my band director gives us for our practice journals.

What would be really helpful is if you could ask one of the two first chairs to help you in person.

stasha · Post by **stasha** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:47 pm

They are both jerks.

Band_Geek · Post by **Band_Geek** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:49 pm

Well, if you are that in need of playing better, maybe you should consider private lessons? Lots of practice and hard work helps.

stasha · Post by **stasha** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:50 pm

How much do private lesson usually cost?