Flute Fingering Chart for free

Dear Flutists and Flute Teachers,

I have created some free downloadable flute fingering charts in pdf, also some fingering chart blank pages ( 2 pages for filling in notes and fingerings) and other helpful items for those looking for specialized fingerings for the flute.
Please help yourself.

1. Basic Flute Fingering Chart (free two-page PDF)

2. Fingering chart blank (for writing in new fingerings for trills, tremelos, and alternate flute fingerings)

3. Common misfingerings in Band Flutists (this pdf shows the common mis-fingerings, and also, very importantly, explains the three common fingerings for B-flat)

4. Where to put your fingers to play the flute: This diagram in pdf is easy to read.

5. All sorts of useful online flute trill charts and fingering charts for free.

6. An article on flute alternate fingerings (for intermediate/advanced players.)

Happy Holidays and HO HO HO!
Jen Cluff

Bezaly plays Lindberg Concerto, free tracks

Hello to my flutey friends,
Sorry for the long silence; I was working on multiple projects.
Happy and healthy on the island, however. And here's a gift for you all. Prepare for amazement and wonder:

Sharon Bezaly rocks so big time I am speechless!

Listen online and freely download two bonus tracks from
Christian Lindberg's Concerto for Flute.

Arrive at the above site, scroll down, and click on download arrow to save tracks 26 & 27 for free (no signing up required). The two Bezaly free tracks are right at the very bottom of the list.

I was stunned, as will you be. :>)

To buy the CD that has the complete concerto plus two other amazing tour-de-force concerti, click here.

This is one thrilling flute ride.

Best holiday happiness to you all. Jen :>)

Flute Recitals listings of Fenwick Smith

Dear Flutists,

When you're thinking ahead about planning your own professional or advanced-level flute recitals, there is one fantastic resource on the web that we can all use for inspiration.
Flutist Fenwick Smith (one of my perennial favourites!) has given us the programme notes and recital repertoire for over thirty of his annual recitals.
What a cornucopia of pieces, composers, and ideas.
Please check it out.
You'll be so glad you did.
Tons of little known flute works stand beautifully beside the "old chestnuts" of the flutist's repertoire.
There is so much to learn by following a great flutist's recital footsteps.
Explanation of his recital path is here.

Thirty Recitals with full program notes are here.

Best and enjoy,
Jen :>)

The Art of Possibility by Zander

Dear Bloggy readers,

A fabulous book and author. Please check it out.

Short Benjamin Zander video

Article about orchestra conductors and the outmoded fear methods of creating great musical performances.

Video of Benjamin Zanders ideas shared with teachers.

"The Art of Possibility" the book (also available in libraries)

Highly recommended reading.
Best, Jen Cluff :>)

flute fingering chart to fill in with new fingerings

Dear flutey-bloggy-dudes,

Here's a useful item: a blank flute fingering chart for use by teachers, students, and those making their own notes on alternate fingerings.
The idea came from Sue Maclagan (thankyou Sue!) who mentioned that students tend to remember fingerings better when they've copied them out themselves into a chart.

Please help yourself to this printable pdf, and feel free to forward to your students. It also contains a tiny graphic of the names of the flute's pitches in both common naming systems. (C1 = low C etc.)
Links to regular flute fingering charts, trill charts, and links to alternate fingering articles are here.
Best,
Jen

Winter Music for Free

Dear Blog readers,

Here is some free winter music for you.
It's called "In the Bleak Midwinter" and there are three things zipped together for free download:

1. The Flute sheetmusic (2 pages in pdf)

2. A hastily made recording (with the fire crackling and Garry reading his paper in the background) using the mp3 of the backing track. The flute recording is called : Flute Bleakmidwinter

3. A backing track with Sibelius software playing the piano part.
This piano backing track for YOU to play along with is called: Piano Bleakmidwinter.

I hope you enjoy playing it.
It's beautiful, and not the least bit bleak, but soaring and lovely (if I do say myself ha ha....I wrote the flute part's second half, the improvy bit)!
And of course if you wish to perform it live at a concert, you'll need to purchase the piano part from the original choir version which is about $1.88. Simply google the title plus "Keith Christopher" to find the choir version to purchase.
The piano part is entitled "In the Bleak Midwinter" for SATB choir, arranged by Keith Christopher.
Enjoy. This zipped file with pdfs/mp3s is 6 MB and will stay up throughout the month of November. After that please email me if you still want a copy but it's no longer on site.
Best and de-bleak-ify while the early snows are flying! :>)
Jen Cluff
P.S. Leave comments below thanks. :>)

Moyse Flute tone advice

Dear Flutists,
I thought I'd share some of the Marcel Moyse advice that is contained in a book written for beginning flutists. I believe the book is called "The Debutante Flutist", but I'm not sure as I have no cover or front page. (The publisher is probably Leduc.) Please give *me* the title if you recognize the pictures below. Thanks. :>)

Moyse's flute tone advice:
Marcel Moyse makes a very important point in describing the lip opening using drawings; that the inner (wetter membrane) surface of the lips vibrates sympathetically when the air column moves past it. If the lips are too tight, too squeezed, or the lip-plate of the flute is too high, the inner lip membrane is not free to help direct the airstream, and will not vibrate sympathetically. However, if the lip aperture is free and mobile, the flutist can incorperate the amount of inner lip membrane that is exposed to the outside of the lips. (to expose the inner lip membrane "explode" it a small amount outward by saying "PEU")
Hence these pictures:














Moyse goes on to explain the difference between the low register embouchure that gives the best tone, and the middle register embouchure. The pictures used for that show the inner membrane of the lips very much involved in producing the best quality of tone. (although I'd argue with the coverage of the blow hole advice that he gives.....)












This topic is also very well covered in Roger Mather's Volume 2 of "The Art of Playing the Flute" when Mather talks about lowering the pressure of the flute's chin-plate in order to allow freedom to the lips to vibrate as the air reed passes through them.

I think that the common mistake is for student flutists to squeeze the red lip tissue itself, often with the bottom lip being trapped by the metal chin plate, and the upper lip pulled too tightly across the teeth. Both these mistakes cause too much of the dry outer portion of the lips being used to direct the air stream, instead of the inner membrane of the lips, which actually is a much finer control.

We want to be sure we're using the muscles that surround the mouth (the 2 inch area that surrounds the lips in a 360 degree circle, but not the lips themselves) to form the lip shape. Using the muscles of the face that surround the lips allows the lips themselves to stay flexible, free and loose enough to form a longer "barrel" or tube for the air to flow down before it leaves the mouth. In lessons I ask the student to allow the inner membrane to be blown to the exterior as when saying a slightly explosive "PEU!" or "Poooooo". This gives them a longer lip tube to direct the air with to find the sweet spot of the best tone, and also eventually leads to effortless leaping between low and high notes.








Easier to show than to explain in words, but Moyse's pictures are very very good. :>)
Comments? Thanks.
Jen :>)

Teaching Tone videos 2 & 3

Dear Flutists and flute teachers,

Here are two new short videos about the basics of tone practice.
They follow video 1 and offer hints for success as well as a demonstration of low register longtones.
Please feel free to comment using the comment button below.
Ha! It was so SUNNY today, I was seemingly creating tone from a sunbeam....hmmmm...not a bad idea!
Goofily, Jen

Video 2.Teaching Tone; Helpful hints


For articles on tone see the tone articles on my website.

Video 3. Teaching Tone: Matching pairs of semitones

Teaching Tone video no. 1

Hello flutists,
Here is part 1 of a possible video series called:
Teaching Tone. It begins with getting a great B-natural.
Getting great tone (or finding great tone again, if for some crazy reason, you've lost it :>) is all about staying exploratory, curious, relaxed (no excessive tension in the body) and by having fun, being musical and experimental.
More details (and closeups, if I can figure out how to do that with my webcam) will follow if/when the TONE video series continues.
1. Teaching TONE



Please leave comments and questions by clicking on the comment button below. Thanks.
References include:
Trevor Wye - Tone Volume 1 of Practise Books for the Flute
Marcel Moyse - De La Sonorite
Fiona Wilkinson - The Physical Flute
and the Flutetalk magazine article by Patricia George (the tone-finding squiggle method ;>)
All the books above can be found at www.fluteworld.com or at other sheetmusic sources.
In future episodes I'll talk about the great three volume set of books by Roger Mather called "The Art of Playing the Flute" which has tons of experiments for embouchure, tone and resonance. You'll want volume 2 of the Mather set. You can order the Mather books from Fluteworld, or from "interlibrary loan" at your public library if you don't have them already.
Best,
Jen

What's the deal with LONGTONES?

Dear Flutists,

Over the weekend there was a discussion on Galway's chatgroup about Longtones, working on Tone, and what the deal is with all that. One adult flute student wrote:

"When I was in my teens, my flute teacher had me work on LONGTONES, and they were horribly boring to me. All I did was hold each note 'for as long as possible' and my tone never improved. Even today, having taken the flute back up again, I wish for a fabulous tone, and when I play longtones, nothing changes; my tone still sounds like an amateur. How does one fix this?"

Jen replies:
(longtones demonstrated along with posture at video here.)

