New Year’s Resolution: Focus on the Breath

By Dr. Naomi Seidman

Have you ever heard the expression “you are what you eat”?  I think a parallel phrase for flutists should read “your breath is your tone”, meaning the type of breath you take directly impacts your overall flute tone. As the New Year starts off I would like to propose a resolution to take some time to focus on one of the most important fundamentals of flute playing, the “breath.” This following paragraphs give a few easy ways that I have found to help me focus on my own breathing while practicing.

One simple way to incorporate breath awareness in your everyday practice is to write in all your breaths. This exercise may seem mundane but as long as you do not do not write in your breaths randomly or without much thought, this practice will bring attention to how frequently you are breathing and whether your breathing is working well with your phrasing. I find it is best to mark in breaths by singing through the phrases instead of playing them on the flute. Your natural phrasing instincts will take over as they are not hindered or influenced by how it feels to play them on the flute. When you sing the phrases make sure you are releasing the notes before the breath musically and not clipping the notes. Also pay attention to the dynamic you are singing right before the breath and right after the breath and be conscious about whether you are trying to retain the same dynamic or change it. Sometimes you will need to take many quick breaths (as in Baroque music) to make a passage playable. However, make sure that these breaths are done musically and do not take up time rhythmically. When you then play these phrases on the flute, you will have a fresh perspective on your repertoire! When you are focusing on your breathing it is important not only important to address where you are breathing in the music but also the quality of your breath. For example, is your breath giving you enough air to work with, are you free of tension when you breathe, and is your breath unobtrusive to the phrase you are creating?

I am often surprised to find how students make breathing while playing the flute complicated. When I teach, I do a lot of breathing exercises without the flute to remind the students that they already know how to breathe; when they put the flute to their mouths they are unaware how much they change their natural habits. One easy way to compare your natural breathing to your flute breathing is to inhale through your nose and then play off that air. As flutists we are trained to not breathe through our noses as it is counterintuitive to our sound production.  However, I believe we breathe more naturally through our noses. Ideally, we want to make our breath through our mouths feel the same as when we breathe with our nose. When you breathe through your nose, feel how easy it is to fill from the bottom of your lungs without getting tense in the shoulders and neck. Try and recreate that feeling when you breathe in through your mouth. Also compare your flute tone when you breathe through your nose compared to when you breathe through your mouth. If you notice that your nose breath tone is more open and full, keep working on your mouth breath until it feels and sounds the same.

One aspect of breathing that I recently began addressing in my own playing is tongue position. If you thought you only needed to think about your tongue when you are articulating I challenge you to think again. A tongue position that can cause issues in breathing is to push the tongue down too much in the back of the mouth causing the throat to open too wide when you breathe. This position results in a tone that sounds too far back in your mouth and that has difficulty projecting. Another way the tongue can interfere with a good breath is when it raises inside the mouth in the attempt to aid the flutist in getting more air in quickly. If you breathe in this way, you will notice that when your mouth opens to breathe, your tongue will rise to the middle of your mouth in the attempt to aid in getting more air in quickly. Breathing with this type of tongue position is often noisy and results in a slow response of the tone following the breath. Ideally your tongue should just stay in its relaxed and down position at the base of your mouth when you breathe; there should be no extra tension or motion associated with your tongue when you breathe. You will be amazed how much easier it is to breathe when you focus on your tongue and its position when you take your next breath.

As a flutist I find myself incredibly grateful that I have to breathe in order to play my instrument and I find that this makes playing our instrument more organic. I hope that the few tips I offered above help you to focus on your breath when you are playing. Also do not forget that focusing on your breathing in your every day life is also invaluable. As the New Year starts up again see if you are able to apply your breath awareness to when you are working, studying for exams, or on your daily commute.  Take one “quality” breath at a time!

Legato Articulation - Paul Edmund-Davies

Last month, we read a terrific post by Powell artist Naomi Seidman on staccato articulation.  If you haven't had a chance to read it, take a look at http://www.teachflute.com/2013/04/staccato-articulation-how-to-practice-it.html.

