Free Tuning Drones for Flute
Dear Flutists,
I've been recommending using the Tuning CD for all flute practicing (to set up the headjoint draw, place the embouchure angle, and work on consistent air-speed etc.), for about eight years now, and of course, it is amazing for helping in all aspects of flute playing. But it may take two weeks to come in the mail when you order it, so meanwhile: there's a Jazz Sax teacher on the net who has created Didgeridoo bass drone set, that is funky and fun to practice with and guess what, they are FREE!
Tuning drones for free. Fabulouso!!
I mean, didn't you always want to play with Didgeridoo and Tibetan monk string bass? I bet you did. :>)
The text about how jazz sax players utilize these is here.
And I would most highly recommend that flutists might want to use them for:
- longtones of all kinds
- improvisation for tone and general warmup
- octave leaps (Richter, Wye, Moyse)
- chromatic scales (pause on the tonic)
- major & minor scales
- overblowing harmonics
- checking your air speed and ease of large leaps
- bending long notes as an exercise to stay flexible
- scales in 3rds, 5ths, sixths; so fun if you walk stepwise before leaping(!)
- crescendo-diminuendos on held notes
- testing tone colour extremes for pitch
- short passages of all kinds in a given key
- etudes, excerpts and exercises
- fragments of solo pieces to check pitch
I enjoy the funky rhythms that seem to change with each drone.
The pulsations tend to make you improvise and keep at it longer.
If I were practicing serious classical music, though, I would definitely use The Tuning CD, however. Local music stores are stocking the original Tuning CD, I find.
Thanks to JP for these links!
Download to burn to CD or use mp3s on your computer in practice room: Right click and choose "save target as".
Tuning Drones:
Updated LINK 2015:I've been recommending using the Tuning CD for all flute practicing (to set up the headjoint draw, place the embouchure angle, and work on consistent air-speed etc.), for about eight years now, and of course, it is amazing for helping in all aspects of flute playing. But it may take two weeks to come in the mail when you order it, so meanwhile: there's a Jazz Sax teacher on the net who has created Didgeridoo bass drone set, that is funky and fun to practice with and guess what, they are FREE!
Tuning drones for free. Fabulouso!!
I mean, didn't you always want to play with Didgeridoo and Tibetan monk string bass? I bet you did. :>)
The text about how jazz sax players utilize these is here.
And I would most highly recommend that flutists might want to use them for:
- longtones of all kinds
- improvisation for tone and general warmup
- octave leaps (Richter, Wye, Moyse)
- chromatic scales (pause on the tonic)
- major & minor scales
- overblowing harmonics
- checking your air speed and ease of large leaps
- bending long notes as an exercise to stay flexible
- scales in 3rds, 5ths, sixths; so fun if you walk stepwise before leaping(!)
- crescendo-diminuendos on held notes
- testing tone colour extremes for pitch
- short passages of all kinds in a given key
- etudes, excerpts and exercises
- fragments of solo pieces to check pitch
I enjoy the funky rhythms that seem to change with each drone.
The pulsations tend to make you improvise and keep at it longer.
If I were practicing serious classical music, though, I would definitely use The Tuning CD, however. Local music stores are stocking the original Tuning CD, I find.
Thanks to JP for these links!
Download to burn to CD or use mp3s on your computer in practice room: Right click and choose "save target as".
Tuning Drones:
http://mattotto.org/category/lessons/lesson-15-pedals-and-drones/
Scroll down to the list of mp3s. Right click and choose "save target as".
Enjoy and do comment, especially if you have other links to other tuning drones for fun (and flutey pitch perfection.)
Jen
posted by jen at 5:31 PM
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Comments (7)
Just so you know ... you can purchase the Tuning CD for download on iTunes for $9.99. However, that said, these ones are REALLY fun!!!!
Thanks Stephanie.
So true. You can download mp3s from amazon or itunes or other places of the tuning CD.
However caveat:
Be sure you get the pitch you want.
There is A-442 for Europeans.
Use A-440 for UK and North America.
Jen
I opened the Tuning CD on 2 tabs, one for A440 and one for A442 ( amazon uk and amazon us) and played them simaltaneously, to me they sounded the same!
Terry B
Hi Terry,
If you play A-440 *against* a simultaneous A-442 you can hear "beats" as the two pitches compete in wavelength.
If you play one after the other, you only hear the A442 as "brighter" or more cheerful.
Eartraining takes a few months.
Pretty soon you can hear the difference.
Best, Jen
I've been playing with the tuning CD for many years, and these drones sound like a fun addition to my practicing. But the links seem to be broken. Can you send me updated links, or another way to download these drones?
Thanks so much!
Thanks for the heads-up Ross. Here's the link:
http://mattotto.org/category/lessons/lesson-15-pedals-and-drones/
Best, Jen
I just downloaded them. They're fantastic. Thanks so much!