The core of the "longtones" misunderstanding may in fact be the same problem that led Trevor Wye to write "Tone - vol. 1" from his Practise Books for the Flute series.
Wye said on (one of the flute email groups) that originally, he developed the idea of writing "Tone Vol. 1" after he had listened to fellow flute students warming up for a masterclass in Europe,
To his shock he heard several quite advanced flute students playing "LONGtones" for 30 minutes at a time, but they were longtones that had horrible tone quality, and no musicality. The students sounded bored, earnest, and horrible.
Wye thought they'd missed the entire point of Moyse's advice in "Sonorite" which is to only play with a gorgeous tone, and slowly move it from one note to the next as you proceed with the exercise.

So, let's start with that:
The very purpose of longtones is to hold a *beautiful* tone for a few seconds, and to build up your memory of how to always produce a *beautiful* tone. The memory will be partially through your "mouth-to-ear" co-ordination, and partially a physical, muscular memory of what steps you took to find that marvellous tone again.

Just to be clear; the wrong way to perform Moyse's "Sonorite" would be:
- to play a long horrible sounding tone
- to play unmusically and boringly
- to try and hold the note "as long as possible no matter what"
- to play with a strained face, strained, tight lips, or closed throat
- to play with the lungs almost empty of air
- to hold the air back and try and play with a small sound
- to train yourself to do all of the above at the same time while boring yourself and not improving, but getting worse tone. :>)

So in the "Vol 1 - Tone" book by Wye, he tries to explain that first you find a beautiful tone on a simple and easy note, playing from mezzo forte, and crescendo-ing, and then you deliberately spread that tone to the surrounding notes. You do this by locating the greatest sound quality you can make (on any given day--some days are greater than others...;>))and then lovingly descending a semitone to see if that great sound quality can be had for free in the neighbouring notes that surround your best tone note.

That's it.

Eleanor Lawrence alludes to this too in her DVD (which some were recommending this weekend), but not in any great detail, I find (I have the DVD).
Lawrence assumes (as do those who've been taught that 'great tone' is the goal of the first note of the exercise) that the flute student understands this TONE-SONORITE concept already: That you first achieve one beautiful tone pitch, and then start moving through other notes on the flute.

On the other hand, for those flutists and teachers who have just somehow missed this point, it's all about getting the tone to sound best before holding the note. It is far easier to begin this work in the lower registers, and then, after a month or two, to begin to spread this tone to the higher register (embouchure development favours the high registers after the low registers are already reliably beautiful.)
To learn this concept of Sonorite you can:

a) match your teacher's tone during longtones in lessons
b) get your teacher's one-on-one advice about changes you might try in your breathing, posture, holding the flute etc.
c) get your teacher's advice (individualized) on letting the air move freely through your chest, throat, mouth and body
d) get your teacher's advice on changes you could experiment with your lips/embouchure/mouth position.

Quite a few of these possible suggestions are listed on my tone help pages on my website. But of course, you can't learn the sound you need to hear from a book, only from a great tone that is being demonstrated to you by a live player.
And yes, it all starts with:
If your single tone on one note sounds the best it can sound, you're creating a physical memory of how to continue to play with great tone.

Hard to explain in words, of course, but instantly understood in a good flute lesson with a teacher showing a bad tone, and a good tone, and then holding the good tone only, while proceding with the Sonorite exercises by Moyse, spreading the good sound from note to note.

It's important to know , for advanced students that the 30+ page book called "Tone Vol. 1" by Trevor Wye, examines in detail only the first semitone exercise from Moyse's "De La Sonorite".
Although somewhat expensive, owning the whole Moyse Sonorite book is a good investment as it has additional, more advanced exercises in dynamics, leaping large intervals, and phrasing.

Advanced flute students who've completed the Moyse book may also enjoy working with these books;
Check Up by Peter Lukas Graf and/or
Tone Development Through Interpretation by Moyse and/or
Conditioning Training by Werner Richter and/or
Tone Development Through Extended Technique by Robert Dick and there is a nice, slim book of inspriational suggestions called
Playing in Colours by Ann Cherry.

On my fourth coffee on a saturday morning,
Jen :>)

links to other flute technique free pdfs & mp3s

Dear Flutists,

A couple of flute folk just emailed me asking about where to find the other pdfs with backing tracks that I've uploaded to this blog.
Here are the useful links you seek. P.S. And thanks for the flurry of Doris Day pictures! hahhahaha what a laugh! :>D
__________________

FLUTE SCALE & WARMUP pdf downloads with backing tracks


Flute Scales in duet form for teacher and student (to spice up the flute lesson

Expanding Intervals Warmup with guitar backing track:

The Scale Game from Taffanel/Gaubert E.J. no. 4 with harp backing track

_________________

Scale sheetmusic for novice to intermediate (fun)

Dorus Scales Duet in pdf - half notes for student, eighthnote moving duet part for teacher. Or play both parts into recording machine, and duet with your own excellent self.

_________________
View all Jen Cluff's Flute Blog posts by title


Enjoy, and please subscribe if you like. Just scroll down for free subscription and click on it. You'll then receive instant notification of all new flute blog posts and pdf/mp3 uploads. Happy harpy-flutey-factor! :>)
Jen aka: Doris-not-Boris :>D

Free major-minor scales with harp harmony

Dear Flute-a-teers,

I recently came across the British publication entitled "The Flute Player's Companion, volume 1" by Edward Blakeman (Chester Music; publisher.) I was delighted to find some great tone exercises in the opening of this first volume. ( yes, you can buy vol. 1 for $12 at Amazon if you're Canadian/U.S., and I *do* recommend it for intermediate students. It's clever, upbeat, and thorough!)

The opening chapters give lots of tone exercises using melodies and patterns by Dorus, Demersseman, and other 18th and 19th century flutist-composers.

The very first exercise is a duet style scale with arpeggiated chords, and it asks the student to transpose to every key. Well, ha ha! The upper part is no problem, since it is a simple major scale, but the arpeggios and chords that comprise the lower part would put me into a tiny head-spin, and hey, I'm supposed to be GOOD at transposing at sight. So to be helpful, I used my music-writing software to prepare a PDF part of both major AND minor scales, in a groovy order, to use for my remedial intermediate students.
You can download the 6 page PDF of the exercise/duet here.

Then I got fancy and created a lovely backing track, where harp plays the lower part (the part that the teacher or the enterprising student would play in the lesson, in fact it would be useful to learn both parts)and the exercise became even more useful because you can tune to it. I also advise (as does Dorus) using various articulations, and various tempi. Youll just love playing along with the clear tone of the treble recorder that plays the flute's part on the mp3. Trust me.
This mp3 backing track is zipped together with the printable 6-page PDF exercise here. (7 MB zipped download of both backing track and pdf of the exercise together).

I'm entranced by the gentle loveliness of this exercise. It has many uses for students of all levels and is simple and beautiful to listen to. (actually both the cat and the husband fell asleep as I recorded the mp3, so you just know it's celestial :>)

The composer expects this exercise to help with tone, breathing, phrasing, intonation, and to be later varied with dynamics and articulations. Remember to experiment! There's far more here than meets the eye and ear.

Please try it out, and then leave your comments below.
If you want to burn the backing tracks to CD there are more you can add to fill it out here.

I hope to soon add other versions of these lovely Dorus warmups in a similar way. I can just see the names: Dorus Day (Doris Day haha! That's this one!), and later, others to be re-titled Dorus-don't-be-Boris, or perhaps..... Dorus-or-Dor-against-Us.
:>D
Enjoy and give feedback!
Jen

Piccolo exercises online

Dear Fluteestios,

A few great piccolo flexibility exercises (and great all-round piccolo advice) have been put up on the net for free download and practising.

See newest:

Helen Bledsoe's piccolo flexibility pdf warmups

Also see:

Nicola Mazzanti's piccolo articles (excellent!) now a book! (2016)

For serious piccolo doublers (and, of course, if you want to perform professionally, you should own a piccolo so you can get those flute/piccolo doubling gigs!),Nicola Mazzanti also sells piccolo flexibility warmups.

Excellent advice on a subject that can be tricky to find extensive information online. Help yourself! :>)
Best, Jen

Outstanding new Galway teaching videos

Dear Flutists,

The first two videos below are outstanding flute teaching videos.
They are a "must see". Best Jen


New Galway teaching videos:

Thoughts on Music

Flute Hand Technique

********************************
Galway performances from Weggis masterclass:

Rigoletto Fantasy by Doppler played by Jeanne Galway and James Galway

Galway and Trevisani
Kuhlau duo op. 102 (it's a race!!):

Mathias Ziegler: Extraordinary contra-bass flute performance:

Free groovy flute beginner & novice music

Dear Flutists,
For those flute students who've been playing three years or less, or are starting private lessons for the first time this year, you may want some really fun music to play.
Matthew Taylor has uploaded FREE flute sheetmusic with groovy mp3 backing tracks.
You simply download them (click download, and then wait 20 seconds, and click the new DOWNLOAD link that appears) at:
http://LearnFunFlute.4shared.com

Updated link (2011):

http://funflute.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html
There's a Japanese sounding piece called Flooshie (very cool!), there are a bunch of very easy beginner pieces, good for warming up, and there are even 30 simple rounds for getting together with friends and playing in a duo or trio.
Please check them out, download and print the sheetmusic (pdf) and burn the backing tracks to a CD for your own fun practising.
Slower speed mp3s for those who need to build up their speed are also available at the same site.
Thankyou so much Matthew!
If all flute teachers wrote out groovin' pieces like this, and put the files up for free, we'd really be RICH in flute solo pieces that are modern enough to entice even the most reticent flute student. Thankyou! :>)
Jen

A Day in the life of a University Flute Major

Just to cheer up all those University students who are feeling the pressure (probably the pressure I added to with my last blog post…eeek…!), I wanted to give you a glimpse into a typical day in the life of a first year music student.
Yes, it wasn’t that long ago that I did this myself. Knowing that we all go through it really helps, I think. :>)

Here’s a typical day:

7:30 am: wake up, shower and eat cereal. Pack bag lunch, and tidy up big slob mess that roommate has made of the kitchen (sigh). Pack school bookbag, get on bicycle (or bus), -and ride to first class with teacher who puts you back to sleep.

