Fluteland.com Flute Message Board

Vibrato is one of those things that can be difficult to explain. Some people just pick it up naturally and some people have to learn it from scratch. Vibrato is "simply" a variation in the pitch of the note. If you imagine a note as a long, straight line, vibrato would be a line with the same start ...

I just ordered something called a "breath builder." Been playing flute for 17 years and never tried anything like that... but I recently started practicing again after taking about 6 months off and I am so out of shape. I only got the idea because of when I was in the hospital at one time and after ...

On the contrary, I find it more helpful to have a looser embouchure in the lower register. The air isn't moving as fast as in the higher register, where you really need to concentrate your airstream. But maybe that's just me.

what's the difference between the ones made in japan and the ones made in the u.s.? Just curious.

Yamaha makes good piccolos for beginning picc players. I'm not sure of prices, though.. you'd have to check different places. Emerson also makes some good ones, too.

I don't think there's anything wrong with leaving plugs in. I know for me, the hardest would be the inline g key... I just find the inline positioning very unnatural. The plugs are not going to make an iota of difference in your sound. The biggest change will be the upgrade in quality and possibly t...

Joaquin, To help alleviate this problem, get some cigarette papers (can be bought anywhere you buy cigarettes). They are very cheap. The papers are very thin and excellent to help with the sticky pads. All you do is take one paper, place it under the key, depress the key once or twice, and take the ...

The best thing to do is try them both out, loan them if you can, and compare them against each other. There will be some people who prefer Sonare, and some who prefer Pearl.. it all depends on the person playing. The same flute can sound completely different with different players. I wish I could be...

You live in the D.C. area? I would think that there would be hundreds of qualified teachers to choose from. Most instructors, in my experience anyway, don't even hold lessons in music stores, they have their own private studios or have them at schools. Some may even be able to travel to your home. I...

I've never tried video lessons, but I would definitely recommend private, face-to-face lessons. There's just no substitute for hands-on, interactive learning. That way you can not only receive instruction, but just as important--feedback of your playing so you know whether you're applying the skills...

Do you have a private teacher? This may be a way to accelerate your skills and improve self-esteem.

Ditto everyone else, that you should find a private teacher. Also maybe consider a new instrument (although I don't know what level instrument you have now). I'm on my third flute right now, and the way I decided it was time for a better instrument was when I felt like you do, that I was "stuck" and...

I used an Emerson from my sophomore year of high school through college; it got me in to the music major! (did not stick with this major, but nonetheless..) I eventually got to the point where I needed a better instrument, but my Emerson was great at the time. I had a model 8 something. Solid silver...

That's not a stupid question; this is one of the most difficult things to do on flute. What I try to do is imagine my lips pushing out and up, and making the space between my lips much smaller. What this does is help you reach the note, prevent it from going flat, and making it softer, all at the sa...

I just use a regular old cotton cloth, usually an old t-shirt. It does the job, soaks up the moisture. I also can't see how a silk cloth would do anything. And I would be careful with the silver polish as well. Usually all your flute needs is to be wiped down with a cloth.