This week, we join Paul Edmund-Davies as he discusses legato articulation.  He examines the connection between language and articulation by comparing and contrasting characteristics of the English and French languages.  These two languages, as he demonstrates in the video, have very different tongue placement and "weight."  Mr. Edmund-Davies also discusses the practice of varying rhythms to help practice legato tonguing -- namely by dividing longer notes into patterns of notes with a shorter duration.  Curious to hear how these techniques sound?  Take a look at the video at https://www.powellflutes.com/academy/masters/paul-edmund-davies/videos/lesson-4-articulation.

Staccato Articulation: How To Practice It

By Dr. Naomi Seidman - Associate Professor of Flute, Penn State University

Naomi Seidman

The Difference between Staccato and Legato Articulation on the Flute

Before I delve into staccato articulation I would like to clarify its difference from legato articulation on the flute. The legato articulation, defined by its smooth and connected quality, is usually the first type of articulation taught to beginner flutists. It is the perfect type of articulation for students to begin with because the tongue is in a relaxed position and usually the articulation is not used in quick paced passages. When beginners are first taught legato articulation, teachers pay particular attention that the students are not stopping the air with their tongue and that their tongue is not controlling the release of the note. Listening to beginners practice legato tonguing also helps correct any issues with the tongue creating too hard of an attack, which can cause the note to crack. Refined practice also allows students to identify if the pitch of the note is changing when they articulate; if it does they have to adjust their air direction to control the pitch. Legato articulation is successfully achieved with the tongue hitting the alveolar ridge, where the gums meet the teeth, with the tip of the tongue. This placement of the tongue is safe for all beginner flutists because the tip of the tongue does not come close to the aperture to disturb the air.  All the knowledge gained from successful legato articulation can be directly applied to staccato tonguing, except for the placement of the tongue. Tongue placement and the duration of air are the fundamental differences between staccato and legato articulation.

Practice Staccato Articulation Without Your Tongue

In my years of teaching I often hear students struggle with staccato articulation. Their throats are tense and engaged and you can hear the throat make noise when they articulate. At times I have heard students cut their staccato notes off with their tongue, making it very difficult for them to tongue short notes quickly. I also have encountered students use too much force with their tongues which results in a muted hammer-like sound when they articulate.

I have found that when first teaching staccato articulation, it is best to approach it without the tongue.  I start out by asking my students the following question: what makes an articulated note short or long?  Sometimes students answer that the tongue controls the length of the note, but most often they answer correctly that it is the amount or duration of air that controls the length of the note.

As it is the duration of air that controls the length of a note and not your tongue, students need to master how to release short amounts of air without using the tongue. I use “Hah” attacks to practice this short burst of air attack. Ask your students to say “Hah”. Tell them to exaggerate the use of the abdominal muscles and to be sure not to tense the throat.  It is important to keep the release of air short. After mastering the attack without the flute, have the students attempt this attack on the flute. Ask them to start out with a middle register note, for example a middle D.  Have them play four “Hah” attacks on middle D. Did they crack? Did they come out at all? If not, be sure that the lips are still in a normal embouchure formation, as the lips still need to direct the air in the normal way.  Remember: they should NOT use the tongue!

Once a student has mastered the “Hah” attack in all three registers of the flute (don’t worry too much about anything below low E-flat) it is now time to use the tongue again. I find that I get the best response for staccato tonguing when the tip of my tongue actually touches the base of my top teeth. For my college students that are used to tonguing at the alveolar ridge this new location is quite a change. When I first introduce this concept, students are shocked that this placement will even work. First, we first practice the new placement of the tongue without the flute. I either bring in rice kernels or we ball up small pieces of paper. We practice the staccato attack by placing the kernel or ball of paper between our lips; with the new tongue placement I demonstrate how far the kernel can be tongued. Immediately students realize the fundamental concept: the power of a short burst of abdominal air, paired with the new tongue placement, to really carry a “note.”

Because the tongue is farther forward and closer to the aperture, the articulation response is far quicker than if you tongue at the alveolar ridge. If your students find this further forward tongue placement is too airy, be sure to correct it by telling them to bring down the top lip a little more. Also it is a good idea to have them practice this new placement in front of the mirror, so that they can make sure that the tongue is not coming out between the lips while tonguing.