9:10 stagger about looking for coffee, and re-direct self to library to find materials for essay due in two weeks.

9:17 locate books for essay, put in locker for later review. Get flute and music, take to practise room and warm up tone, do several scales and try a bit of the new etude.

10 am: Class with insane teacher who’s barely holding onto his own vision of the universe. Take copious notes (even though they currently make no sense), and put stick’um page-markers in the textbook so can read over assignment at lunch time.
11:30 am Run to Sight Singing class (which can also be called "Fright Screaming and FEAR Training" at least, that's what WE called it.:>)

12:30 eat packed lunch while doing assigned text-book reading from your 10 am class. Make a few notes to transfer into study binder. Chat with friends briefly about Saturday’s night out. (the one big night of freedom!)

1 pm. Go to library to work on essay for English.
2 pm. Choir
4 pm coffee break

4:30 Get flute and go to practise rooms. Warmup up, get your tone, and then practise etude, scales and a bit of solo piece.

5:15 Head for home, and pick up one or two groceries for dinner.
6-7 dinner and relax
7:15 finish homework assignment for tomorrow’s Harmony class.
8 pm Do some stretches, do dishes, make tuna salad, and listen to flute CD
8:20 tidy up room, do laundry, check email.
8:45 Practice flute, playing solo and etude in small bits to perfect each segment before weaving them back together. Enjoy yourself. Make MUSIC!

9:30 sort out jotted-down lunch-time notes for essay due in two weeks and start summarizing chapters for Music History test next week.
10:00 sing in the shower. Put laundry in drier.
10:30 phone best friend and have a laugh.
Do personal schedule for tomorrow (make a list of things you might forget.)
11 pm sleep

Hope this helps give a good over-view of how a student is supposed to fit everything in. Some days are better than others.
Mainly you simply have to keep moving without going crazy.
But, afterall, where else but at University can you learn to deal with insanity in a fairly fresh and sane environment, among your peers? :>)
Feel free to create your own schedule based on your own needs.
But note how TV shows and hanging around doing nothing but playing bad electric guitar renditions of "House of Rising Sun" are not featured. ;>)

Best of luck,
Jen Cluff (former music student who also worked 3 hrs. a day as a lunch time waitress by the time I was in 3rd and 4th year performance. Eeek, again! :>)

Skill Levels for Incoming College Flute Majors

Although many young band students DREAM of becoming a successful performance major in flute, unfortunately the actual reality is quite different from the dream.
In order to obtain a living wage or any kind of paycheque from performing on the flute, you need to be a spectacular musician with many years of training prior to entering college or university.

You need to practise from 2-4 hours a day around your other university classes. You need to already have some music theory, ear-training/sight-singing, keyboard skills and a basic understanding of the history of music, so that the homework does not cut into your practising time. You need to choose electives that don’t have too much homework so it does not cut into your practising time.

For some high school students living away from home for the first time, you need to do all this as well as:
Getting sufficient sleep, staying healthy, studying well for tests, preparing for performances, dealing with a crazy time-table.
You will also have to develop skills in eating properly, exercising to avoid injury, perhaps learning to cook, learning to do laundry. You'll also have to pay rent, pay phone bills, learn to perhaps work a part time job, as well as to learn to get along with or work around crazy roommates.

In addition to all this you must pass all your music courses while practising 2-4 hours a day over four years.
If you do not picture yourself doing all that practising, you must seriously consider entering a non-performing branch of music, which demands only 1 to 1.5 hours of practising a day. But if you are in any kind of University level music, you must practise.

No, you won’t have much of a social life, and you won’t have time to cook large dinners for all your roommates, or do all of the dishes either. You will have time only for working on your course load while practising literally every spare minute.
So please be realistic.
To read about being realistic while enrolled in a music degree, or to download extra copies to send to your musical grandchildren, kids, friends, relatives, or anyone you know who thinks that taking music at the University level should be “easy like band was in highschool” please download and READ these articles at: http://www.jennifercluff.com/collegereality.pdf

More helpful articles for the future are here also.

Best, Jen

Alexandra Grot video

Dear Flutists,
If you haven't seen this video yet, of Alexandra Grot playing Bozza's "IMAGE", then run, don't walk....
(or is that click don't think! ;>)

Bozza's Image played by young Russian flutist Grot.

Enjoy and thanks to R.L. who found this video,
Jen :>)

Martin Ballade by McGarr on YouTube

Dear Flutists,

Hello to you all!
I just wanted to send the link to a relatively new Youtube video that shows EXCELLENT closeups of hand position and embouchure.
It's the young flutist Helen McGarr playing Martin's Ballade.
Fascinating to watch such a tension free performance.
And great for those who learn fastest by seeing someone else perform at this level.
Very "Inner Game of Music" to watch this video and then immediately pick up your flute and realize that you've absorbed the ease of the flutist you've just observed.
Do check it out. Large screen image works great (even though the high register nearly kills the microphone.)
Best,
Jen
P.S. Hear Poulenc first mvmt. by McGarr at age 12 here.

Seeing again; McGhee CDs; Wye NFA; lip trembling

Dear Flutists,
Well I'm basically back to the land of the seeing. My PRK eye laser treatment has resulted in very clear vision. I still have a few weeks to go until complete 20/20, but can function normally (with some small blurs in the later part of the day.) I start teaching again on Sept. 10th, and have been amusing myself meanwhile with transcribing Bouriakov's mp3 (from his website given several posts ago) of the Chaconne in D minor into G minor, as he plays it, taken from JS Bach's BWV 1004. It's extraordinarily fun playing along with the mp3 recording, and matching note for note. I still have two pages of 32nd notes to re-distribute from the violin/guitar orginals that I'm using, so if anyone has already done this, write and let me know. :>)

Some good questions came up when I checked all my flute groups, so I'll try for some quick answers here. Hopefully they'll broadly smatter all the topics that matter.

The National Flute Assoc (NFA) convention ended and many folk reported that they were blown away by the flute playing of Lorna McGhee. Yes indeed. She's astounding because she's so musical, so alive, and so creative!! In answer to where to find her CDs, just use google. I have three of her CDs. The first was by the Mobius ensemble, in which she plays Mozart Quartet in C+, and Debussy's trio for fl/vla/hrp. Then I purchased two flute & harp CDs by McGhee, the newest one full of seriously gorgeous Canadian music, and several years ago, I raved about her "Taheke" album; and all time top favourite.All albums are easily googled.

Also at the NFA, Trevor Wye gave a "how to practice to improve quickly" class, and once again stated that it's a waste of effort to play difficult repertoire in lieu of practicing standard scales and arpeggios. Yes, this is a common failing. We often see 17 yr. old students playing everything from Chaminade (eeek! (( :>o ) to Ibert, without the finger technique, tone/dynamics, or breath control to achieve them. Wye says that the student is wasting their time tackling these things in the wrong order; scale technique makes tens of thousands of flute pieces easier to play at sight.
So true. Robert Dick then commented that he would personally add listening to CDs, music in general, and especially listening to non-flutists (violin, cello, singers etc), and of course, daily improvising!!!!
No kiddding!! These topics are both hugely important the older you become and the longer you stay in the field of the flute. These are the things that are missing from most younger players. If only we could convince students of the truth and knowledge that we have learned from a lifetime of flute playing. It's with these things in mind that I rush back to working on the sections of my book that integrate improvising with scale technique and tone/dynamics/breath control.
I've integrated all of these items spontaneously in my work, because that is indeed how I practice now that I'm in my 40s. I too wasted time when I was younger just trying to learn the flute repertoire. Now I see how I could have sped all that up.
What happens is that you make exponential leaps in your playing that simply do not occur when you practice by simply playing repertoire. Try it and send feedback.
Note to self: get book finished so others can see how one does integrate it all. :>)
Mind you, to the creative practicer, simply beginning these things yeilds results.
Get started! :>)

I'd also like to thank Susan M. for some truly great NFA reports that included great advice from folk like Peter Lloyd (most orchestral flutists nowadays play too loud!) and other great flute minds. Thankyou Susan. Where would we be without your careful note taking? Thankyou!!

Finally, today on Galway Chat there was a post from a young person who is suffering from lip-trembling. I didn't answer, because the person didn't furnish enough information. They simply said "My upper lip trembling is killing my playing", and left it there. In a subsequent post they mentioned they'd just gotten out of physiotherapy, but doesn't say what for (car accident? Broken arm? Jaw surgery?)
Without that information, we are forced to list huge numbers of things to try to solve the dilemma, but I will make a short list for anyone suffering from flutist's lip-tremble.

First, the overview: The worst nerve damage that can happen to an embouchure is called "focal dystonia". Avoid this level of damage, which can be permanent, by consulting with a medical doctor or music-medicine specialist. Embouchure dystonia has ended several careers that I know of personally. Get proper medical help before the problem becomes more severe and don't attempt to play through the trembling as this can worsen the nerve damage if you have had facial tension over a number of years. Get proper help (not just internet suggestions.) especially if you play music for a living and practice 1-6 hrs. a day.

