Flute skill?

Question:Ok let me tell you a little about my flute playing ability. I have a VERY strange embrochure...all of my teachers say they have never seen anything like it but I can also produce a very pure and clear tone despite this, or m aybe because of my embrochure. I have been playing the flute for about 6 years and I am pretty good in my opinion. I do all the solo fests and casma and whatnot and I have been told I am very good but I have trouble playing fast notes and I was just looking for tips on playing/reading notes quickly and also just any little techniques/tricks that any of you flute players use? thank you very much

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Ok let me tell you a little about my flute playing ability. I have a VERY strange embrochure...all of my teachers say they have never seen anything like it but I can also produce a very pure and clear tone despite this, or m aybe because of my embrochure. I have been playing the flute for about 6 years and I am pretty good in my opinion. I do all the solo fests and casma and whatnot and I have been told I am very good but I have trouble playing fast notes and I was just looking for tips on playing/reading notes quickly and also just any little techniques/tricks that any of you flute players use? thank you very much

If it's 'pronouncing' the fast notes that's the problem, there's a trick called double tonguing. Instead of blowing 'doo, doo, doo, doo' into the flute, try blowing 'doo goo doo goo'. Use it for semi-quavers and shorter.

If it's sight-reading speed that's the problem, the only solution is to practise. Get some easy material (a couple of grades below your normal level), and every day you have to sight-read one of the pieces. You get 2 minutes to look through it without playing, and then you just have to pick up and play. You'd be amazed how much better you can get at it.

PS: there is no one correct embrochure. As long as it works for you, it's correct. I'm guessing that top lip has a little downwards point in it, so that either you're playing through two little holes on either side, or you're playing through one hole slightly off-centre.

i have that problem too. my suggestion is practice, practice and more practice.

good luck

To play fast notes I play them slowly first and gradually get faster. You will have to do this exercise a few times before you can play it perfectly fast. but you are trying to basically memorize the notes by playing them slow that way you don't have to actually read the entire run of notes, your fingers will already know where to go. Also I don't know if you have learned double tounging yet but it helps with unslured fast notes.

If you have problems playing quick passages, the only solution is what everyone has already said: practice. Play your challenging passages slowly with a metronome and work it up to tempo--practicing fast passages at a slower pace will establish muscle memory and make them easier to play up-to-speed.

Secondly, for flute embouchure, producing a very pure, clear tone may sound good, but will hurt you in the future. Overly clear/pure tones will put you at a disadvantage when trying to reach the extreme high ranges of the flute. Why? The aperture (parting of your lips) is too pinched and makes producing different air speeds difficult.

So, practice daily, sight-read daily, and work your challenging music slowly until you can get it up to speed!

I have a Solo event on Saturday where I am playing a particularly quick first movement in a Mozart Concerto. It took me a while, but at the beginning you really need to start slowly in a fast song. Go through it at a steady, slow tempo until your fingers know the notes. Use a metronome if you have one. Speed up the metronome gradually until you are playing at full speed in the song. Since your fingers know the notes, it should not be a problem. Make sure that you select certain places for breathing, though, because breathing can be hard to find in fast songs sometimes.
Also, if your fingers know the notes but your tongue doesn't, try to double-tounge. Instead of te-te-te-te-te, try te-ke-te-ke-te-ke. Personally, I think that it's pretty hard to play like that, but it's definitely possible!!
Good luck!