A further forward tongue placement for staccato attacks results in a light and more responsive articulation. Once your students master the technique for staccato articulations, see if they can apply this more forward placement of the tongue to double and triple tonguing!

Tips on How to Tap into Your Musical Side While Performing!

By Dr. Naomi Seidman - Associate Professor of Flute, Penn State University

Naomi Seidman

I am listening to one of my online Pandora radio stations while I type this blog. I love the capability of music to color my perspective on the world when I listen with headphones. The mood of the music I select streaming through my headphones can make me bounce on my walk to work (which is incredibly useful when it is only 20 degrees outside!) Obviously I am not the only one who enjoys listening to music in this way. All you have to do to confirm this theory is to take a look out my office window and count the multitudes of students accompanying their walks with their own personal soundtracks on their wireless devices. As listening to music on headphones is so common, it’s surprising that it is often difficult to stress the importance of listening to my studio when they are putting the finishing touches on pieces they are getting ready to perform.  The common scenario that brings this topic up is after a student has played through their entire jury piece with piano. The performance may have gone technically well but the student does not seem satisfied with the performance. When I question the student on why they do not feel great about the performance, they usually dwell on minor technical issues. It is only after we examine the lack of musical elements that the student becomes aware of how important these elements are to feeling fulfilled about a performance. Whether you are getting ready for your end of the semester jury, college auditions, or All State audition, you have probably spent 99 percent of your practice time on learning the notes and rhythms, all the technical stuff, and only 1 percent on the musical side. 

Not to worry - you still have time to fix this! Luckily, there are some great ways to make you sound not only technically fabulous but also musical!! 

All performers struggle with the balance of execution and musicality. Some students are granted more musical talent than others, while others are better at technique. I remember my struggle to expose the musical side of my playing and how much more personal my playing became once I became more concerned with how my performances where making my audience feel, rather than whether or not I nailed a passage. Of course you want to find a balance between the technical and the musical - the music that really moves you (the stuff that you love to listen to) is a musical marriage between the two!

Here are ten tips that will help you to bring out your more musical side!!

1)    Sing through your phrases

Your inner voice is most exposed when you sing. In order to be more musical you must take a risk and expose it. For example, take the first phrase in the piece you are working on. Sing through the phrase, exaggerating the musical gestures you would like to bring out (add lyrics if you like). Does this experience make you aware of phrasing elements you were not including? Did you notice that you were chopping the first phrase up too much? After singing through the phrase a couple of times, play it on your flute. Notice any differences? Be sure to include the musical gestures from your singing in your flute playing!

2)    Dance to recordings of your piece

We all learn in different ways. Some of us are visual learners while others rely more on aural directions. A few of us are kinesthetic in our learning - what better way to explore this path than to dance to the piece you are working on.  I know you may feel silly at first, but it is very much worth the experiment. I bet you dance to music when you listen on your headphones!

3)    Supportive sound

How engaged are you physically when you are playing? A great way to test your physical engagement or support is to have a friend press against your left shoulder (pushing you backwards) while you play. If your friend can easily push you over while you are playing you need to engage more. Try the experiment again and this time, push back at your friend so you are meeting the resistance. Notice the difference in your tone! Now recreate this feeling when you are performing!

4)    Record yourself

If you love listening to music on your headphones, it’s time to start listening to your performances with headphones. Record yourself playing your prepared piece and then take the time to listen to it with headphones. Check and make sure your musicality is coming through. Most often I find that I have to exaggerate my musical gestures so much more than I originally thought (think stage makeup).

5)    Find colors and contrast

If you listened to yourself on your headphones and found that you did not sound as musical as you would like, it’s time to find parts of your piece where you could incorporate more colors and contrasts! Incorporating tone colors as well as dynamic contrasts frees up your interpretation ten-fold.