Now, here are some solutions to also try:
1. Most lip or face muscle spasms that I have seen stem from the jaw hinge. Pay close attention to how you place your jaw for playing the flute. It should be loose and open, with no tension at the hinge. Feel the jaw hinge with your fingers when your embouchure is set. Drop all tension completely. If you had previously played with hinge-tension, you may have to completely overhaul your embouchure formation with the help of an excellent flute teacher. Roger Mather's books "The Art of Playing the Flute" have experiments that can help until you find such a teacher. Basically, you want to go from the density of stone through to wood, water and then air. When your jaw hinge has "air" as its density guide, you will play simply and easily without muscular complaint.

2. Muscle trembling can be caused by medicinal drugs. Look up any medications you are on, or consult your doctor to see whether trembling may be a side-effect. If so, use the time to overhaul other avenues of your musical education until you can change the drug. (ie: some athsma medication for example may be causing your problem.) You can listen, sing, play piano, whistle, or compose. But don't overdo the flute playing until the drug connection has been sorted out.

3. If neither of the above suggestions apply to you, look into the possibility that you are trying to play the flute after a break or hiatus, and you may be trying to do too much too soon. Any muscle trembles if it's in flabby condition (try doing thirty slow-motion sit-ups a day and notice how trembling starts by the third day due to muscle fatigue) and you overwork it. So instead of overworking, play loosely in the low register, listen to music on your breaks, and stretch out and relax between sessions of low register playing. Leave the middle register and high register until your muscles are more toned. Add difficult things gradually. Combine this period of practice with experimenting with loose jaw, looser embouchure, and the other experiments in Roger Mather's "Art of the Flute" books.

4. Learn to let your body find solutions for you. After reading "The Inner Game of Tennis" by Gallwey, I learned to ask my body "How would you do this if I didn't interfere (with my mind)? What is YOUR easiest possible way to do this?"
The body always seems to already know how to do something with the least effort. It is naturally smarter about itself and its functions than our minds will ever be. The body does not want to work too hard and hurt itself, and it seems to know exactly what you are trying to accomplish, and be willing to show you how. It is a biological computer. It has survived millenia!
This is another chief component of my upcoming flute book; how to let go and quit trying 'too hard" and I learned it from the Inner Game books. Very important philosophy indeed for musicians and athletes, and almost always results in a fantastic improvement in the least amount of time.

So there's the wisdom of the month of August for you all.
Thanks for reading to the end; it's a long post, but I'm back and curious!!! :>)
hahhahahhaaa!!!
Best, and please leave comments (especially if you have the Chaconne transcription in G minor or want to help me transcribe the rest of it; I have 85% done!)
Jen Cluff

Flute Pitch Naming

Dear Flute students,

Some confusion can arise from the naming of the octave for flute pitches.
Here is a PDF one-page chart that explains very simply the systems of C1 to C4 used by flutist's publications, versus C4 to C7 used by standard acoustic texts.
Hope this helps quell confusion. :>)
Jen Cluff

Fab free flute concert online - Hutchins, Hoeppner etc.

Dear Flutists,
A wonderful online free, (to-listen-to-or-download) flute concert featuring flute solos, duos, quartets/quintets and some fabulous new flute ensemble arrangements. The quality of the recording is EXCELLENT!
Check it out. Can listen to entire, or select pieces individually.
Programme below; bios/photos of players also at this concert link:

Concert by the Flutists of the Montreal Symphony with guest Flutist Susan Hoeppner

Happy summer listening,
Jen :>)

Denis Bouriakov might just blow your tiny mind!

Dear Flutists,
I recently received an email from a fellow flute teacher which contained this innocent, helpful sentence:

"Jen, You may like to check out D. Bouriakov's playing. I really like it."

Well thanks for the recommendation....as it just about blew my excellent tiny mind!

See if you all agree. (video)



Hear more:
Denis Bouriakov's website

You will be amazed to find that this 26 yr. old has just broken a new world's flute record for brilliance!

I for one, downloaded all the tracks, and burned them to a CD for repeated listenings.
I also ordered the transcription of the BWV 1004 by Bach (for flute) and the violin work by Saint Saens (which Bouriakov plays in the original key using octave transpositions where required.)
He also plays Schubert, Mozart and Jolivet. All for free download.

Yes, our minds will never be the same.
Please leave your comments below.

Feb 2018 update:

In the comments we were discussing Bouriakov's unique offset embouchure and whether or not he uses the much maligned "smile muscles". Jury is still out. Check out these amazing close ups in the videos on note bending below.

Note Bending part 1 (video)

Note Bending part 2 (video)




Amazingly idiosyncratic embouchure.
Best,
Jen :>)

When I play all-tongued, I thpit too much

Dear Jen, I am seriously practicing the Taffanel now and my concern is that I salivate too much when I do a lot of tonguing. I constantly have to stop and clear my mouth and therefore can't play continuously for an entire exercise. Any past experience or knowledge about this? R.

Dear R. this is common. I think if you ignore it, break your tonguing practice into smaller sections, and take plenty of pauses, your body will gradually adjust to the new sensations, and stop misinterpretting them as "eating opportunities". From what I've read about on the various flute groups over the years, usually the problem goes away by itself for most people.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. But from my extensive reading about flute students who've had problems with saliva-buildup, here are some of the known causes and some solutions that are common to suggest;

Causes of over-salivation during flute tonguing exercises:

a) you are hungry and need to eat (hahahaha!) :>)
b) you just brushed your teeth with a sweet/sugar-flavoured toothpaste (or you just ate food without brushing your teeth, which is bad for pads, of course.) Therefore to get rid of the sugar rinse out the mouth with plain water before practicing.
c) you are salivating because you haven't practiced tonguing in a long, long time and your mouth thinks you're eating(!), not tonguing. :>) Practice in smaller sections, and alternate between all-tongued and all-slurred.
d) you are irritated by the saliva buildup because having just noticed it, you are over-sensitive to it because your brain is focussing on the mouth. Try to think of other things, and take more pauses in your work to swallow naturally.
e) you are irritated by the saliva buildup because you are not taking enough rests, but are attempting to play four-to-six pages of continuous sixteenth notes without stopping.......
Now...
This e) item is one I wish to address:
Taffanel and Gaubert Exercises are almost impossible to play in their entirety without adding rests or pauses. They cause hyperventilation unless you drop notes to breathe etc., and they are not meant to be played from beginning to end without pause, in my opinion.
I think it's a bit brutal to expect a student flutist to play non-stop until they've been practicing these exercises for a few years on a daily basis. Even then, I think it is still brutal.
I personally believe that you must realistically pause and breathe normally every few bars and then re-start the phrase again from the notes preceding the paused note.

That's how I teach Taff-Gaubert, and how I practice them myself.

Some additional factors to do with spit-buildup may have to do with tonguing too high/low in the mouth, or perhaps too far forward or back in the mouth.. So I always experiment with various syllables from "du, dooo, too, tuu". By constantly seeking the simplest, most useful tongue positions, I find that there are various positions for the tongue that can produce a better sound as well as an easier, simpler tongue motion in the mouth.

So be sure to check with your private teacher so they can help you check for:

f) creating too large a motion or too active a motion with the tongue. Simplify tongue motions.

Finally, I've I've heard other flute teachers attribute over-salivation problems to:
g) jutting your chin or jaw too far forward
h) tilting the head back which puts strain on the jaw (See Alexander Technique "startle position")
i) leaning too far forward to peer at the music stand, which causes saliva to pool in the front of the mouth.

All of these thrust the chin forward that one extra centimeter that can cause saliva buildup because of the similarity to an eating position of the mouth and chin.

So try:
a) balancing your weight in the middle of your feet (no weight leaning forward onto your toes)
b) bringing the chin "in and down". Tuck it down about 10% more than usual. Experiment with chin positions so that you find the least stressful angle for the jaw.
c) pull your rib-cage up from your hips to create a longer, taller torso. This will help balance the head better, so your jaw line is parallel to the floor, and your head is not thrusting forward.

Let me know if these tricks work for your tonguing-salivation problem. Best, Jen

Playing the flute in tune

Hi there Flutists interested in good intonation! :>)
Firstly; A quick note to my flute-blog subscribers:
I've updated the pdf and mp3 files for yesterday's very fun warmup called "expanding intervals" . Had to repost the YouSendIt link in order to include some minor note corrections, so please download the corrected versions using the new link here. Thanks for discarding the older version (zip files with errors---eeeek!) :>)

Of interest to those working on tuning, the above warmup is FAB for working on tuning intervals! The playalong of solo flute is a perfect reference pitch in equal temperment.

Next topic:
Playing the flute with good intonation has been a problem for the last 150 years, as any professional flutist or teacher will tell you. Either you have "gifted ears" (very rare) or have to work on it somehow (no known method!!! Argh!) So to help with creating a new method for flute students to work at it, and have fun too, I've been writing articles by the score on how to help with flute intonation. Check this out:
Today I added an mp3 called "How to hear beats", for novice flutists. Help yourself to a listen.

The other tuning articles I have on my site are here:
Beginner Flutists: How to Tune Your Flute
Intermediate Flutists: Typical tuning problems-flat low register, sharp high register: how to fix.
also: Playing the flute in tune in ensembles.

And you may want to bookmark this one for your students and flutey friends:
All tuning articles about flute intonation.

