Student Can't Play in Tune

[MissyHPhoenix]

I hope some of you can help me! I have a student who has been playing 2 years now. She is developing nicely technique-wise, but she can't play in tune to save her life. It is not the flute -- I checked and can play the instrument in tune easily -- but when she tries, she goes wildly back and forth from sharp to flat and back again! We have tried working on controlling her air stream better, but no results so far. Of course, I'm not sure how much she is working on that problem at home, but I'm pulling my hair out over this. I like to play along with the students on certain pieces, and she enjoys this very much, but it is almost impossible to play with her when her intonation varies so badly! I know that it is not her ear, because she winces when she hears it.

Please, please give me some help here! Am I expecting too much of this young student?

Thanks!

[vampav8trix]

You say that it's not her ear. That she can tell that she is playing out of tune.

Does she play long tones with a tuner?

If she does then maybe she could try playing one of her songs but instead of playing it the way it is written, play it using long tones. Then maybe she will figure out where her embouchure needs to be for each note.

After she gets it down doing the long tones, then slowly have her start putting it together and playing it as written.

At some point you can randomly give her notes and let her try playing them in tune.

This was something I had to work on because a couple of my notes were always very sharp or flat. Especially when I had to play soft.

I am not an instructor, but this is what helped me to begin the journey of mastering my flute.

I am still working really hard on it.

Good luck.

[etgohomeok]

Maybe she keeps rolling her flute in/our when she plays and doesn't notice it. Try making her hold it steady somehow. Like, hold it for her and just let her press the keys or something.

[jefkearns]

delete