I've noticed a thing my tutor has repeatedly told me: improve my embouchure focus but stay "relaxed."
Regarding the embouchure, are these two factors potentially in conflict with each other? It seemed to me that his main ideas were 1) maximum control with 2) minimum excess tension. Listening to Sir James Galway's online mp3 on Tone development through listening gave me a few pointers, though it made me a bit confused.
So, any comments and/or advice from the pros here at fluteland would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone! :)
Control vs Constriction?
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MissyHPhoenix
- Posts: 368
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:19 pm
- Location: Hammond, LA, USA
I'm not a pro, but you didn't seem to get any other responses, so I'll give it a shot.
Embouchure focus vs relaxation are not in conflict, but ARE difficult to do properly. My instinct is to tighten my lips & jaw when I'm playing, for instance, higher notes. I have to fight that instinct all the time! What my teacher emphasizes is keeping the airstream constant and firm, so that you are using your airstream to control the note production, not your lips/jaw/embouchure. That is why you have to practice all the time -- to get the hard stuff under control so that your final output is the quality that you want it to be.
My teacher tells me to visualize that I have a grapefruit in my mouth -- then take it out, but leave the "open" space behind, so that you have adequate "space" for your airstream to flow. Concentrate on relaxing your mouth, lips, jaw, etc, and support the notes from your airstream. It may take some trial and error, but when you get it right it'll be an "aha" moment and you'll know what to do. THat doesn't mean that you will automatically be able to do it all the time -- to paraphrase another forum member, "practice, practice, practice".
Good luck!
Embouchure focus vs relaxation are not in conflict, but ARE difficult to do properly. My instinct is to tighten my lips & jaw when I'm playing, for instance, higher notes. I have to fight that instinct all the time! What my teacher emphasizes is keeping the airstream constant and firm, so that you are using your airstream to control the note production, not your lips/jaw/embouchure. That is why you have to practice all the time -- to get the hard stuff under control so that your final output is the quality that you want it to be.
My teacher tells me to visualize that I have a grapefruit in my mouth -- then take it out, but leave the "open" space behind, so that you have adequate "space" for your airstream to flow. Concentrate on relaxing your mouth, lips, jaw, etc, and support the notes from your airstream. It may take some trial and error, but when you get it right it'll be an "aha" moment and you'll know what to do. THat doesn't mean that you will automatically be able to do it all the time -- to paraphrase another forum member, "practice, practice, practice".
Good luck!
Missy
Why Be Normal????
Why Be Normal????
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fluteguy18
- Posts: 2311
- Joined: Sun Jul 16, 2006 3:11 pm
It isn't neccessarily a matter of being relaxed, but rather "flexible." Normally when we think relaxed, we think about muscles being completely loose. This doesn't work.
What I think teachers usually mean when they say "relax" they mean "not rigid." You should be able to move your embouchure quite easily while playing.
An analogy that I have found useful is to think about your embouchure like a garden hose. If you put your thumb on the end, the water sprays everywhere. If you leave it alone and unblocked, then the water comes out in a nice solid stream. Let your air be the water. The hose be your lips. Don't constrict the air, but let your lips form the shape that the air comes out in. And let the lips guide and direct the air.
What I think teachers usually mean when they say "relax" they mean "not rigid." You should be able to move your embouchure quite easily while playing.
An analogy that I have found useful is to think about your embouchure like a garden hose. If you put your thumb on the end, the water sprays everywhere. If you leave it alone and unblocked, then the water comes out in a nice solid stream. Let your air be the water. The hose be your lips. Don't constrict the air, but let your lips form the shape that the air comes out in. And let the lips guide and direct the air.