Until the invention of "The Tuning CD" we often had to rely, as flutists, on theory, arguments over equal-temperment vs. natural tuning systems, and even consider mathematical ratios.
Good grief...boggles the mind, especially when the older flutes (pre-1975 for the most part) had horribly out-of-tune scales on them. But nowadays tuning is easier. There are new inventions, and new methods.
Please leave comments below if you have ideas to add. (see comment button below.)
I particularly have enjoyed using my notation software to create unison and harmony backing tracks (see previous two blog posts) to keep the pitch centered while playing for tone or technique. Very clever indeed!
Best,
Jen :>)

Expanding Intervals Warmup

Hello flutists!
I have written out an "expanding interval" exercise (originally the basic warmup that Ransom Wilson uses everyday) as a pdf, and also recorded it with a great accompaniment mp3 for playing along.
At the link below you will find the four files zipped together for free download
(approx. 6.5 mb):

Expanding Intervals zip file download

The above version was zipped up ready to go on July 15th, and has some corrections made to it (compared to the July 10th version.) So subscription members, please download the corrected version above instead of the one you were sent with your email subscription. Thanks and apologies for the errors (working too fast here. :>)

And enjoy the playalongs, everybody, for your summer practicing!!!
Do please leave comments with ideas and how you like it all....
Both Bob, (who originally gave me the Ransom Wilson exercise) and I are amazed at the simplicity and beauty, and very zen-like quality of this so very very cool warmup!
Best, and leave your comments please!
Jen :>)

Scalegame playalong mp3 to download

Dear Flutists,

I now have almost 70 subscribers! So here is a gift for you all:

The Taffanel & Gaubert 17 Daily Exercises book has a "scale game" that is called "E.J. 4".
I have written it out with some well-deserved RESTS :>) and a lovely harp part to keep you going!
I wrote it out in Sibelius, then made the flute part into a seven page pdf (with good page turns, unlike the original! peufff! (( :>P ) and then I recorded it with accompaniment as an mp3.
You can play along (adding your own pauses for extra breaths) at mm=100.
The full package, sheetmusic plus mp3 is free to download. Here is the link:

Jen's 9mb zip file with sheetmusic & mp3 for playalong

Enjoy your summer practice!!
More like this (hopefully) to come in the future. I'd love it if others would write some too, to add variety to our practice regimes, and share them with us all.
Leave your comments below if you would please. :>)

Best, Jen :>)

The Secrets of Playing in an Orchestra

Dear Flutists,

Firstly, I discovered a series of videos has gone up on the net about what it's like to play in an orchestra (flutist Anna Pyne of the U.K.).
What a summer holiday/rainy-day treat!!

Then, as it was pouring with rain, over the course of today I began to make list of all the coolest links for flutists interested in the orchestral life, and please suggest more, and comment!!

Is it raining? Are you on vacation? If so help yourself!
See below. Best, Jen :>)
================================

Orchestral informational videos by Flutist Anna Pyne (UK) videos describing her life as an orchestral flutist. (each "article" at this page has a 1-2 minute video; so double-click play button at each link):
=========================

Next; to listen to while washing windows :>)

A fabulouso BBC Radio show about orchestral life (featuring the opinions of two flutists: Richard Davis and Paul Edmund-Davies) - BBC Radio online listening:

Title: The Secret Life of an Orchestra ( Parts I - III in 20 minute long mp3s to listen to):
GO TO:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/listenup/listenagain_talks.shtml

Scroll down upon arrival to see....
Title: The Secret Life of the Orchestra
Part I:Secret Life of the Orchestra 1 Private and Public - the life of an orchestral musician as chequerboard of wildly differing events and commitments - a complex balancing act, splitting time between family, work and other activities
Part II:Secret Life of the Orchestra 2 Heat and Dust: the technical nightmare that is running an orchestra - from getting to halls, to raising the piano, to problems of heat and cold, and the rigours of touring...
Part III:Secret Life of the Orchestra 3 Love, Hate and Death: the emotional landscape of the orchestra - liaisons dangereuses, loyalties, enmities, esprit de corps, maestros we love to hate...

====================
Summer reads: Books on Orchestral Life:

1. The Cambridge Companion to the Orchestra Series: Cambridge by Colin LawsonRoyal College of Music

2. Becoming an Orchestral Musician: A Guide for Aspiring Professionals by Richard Davis

3. Documentary-style account of a trumpet player and a conductor:
Book: In Concert: Onstage and Offstage with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (Paperback) by Carl Vigeland

4. Serious: search your library for: The Maestro Myth by Norman LeBrecht

5. Humourous Book: Real Men Don't Rehearse by Justin Locke

6. Trashy summer hammock read: Jilly Cooper's paperback novel: "Appasionata" Massively hilarious--you'll fall out of your hammock!!!

Other flute/musician books listed here.

===============
Hilarious essay about being a music student: "Music is My Bag" by Meghan Duhn:

Yes, there are even blogs: Blog about orchestral life
=========================
"The Orchestral Life"Internet Articles:
=========================
Article about "realities of orchestral life" by Doug Yeo

A 2nd violin/principal's speech about courage and love in music careers, given to orchestral musician recent graduates

Article about the realities of Orchestral life with changing financial structure in today's UK

Article about life as orch. musician and sacrifices made to play in a regional symphony to try and raise a family
=======================
More musician videos about orchestral life:
======================
Additional orchestral interview Videos of all sorts of orchestral players

Hope everyone adds additional links of this kind for our summer edification!! :>D

Playing with tone colours

A response to my mp3 on Galway's 16 flutes on Fluteloops no. 9

Dear Jen,
What amazes me is how you can get so many different colors with one flute. It's hard enough for me just to stay in tune while changing dynamics and not let the tone quality deteriorate!
I should add that for me, playing softly (ppp) in tune makes the tonecolor shift toward what Trevor Wye calls "yellow", a light, pure tone.Playing loudly (fff) in tune makes the tone color shift toward Wye's"purple" - a heavy, sizzling tone. I believe this natural tendency toshift tone colors with dynamics benefits rather than detracts frommusical expression by highlighting changes in dynamics.
I have never understood how flutists get tone colors separately from dynamics while staying in tune. For example, playing quietly with the purple tone or loudly with the yellow tone. This is an aspect offluting that I will probably never master. I spend most of my practice time working on the basics - tone, technique, intonation, articulationand dynamics. I tend to group tone color work with that set of extras that few amateurs like myself have time to develop, so it's one of those things that differentiates professional players. So I'm always impressed when I hear somebody demonstrate it. :) M

Dear M.
In order to change colour you want to make minute and practiced changes to:

1. The air speed
2. The air angle
3. The shape of the inside of your mouth
4. The openness of your throat
5. The shape of the lip aperture

You're already producing the ground-work, and there are some fun ways to add the extra layers of finesse to develop further. So let's say you're going to work at just changing one thing at a time, after getting air-speed and air-angle down pat.
For example:
To change the inside of the mouth, you can change from one syllable to another:
Awe, Ahhh, Ehhh, Aye, Euuu, Eeee.

To change the openness of your throat you can go from "eee" to Ahh, to Awe to a full yawn.
You can then add raising the soft pallet to your full yawn, and then learn to use the raising of the soft-pallet separately.

In order to further your use of shaping the lip aperture you can experiment with degrees of these various activities:
a) dropping the jaw open
b) raising the jaw up
c) pulling the upper lip vertically downward
d) pushing the lower lip vertically upward
e) moving lip corners back
f) moving lip corners forward

g) lifting the center of the upper lip vertically into a slight arch to aim air higher
h) pulling upper lip down vertically in the center
i) pushing the center of the lower lip forward
j) bucking out the upper lip to create an airspace
k) rolling the lower lip inward over the lower teeth

These are some of the ways that you can maintain the same air-speed and air-angle and then change colour on top of that.I enjoyed the books "Music and the Flute" by Nyfenger, "The Physical Flute" by Wilkinson, "Tone Development Through Extended Technique" by Dick, and "Playing in Colours" by Cherry for these ideas.

I also had a break-through when reading back-issues of Flutetalk with articles by Kujala about "FULP and PLOT" (his methods of dynamic control), and got alot of ideas from Billington's dissertation on Robert Aitken's methods.All of these ideas were originally brought forward by each of these flute-authors, and I merely combined them.
Need any more info? Let me know what you think.
Jen

M. writes: Thankyou, that is helpful.
Assuming we want to stay in tune, then every change to any single thing needs corresponding changes. For example if we increase speed we must lower the angle and vice versa.
I've tried experimenting with some of the stuff you mentioned - jaw, lips, openness, etc.
Also with Robert Dick's concept of throat tuning.It's been helpful in achieving a more powerful bottom octave and more control in the top octave. But I've been using it at its most basic level - to get a more resonant sound, not to play with the subtleties of tone colors.

What I find is that there is a certain way of blowing that "locks in" and stabilizes into a big, resonant solid tone. Thisis what I would call my own personal natural tone based on the shape & size of my mouth, throat, etc. I'm happy with this core sound but Idon't have much flexiblity around it. Any adjustment seems to change the tone in ways that I would subjectively describe as negative. Some of the adjustments are difficult for example changing the shape of the mouth to form a different vowel syllable can make it harder to move the tongue for good articulation, or can change the position of the lips. So there is lots of practice involved there.

It's rare to find a player who can actually describe what he's doingwhen he changes tone colors. People who can do it can't always describe what they are doing - they just do it. I will try some of what you suggested. Thanks for the tips! M.