6)    Rubato if possible

Have you ever seen a person walking a dog where it clearly seems as if the dog is in control of the walk and not vice-versa. You want to be in control of your performance, and not the other way around. This type of control requires a lot of leading. In some pieces this leading requires rubato in order for the musical gestures to come alive.  A great piece for this type of rubato is the Charles Widor suite. However, in order for this type of rubato to come alive it must come from you, and your musical direction must be clear to your pianist in order for this to work.

7)    Memorize passages

My students often focus so much on this technique that they already have most of their jury pieces memorized by the second month of lessons. If this is also the case for you, take away the music when you practice. Keep the passages fresh and give yourself the freedom to explore what the musical passages are trying to say instead of reading the notes on the page (which you already know).

8)    Articulation

Good articulation is like good diction. I am sure you have heard many pop singers with bad diction and you end up singing the lyrics incorrectly for months before you realize it. If you are clear with your articulation you will leave no room for misinterpretations and your audience will be able to tune in 100 percent to your musical phrases!

9)    Find a story

I am sure you have heard this idea before, but not only should you find a story that you can tell in your performance, but try to make it a personal story. This is similar to actors who think of a specific moment that made them cry when they have to reproduce crying in a scene. If you are playing a movement of a work that is sad in tone then try and connect to that emotion with a personal story of your own while you play. Usually this works incredibly well.

10) Pick your musical idol and become them when you perform

I am sure you have a musical idol (if not 20) in your playlists. Pick one and become them when you play. This way you still have a little room to hide and yet you have the freedom of being this confident performer that you so admire while you perform.

Embouchure and Hand Position: A Very Important Partnership

By Dr. Naomi Seidman - Associate Professor of Flute, Penn State University

Naomi Seidman

In teaching college level students, I find they often resist hand position changes because the new position makes their hands feel awkward and their overall sound and flexibility on the instrument suffers. The same reaction occurs when I work with students to relax their embouchures. The change in embouchure does not always work with the way they are holding the instrument. I have discovered that students make the quickest adjustments to both hand position and embouchure when the relationships between the two are explained to them. The way a flutist aligns the embouchure hole with the flute body is directly related to the way the flutist holds and balances the instrument. If you notice that a student has a particularly pulled embouchure and is struggling with sound production and flexibility, most likely the student is holding the flute in a way that encourages that embouchure to function poorly. Any change in the embouchure will most likely result in changes in the holding position. For example, have you ever had students do embouchure work on the head joint and then when you tell them to put it back on the flute and try the same concept it does not work well? This is because hand position has a direct impact on the sound production on the flute. I have come across my fair share of tight embouchures, only to discover that the reason the student is playing with such an embouchure is because they have hand position problems that force them to pull their embouchures in order to create the sound they desire.

When addressing hand position, I like to begin by examining how the student balances the flute when playing. It is important to define hand position as how one places the hands on the instrument as well as how one balances the instrument. I have found the best system for balancing the flute uses only three points: chin, left index finger, and right thumb. If a student cannot balance the flute with those three points, adjustments in the basic hand position must be made to stabilize this position.  Note that chin pressure should be minimal. If balancing the flute in this way feels unstable the student can practice balancing the flute by standing in front of a mirror and watching what happens when they balance on the three points. When the students are practicing, their wrists, shoulders, and fingers should not look stressed. In fact, when the balance is steady they should feel completely relaxed, as if they could just walk around all day with the flute and they would not tire.

Another important observation is that while balancing the flute, the keys must be parallel to the ground. If a student struggles with achieving this alignment, thumb ports can be extremely useful in adapting to this new position. In order to make sure that the overall sound does not suffer, it is very important to adjust the head joint position so that the student is still able to feel the amount of lower lip coverage they are used to. Most students will have to roll in the head joint a little, depending on their lower lip size.

If the student is used to rolling the keys of the flute towards them, it is most likely that they are setting up the head joint more turned out from the central alignment with the first key on the body. If the keys are returned to parallel, the student will have to roll in the head joint slightly to get the same amount of lower lip coverage. A student’s pulled embouchure may result from balance issues; another possibility is that the head joint alignment is such that the student would cover too much of the embouchure hole if they relaxed their lips. Air direction will have to be adjusted slightly when the embouchure is relaxed, but do not do anything until the hand position is fixed.