Centering the embouchure in a grade 7 student

Dear Jen,
I have a question. I just got a new student who is entering seventh grade and has only been taught by a band director. Her embouchure is WAY OFF! Her mouth hole is on the FAR right side. She has well shaped lips. What is the best way to help her with this? She is an intelligent, hard-working girl who could be an excellent flute player, but her sound is lacking.
Thank you so much! L.
------------------------
Dear L.
This topic is covered in Roger Mather's books "The Art of Playing the Flute" in three volumes.I think volume I is the one you want. The library should be able to get you these books by interlibrary loan.

The fundamental point to make with the student is this:"You're likely to have more control over the purity of your sound if you move the lip opening to the center of the lips, and aim the center of your lips at the center of the lip plate. Let's get this set up so you can hear the difference."

Then you get a mirror (on the wall or on the music stand) and begin to work in the mirror.

Lip centering with full flute or headjoint only can continue for a portion of four or five lessons.
'Headjoint only' is easier at first (as you can move around more easily without bashing the flute into each other and the wall/stand).

"Right hand on the barrel" with the footjoint off is also good for this.
Let the student work in such a way that they're not worried about fingering the keys.

Tell them that centering the lip opening is the goal for this month, and that they need to use a mirror at home.

If during this time you find that in fact they DO need to have an offset embouchure, suggest that offset on the left side of the mouth is easier for the arms in the long run (this idea from Roger Mather's books, and has to do with the comfort of the shoulders).

You can also explain that the headjoint makers use the exact center of the flute embouchure's hole to decide how to make the headjoint ring with the most colour and tone, and that whatever way we have to position the lips to aim directly at the "sweet spot" is the manner that we're seeking.
For practical purposes, introducing low longtones (B to Bb, Bb to A, A to Ab etc. all the way down to low D) is the best tone exercise at this time.
Send more questions if any of the above is unclear.
Best,Jen

------------------
Dear Jen,
Okay, great. This is what I have been doing already up til now. I feel better having it corroborated. I just think it’s sad when students have to relearn something as basic as embouchure. My only question is this. DO I allow the student to continue working on technical passages (as in preparation for Junior IMEA auditions) or do they need to just stay with the head joint and practice long tones till they get this thing right?. I feel that working on technique is only going to make the process of centering the embouchure much longer. And my student definitely heard and saw the difference. It’s just so darn frustrating for her.
Thanks so much for all your help. L.

--------------------------
Dear L.
The two things that have to be learned are:

a) to center the embouchure so that the middle of the lips are aiming air at the center of the splitting edge to get the most focussed tone

b) during fast technique when the fingers are flying, the centering of the lips never changes, but stays on the "sweet spot".

So I would teach it in two parts, and then add the two parts together.

The question the student asks themselves is:

Am I keeping my lip opening centered when I move my fingers?

This breaks down to:

1. Can I keep it centered in the mirror using the headjoint?

2. Can I keep it centered in the mirror when I add the body joint? ( the student can hold the flute with the right hand on the barrel for this, and use only G, A and B, C.)

3. Can I keep it centered with the footjoint added? (can play right hand on the barrel and then switch to right hand on F, E, and D. etc.)

4. Can I keep it centered so that the tone stays clear when playing a piece of music? (can take just two to three notes at a time, and, away from reading the music, sense the centeredness and check in a mirror.)

Explain to the sceptical ones (some students may wonder "why all the fuss?") that by making this change in the sound using these four steps at home, when practicing, she may be more likely to do well in her competitions, performances, because the sound is so pure throughout.

Here are links to two videos I made that cover some of the terms I used in my advice to you (in case you haven't seen "right hand on the barrel" before.)

Video on teaching headjoint only and right-hand-on-the-barrel

Video on teaching novice flutist's hand-placement

How's that for advice?

:>)

Jen Speedtyping
-------------------------
Dear Jen
You’re the best. I have given your web site to my more advanced students! L.

Fluteloops Radio Show No. 9

Dear Flutists,

This week James Galway created a guessing game for us using his video camera and 16 different flutes. He wanted us to choose our favourites before he did the big "reveal" and told us what each one was. He even phoned me that week, and casually asked (with a huge twinkle in his eye because we used video-phone, and I totally saw that twinkle!) what I thought of the 16 flutes; which was MY favourite?
Holy smokerollies, I only have UN-favourites, Sir Jim; only un-favourites.
And since I had a day off today, I will stun and flabberghast-a-thon what with this response I'm sure....

Here is an mp3, for this week's radio show, of my own 16 imitations of the tone colours of each of the 16 James Galway flutes.

Fluteloops number 9 in which Jen imitates Galway's 16 flutes.

The orginal Galway video on Youtube showing the flutes is linked at the above.
Oh yes, and I do repeat snippets of each of Galway's 16 sound files for immediate comparison. No...ur...I...ah....didn't always manage perfection, but hey... I just HAD to have some fun during the game itself!
Can't wait to see what the list of flutes was.

And if you like, please leave comments (click the comment button) if you have feedback.
I had a blast!
Best,
Jen :>)

Military posture or parallelism

A question from a Youtube viewer:

Is it important to hold the flute parallel to the ground? Does it affect your sound if you do not? Because I have been hearing that it doesn't matter but my band director thinks differently.Please help

Dear parallel-band-posture-person,

This is a very good question. Often band flutists look haphazardly twisted and uncomfortable because they don't have enough room (often their chairs are placed too close together), enough stands, or often because they don't have sufficient posture-practice and flute-holding information to hold their flutes comfortably. Afterall, it's one of the few instruments that has to be held with the arms up in the air and then over to the side as well. Sometimes this is accomplished only with sheer determination. :>) And to a band director who wants the band to look neat and tidy (a hold-over from military bands where the players had to look ULTRA-tidy; like soldiers!) the simple fix is to insist that all flutists hold their flutes parallel to the ground.
As an added bonus, holding the flute parallel to the floor just may help one or two flute students who don't actually have the flute parallel to their face. But that, of course, is just a percentage of the flute section (hopefully).

Mostly it's so that the flute section looks formal, neat and precise when viewed by an audience.The general public wants a band that LOOKS SMART because they judge more with their eyes than with their ears. Upright posture also helps the band sound better as it fosters deeper breathing...but that's a whole other topic. Band teachers use "sit up and stay parallel to the ground" as a catch-all for all these things.

In the real world of music performance, you need to be comfortable, balanced, and breathe easily and freely in order to play the flute well. Ergonomics of holding an instrument has nothing to do with military posture.

If you want a band-director's handout that suggests an improvement to the chair positioning of the flute section to make it easier to play with good posture, plus a very important piece of information (often overlooked) about how to line-up the headjoint for those players who have trouble staying parallel to the ground, click on this link.


But yes, you're right in your readings. Of course, if you look at pictures of professional flutists, you'll see that most of them hold the flute down at an angle because the arms are more comfortable this way over long hours of playing. Professional flutists play from 3 to 6 hours a day, and have been playing for decades, so needing comfortable posture is entirely understandable. But for a band that has to play a four-minute piece, however, it *is* possible to hold the flute parallel to the ground for that short amount of time. It is made even easier by rearranging the chairs so that the knees of the player are facing 45-degrees to the right, and each player has his own music stand, swivelling to the left to view it. This is rare in bands, where I find, two to three players are reading from one music stand, knees are facing the stand, and bodies are twisted in all sorts of contortions in order to see both the music and the conductor. Given this last scenario, military posture is just adding one more twist to that "Oh my gosh, I'm a pretzel" feeling.

No, holding the flute parallel to the ground doesn't necessarily make it sound better but keeping it parallel to the lips DOES. Note that some if not all of your band members are still growing, and getting used to their new size and shape. This can be a challenge, and many like to slump over, droop their flutes, and slop their fingers around, making the flute section in particular look like a bunch of snoozy gargoyles who might slip off their chairs for a nap at any moment.
Add to that those that have their headjoints put on wrongly, and have to double-gargoyle in order to play any notes at all, and then feel so tired that they hook their feet around the chair-legs, and put their elbows on their knees, all the while poking their neighbour in the ribs, and you have the typical band-flutist problems.
So band teachers say: "Sit on the edge of your chair; sit up; heads up; keep the flute parallel to the ground" to cure all this in one fell swoop.

So do what you can to inch forward, being sure to sit on the front 1/3 of your chair, feet flat on the floor, and ask if the flute sections can have individual music stands so that they can turn their chairs 45 degrees to the right. Then, to play, each player swivels the head and torso to the left to view the music. Each player needs also to see the conductor above their music, so this can take time that the band director may not have.
But it sure makes it alot easier to play parallel to the floor for a few minutes at a time for the sake of the look of the band if these key points are addressed.

Hope this helps.
I very much dislike stiff-parallel-military-looking flute playing (especially when it's combined with high elbows) but band teachers don't have time to correct every individual when it comes to individual comfort and ergonomics. A private flute teacher is what's needed for a special visit to help with posture/holding and comfort.
Best,
Jen

Flute Quality & Longevity when buying

Dear Flutists,

Once again, we have the problem on the internet where a novice flute player (adult amateur) or parent of a flute student wants to purchase an intermediate flute because they are frustrated that their Gemeinhardt 2sp won't allow them to progress.
There is a dizzying array of advice given, and other students and amateurs chime in confusing the issue further.

The simple advice is: "Have a quality flute professional assist you in play-testing flutes in your price range.".
But for those who want to consult a chart that gives full details on WHY quality and longevity in a flute truly affects the price that you will have to pay for a quality flute playing experience, I've created a PDF article that fully explains.

Longevity and Quality in Buying a Flute

Enjoy and do please comment.
Brands of quality are constantly changing. These opinions are for 2007 only.
Best,
Jen

Piano mp3 accompaniment tracks

Dear Fellow Flutistic-dudes,

I'm not sure if all the students and teacher's are aware of it, but there's a rather fast and excellent service online for downloading the piano parts recorded as "music minus one" for practice purposes. The flute library of the site contains many accompaniment mp3s of standard flute repertoire. Go and have a look at the titles:

Updated link 2017:
My Accompaniments (piano mp3s for flute)

I've had the above service listed on my site as a link for several years, but only today paid for and downloaded a track for a student of mine (she wanted a metronome assisted version of the piano part to Gaubert's Fantasie to save on rehearsals with the pianist).

I used my PayPal to pay the approximately $10 for the piece, and was immediately able to download it (they also accept credit cards.) The whole process took less than five minutes.
It's a good quality, well thought out accompaniment track on mp3 of the entire work played by an intelligent pianist.
I'm very satisfied with the price and the quality. PERFECT for the flutist to work with in the last few weeks before a studio recital.
Just passin' along the good stuff, ole' flutey dudes. :>)
Best,
Jen

Gilbert on Facility vs. Technique

Quite a few years ago I attended a Gilbert Masterclass in which a flute student (now principal in a major orchestra) played a show piece that, at the time, we all thought was brilliant!
Geoffrey Gilbert was heard to say, disparagingly, that this person processed a
facility for playing the flute rather than a true technique. I have often wondered about what the criteria is for "True technique" and what constitutes facility and ultimately which is better.

The above question was posted on Galway Chat yesterday.

I replied:
I think that true technique is proved when as a flutist, you get a last minute call to sub, and have to arrive and suddenly sight-read some of the trickiest chamber or orchestral literature.
The questions are: How perfectly musical does it sound? How technically perfected does it sound when the player hasn't seen the music before, or hasn't had a chance to prepare? That's the true test. Mere facility is not sufficient; though it
can get you through the gig, it may not win you a call-back.

The quality high level musicians are looking for is more than just "fingers", it's beautiful tone colour, as well as fingers.
There's also adapting, blending, and playing "in style."
When you're suddenly forced to perform for a great musical ensemble, but on very short notice, the minimum you must have is finger technique.
Of course this means at least five years of scales, scales in thirds/fourths etc., and arpeggios are already up to speed and can be played at any
dynamic, with any articulation pattern.

If a flutist is prepared in this way only then they can concentrate on blending, intonation, musical nuances and making the music truly come alive with expression and meaning.
If a sight reader can even assist their fellow players, and inspire, rather than simply "get through the part" then they have technique AND musicality.
--------------------------------------------
Jen adds:
I wrote the above paragraphs even before checking for Gilbert's own words in "The Gilbert Legacy" by Angelita Floyd.
On the front page of chapter 9 I later found this quote:

Floyd on Gilbert:
"According to Gilbert's teaching there is a definite distinction between facility and technique; facility being the ability to move the fingers quickly, whereas technique includes this ability to move the fingers in combination with proper sound and expression. Consequently, when practicing for facility, flutists should concentrate on the technique of SOUND as well. Gilbert explained his concept of technique in an article in FluteTalk.

"We would all agree that possession of a virtuoso technique is absolutely necessary for those who aspire to be virtuosos.
(Masterclass Gilbert Quote)"

Gilbert's Flutetalk Quote:
"Almost every student aspires to be a virtuoso but they don't have a virtuostic technique. Too often students try to learn the flute by just playing pieces. If they would spend more time acquiring technique by playing articulated scales in all possible forms and arpeggios before they come to a piece, it would save them hours of time. Then rather than wasting extra time learning a difficult passage, they could spend more time on improving tone and intonation". - Geoffry Gilbert

This chapter 9 of "The Gilbert Legacy" then goes on to outline what a true "technique" is, and a great deal is devoted to maintaining tone, intonation and nuance while increasing the amount of daily technique practice.

I highly recommend this book for understanding Gilbert's ideas.
Floyd has included quotes and samples from all sorts of teaching situations of Gilbert's.

I'll be interested to hear more about this topic from others, too. :>)
And for young flutists looking ahead to getting "The Gilbert Legacy" and the technique books suggested in it, may I suggest that a very useful book for starting technique practice is Brooke's Flute Method. I have an old second-hand copy of volume II here from a used book store, and combined with the tuning CD, (droning on the tonic) it's a fabulous resource for interesting scale patterns that you can endlessly vary.

Best, Jen Cluff

Flute Trills & how to read and play them

Dear Fluters,

Re:
Jen's new trill page: How to play trills for flute in pdf: How to read trills in flute music

Update: 2017  See: new blog post on
Ornaments: Grace Notes, Appogiaturas, Trills, Grupetti
______________________________
Original:
2007: This morning I read an email query about a piece of music where the young flutist could not figure out how to read the trill markings, and which note to trill to. This is a topic usually covered in private lessons with an experienced flute teacher, as there are many rules for trilling on the flute, depending on what period of history the flute music was written.

I answered the trill question, and then went to google and tried to look up a "how to read trills" page online; unfortunately, there wasn't a comprehensive "how to trill for flute" page that I could readily suggest. I tried the search terms:

Trill "how to";
Flute Trills;
Reading Trills;
Ornaments and how to execute trills;
Playing correct trills;
description of reading trill notation;
Yes I tried all sorts of other terms in my hunt.
Result? Nada.....d'oh! :>)

So I created my own page for fluteplayers on "how to perform trills on the flute".

Here then, are all the most useful "how to trill" pages and links that I've created or found, including trill charts, books of trills, and references for analyzing trills based on the history of music and musical ornaments:

Jen's new trill page: How to play trills for flute in pdf:
How to read trills in flute music

For further more intricate trilling information, including trill terminations, trill length, and trill styles and counting trills etc. see the trill pages in the $7 old book (don't like this book for my own students, but the trill info. can't be beat): Rubank Method Advanced Vol. 1:
You can buy the Rubank Flute Advanced Method book almost anywhere.

Online Flute Trill charts:

Simple one page flute trill chart by Mark Thomas, printable pdf.

Extensive trill charts of flute fingerings from Woodwind Fingering Guide

Best book for flute trill fingerings, tremelo fingerings, and other alternate flute fingerings: Herszbaum's Flute Fingering Book.

The Grupetto and how to play it. This is another Baroque ornament that you might run into. These grupetto pages are useful for printing out (pdf).

How and when to use alternate fingerings for flute
and trills in Prokofiev and the Ibert Flute Concerto.

List of best flute fingering charts.

Extensive historical explanations of how to execute ornaments such as trills, appogiatura, grace notes, grupetti, turns, mordents and other Baroque ornamentation.
Music Theory Online.

Hope this helps the next flute student looking for information online about how to play flute trills correctly.

Best and happy May to you all,
Jen Cluff :>)

How to Market Your Music CD

Dear Jen,
First I want to congratulate you for your interesting website, I enjoy reading it a lot and always find some good advice, especially for my students. Your videos are great too, I think that for beginners “a video tells more than 1000 words”…!
I have a question for you: do you know how to put a CD for sale on “Itunes”? I cannot find anywhere the right information. Can anyone sell his CD on Itunes or do they make a choice? What is your experience of CD Baby, or other ways of selling CD’s (not only in the U.S. of course) ? Thank you for your time, and please, keep the good work…! C. (flutist in Europe)

Dear C.,
Thanks for the compliments on my website. Sorry, but I don't know anything about marketing CDs, but I do know how to use google, and scan for useful articles. Here's what I came up with, below. If anyone else has links and articles to suggest, please leave a comment. Best, Jen :>)

http://members.cdbaby.com/about/rainmusic

http://www.mixedcontent.com/music/2005/07/how-to-get-your-music-on-itunes/

http://www.marketingyourmusic.com/

http://www.rateyourcd.com/

http://www.johnvestman.com/marketing.htm

http://remixmag.com/production/music_business/remix_sixth_sense/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/68626/how_to_successfully_market_your_music.html

http://www.berkleemusic.com/discuss/message?forum_id=13333&message_id=8092383

http://www.bob-baker.com/af/ccgmmh.html

http://cdbaby.net/promotips

http://www.musicpromotiontips.com/

http://www.audioamigo.com/articles/shelleyjacobson13.html

http://www.ram.org/music/making/tips/marketing.html

http://www.musicbizacademy.com/knab/articles/gmm_suggest.htm

http://blogs.magnatune.com/buckman/2006/06/marketing_your_.html

http://www.bob-baker.com/crash/index.html

Jazzy flute choir pieces with percussion?

A band-teacher wrote:
I am looking for some jazz-styled arrangements for flute choir (including alto & bass) with a rhythm section. These charts are needed April 2008 for a Band Camp that will be all jazz. Your help would be invaluable. Best, B.

Dear B,
Here is the information that I collected today by google searching and checking with the various saved emails from the four or five flute discussion groups that I happen to belong to. (see below).

You'll need to judge what level of flute playing you're expecting from your students before deciding on a piece or pieces. You should also contact some flute choir directors and ask for their suggestions; specifying student flute grade level, the fact that you want percussion/bass and that the style of jazz includes Latin or other cross-over style.
Here are some sound samples (updated 2012) of some attractive (some jazz-related) flute choir repertoire some with piano or percussion, but most without:
http://www.joueursdeflute.it/cd_eng.html
Hope this helps. Also see titles of works below.
Best,
Jen Cluff
P.S. I hope that by posting this on my blog, more flute choir members will suggest jazzy choir pieces with optional percussion etc. Thanks; just use the comment button! :>)
======================
Jazz flute choir pieces that spring to mind:
============================

Flute Quartets:
From a quartet website:

In the past few years there have been several new jazz flute quartets published. These quartets include Divertimento Jazz by Raymond Guiot and Four for Jazz by Russell Stokes. Bill Holcombe is another composer who has published several jazz pieces for flute quartet which include
many stylistic markings to aid in interpretation. Among his pieces are An American in Vienna's Blue Danube, Seven Come Eleven, Blues Sophisticato, Christmas Jazz Suite, Swing, and Super Flutes Jazz Suite.

You can look up these pieces by title at: www.fluteworld.com
---------------------
Flute Choir with and w/o percussion/bass:
------------------------
Burnette's Jazzscapes for 2 picc, 4 flu, alto, bass opt. fl5:
See page sample:
http://members.aol.com/SBurnPCMP/FluteChoir/JazzDance.htm

To contact Burnette see:

http://members.aol.com/SBurnPCMP/FluteChoir/flute.html

For Burnette, also see:
http://www.fluteworld.com/index.php?action=prod&wart=45792
or: http://www.justflutes.com/pages/sheet-dets.php?sheet_id=6475
------------------------------

-
Bill Holcombe's Super Flutes Jazz Suite Vol 1. 4Fl/AFl/BFl Opt Bassoon or String Bass

See: http://www.billholcombe.com/CATALOG.HTM

See sample page Vol 1: http://windmusicplus.safeshopper.com/133/6356.htm?745
Sample page Vol. 2: http://windmusicplus.safeshopper.com/133/6357.htm?745
--------------------------
Jonathan Cohen, Flutes and Vegetables:

Flutes and Vegetables offers a full daily recommended allowance of energetic dances sure to hold the interest of you and your audience, and consists of four courses. The meal begins with Pepper Presto, a fiery Latin number of fast syncopation and drama. Next is The Enchanted Eggplant, a wonderfully demented waltz in harmonic minor, bringing to mind TV shows and movies that blend humor, magic, and the dark side. Sweet Potato Jig is a lively jig with Celtic elements,
including long rolls, drones, and the piccolo acting as a tin whistle.
For dessert is Dance of the Radishes, a happy reel that builds and accelerates to a dizzy ending that will leave everybody smiling. Performance time: approximately 6 minutes. Scored for piccolo, 4 C flutes, alto flute, bass flute, and optional contrabass. There is also a sub-contrabass flute part upon request.

See: http://www.fallshousepress.com/catalog/item/1695131/2951113.htm

-------------------------------------
Autumn Reunion - Gariglio, Raymond
Flute ensemble (solo flute, 4 C flutes, optional alto flute, and optional string bass), designed as a show piece, it alternates between characteristic Charleston rhythms and a light jazz feeling.
Intermediate level.
-------------------------------
MOST POPULAR JAZZ PIECE FOR INTERMEDIATE FLUTE CHOIR WITH PERCUSSION/BASS:

Pink Panther Suite 1 - Henry Mancini
Flute Choir with bass & drums,
Quote: A fun and exciting arrangement of: The Pink Panther Theme, It Had Better Be Tonight, Royal Blue. Scored for 4 C flutes, 2 alto flutes (C flute parts included), and bass flute with optional string bass and drums. The C flute parts are frequently divisi allowing for larger ensembles. (6:30)

See: http://www.justflutes.com/pages/sheet-dets.php?sheet_id=6345
--------------------------------------
To search www.justflutes.com for flute choir with percussion, search
for PERC at:
http://www.justflutes.com/pages/sheet-list45.htm
==============================
MORE FLUTE CHOIR JAZZ-BASED WORKS:

From Alry publishers:
http://www.alrypublications.com/catalog/Flute_Choir.pdf
===========================
Close Enough for Jazz FC-163
Elton Burgstahler $23.00
A delightful work for flute ensembles reflecting the jazz style, yet very accessible. Scored for 8-part flute choir, incorporating piccolo, 5 C flutes, alto, and bass. An optional C part is included for the alto flute, as well as an optional part for suspended cymbal. This piece is fun to play and a
great addition to a program. (3:20) LEVEL III (of IV)
------------------------
Dance Suite EMC-3
John Harmon $24.00
FOR FLUTE CHOIR—A jazz-infused Caprice, Lyric Dance, Pas de Chat, Nostalgic Dance, and Comedic Dance from American composer Harmon. For 4 C flutes, alto flute, and optional cello. From Expanded Musical Concepts. (1:15+1:00+:40+:40+2:10=5:45) [IV]
---------------------------------
Hill Country Sketches FC-254
Catherine McMichael $42.00
Three movements: Lago de los Lupinos (Lake of the Bluebonnets), El Vuelo de las Murcielagos (Flight of the Bats), Fiesta de las Flautas (Festival of the Flutes). Inspired by the unique attributes of the Texas Hill Country surrounding Austin, the proud city with great natural beauty and curiosities. Scored for piccolo, 3 C flutes, alto, and bass, with optional percussion. (9:00) [IV]
---------------------
If You Could See Me Now FC-143
Dameron & Sigman, arr. Rich Shanklin $16.00
A bebop-era piece with a beautiful melody, intricate rhythms, and a lush harmonic palette. Scored for 6-part flute choir with 2 alto flutes and bass flute (optional C parts included). (3:30) [IV]
------------------------
Over the Edge FC-136
Benjamin Boone $30.00
Commissioned by the Blumenthal Foundation and the Flute Industry Council in honor of the 25th anniversary of the NFA. Premiered at the NFA convention in Chicago, 1997, and available on the recording Over the Edge by The National Flute Choir. This is a major new work for flute choir, scored for piccolo, 4 C flutes, alto, bass, and percussion. Energetic, rhythmic, sassy, and seductive, this will be a challenge and a reward for any ensemble. (9:55) *R-9
---------------------------
Rhumba FC-160
Michael Coolen $8.00
An original work in this familiar style, designed to encourage eye contact and interaction between performers and audience members. Scored for 6-part flute choir, with piccolo, four C flutes, and alto and/or bass flutes. An audience pleaser! (2:40)
-----------------
Reflections FC-22
Ricky Lombardo $16.00
A composition written to show off the lustrous array of tone colors available in the flute family. Very melodic with the use of contemporary harmony. Scored for 8-part flute choir with optional alto and bass flutes.
(3:15) *R-5 [III]
-----------------
St. Louis Blues FC-834*
W. C. Handy, arr. Ziggy Hurwitz $20.00
A fun work for 4 or 5 C flutes and piano. Part 5 optional bass or alto included. (2:45) *R-28 [III]
------------------
Swing Along FC-228
Nancy W. Wood $13.00
Keep rocking and swinging and having a ball with this energetic piece!
Scored for piccolo, 3 C flutes, alto (with opt. C part), and bass. (3:00) [III+]
---------------------

=================
LINKS and titles of repertoire lists:
======================
Accessable flute choir rep. list by difficulty and style:
http://www.phyllislouke.com/

Flute-Ensemble (Yahoo group) has a data file of all repertoire with instrumentation and comments on each piece. Must join to view:

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/flute-ensemble/database?method=reportRows&tbl=2


FallsHousePress Flute choir repertoire:
http://www.fallshousepress.com/page/page/1695131.htm

====================================

From flute discussion groups:
---------------------

Latin Jazz for flute choir w. percussion:
---------------------
Christopher Caliendo's Milonga (pub. by Caliendo)--I think this is for about 6 flutes (not sure that there are alto & bass parts)

Rhumba by Michael Coolen (pub. ALRY) (picc, 4 flutes, alto/bass)
--------------------------
For Latin Jazz:
If you have a flute choir, you MUST get La Milonga and Ven a Mis Brazos both by Christopher
Caliendo at www.christophercaliendo.com or Fluteworld! La Milonga won the first prize
for newly published music with the NFA in 1999. It was also recently performed at the NFA convention in Pittsburgh by the Florida Flute Orchestra and twice during the Florida Flute Association Convention this past January by the University of Huston flute choir and the FFA High School Honors Choir.

Ven a Mis Brazos is newly arranged for flute choir, originally arranged as a flute solo. It's premier performance was at the Florida Flute Association Convention by the Florida Flute Orchestra this past January as well and was very well received. Very stimulating, energetic, electricfying!

These two pieces are also arranged not only as flute solos with either guitar or piano but as other ensemble groupings as well.

Both pieces are FUN and EXCITING not only to perform but to practice as well.
I guess you can tell I am a real fan of Caliendo music but it's because of these very reasons. His music has flavors of Afro Cuban, Brazilian, Spanish, Italian and Columbian and is a breath of fresh air in our flute industry and my students "fight" over his solos to perform for recitals!


One more to add: Four flutes and bass only; Latin Music

The Celso Woltzenlogel Collection volume 3 contains eight arrangements by Murilo Barquette. Sambas, choros, brazilian polkas and bossa-nova.All songs are arranged for flute quartet. The publisher is Irmãos Vitale.
There is an audio demo to LISTEN to.

You can buy the Latin Quartets online here.

It would be straight forward to add percussion to the Latin Quartets.

====================end Jen's lists

Jennifer Cluff
www.jennifercluff.com