Flutists/Flute players PLEASE answer... Technique for beginners?

Question

I'm a beginner flutist, I've only been playing for about 9 months. I am taking lessons, but I have a few questions to ask. I think I've developed some bad habits, and I'd like help from experienced flutists on how I can break them...

-1) After I play flute for a few minutes, my mouth muscles start to hurt. My teacher always tells me to kinda "pout" by bottom lip out, but when I try to pout, I can't make a noise. To hit the high notes, I have to tighten up my mouth, which makes it hurt after a while. Any suggestions/exercises to help with this?

-2) I can't help but roll my flute inward when switching from C to (high?) D, which then messes up my sound.

-3) I run out of air after just a couple measures. My teacher tells me to use my stomach to breathe, but it doesn't seem like I have enough air. Sometimes I get really lightheaded and have to stop playing for a few seconds.

-4) My fingers get stiff and they don't "glide" like proper flutists' fingers do. I always seem tense when I play

Answer 1

1) It's normal for your mouth muscles to hurt as a beginner. It's like any sport, when you first begin your muscles are really sore but after a while you cant feel it any more. Instead of "pouting" try frowning into your flute, it helps relax your mouth and doesn't involve sticking out your lip. Hitting high notes is a skill that as you play longer, will get easier and less painful. A really good exercise for you would be long tones. You can ask your teacher to go into more details but basically you start on a b natural hold it for two to four beats and then go down to A. Then you repeat the A and go down to A flat and so on.

2) Like I said, playing high notes is a skill you acquire after playing for a while. It is normal for you to roll in but when you get up there try to roll out the flute and just keep practicing that until t gets easier.

3) You just need to space out your breaths more evenly, as you get better your air will improve. If you are getting lightheaded it could be because you are over-blowing. Try using less air but keeping the air fast to get a sound.

4) You're fingers will loosen up with time and "muscle memory" When you play a song, start out slow and gradually speed up until your fingers know what they're doing and then they should glide like you want.

I hope this helps! :)

Answer 2

Hi Alexandria,

I think you are really trying hard to be a good flute player by wanting to get advice about flute playing skills.  :))   If your lips and mouth are hurting after playing for a while,  it is because you are doing more tensing of the muscles than relaxing them.   There are literally hundreds of muscles around your lips and if you continually keep them tensed... they are naturally going to start to ache.  Try to relax.    I am sure your flute teacher is well experienced.. though not all people use their lips in the same way to blow the flute.   If there is another position your lips go in naturally to blow your flute and you can still make a nice sound.... you might just try that.  But your lips have to be relaxed and not tensed when you are blowing.

You say you roll the flute in when switching from C to D?   The solution to that... is Don't do it!!!   Just practice those two notes... over and over.  Keep your flute in the same position... don't roll in any direction.   This is a bad habit you are forming...  If you formed a bad habit,  you can also form a good habit by practicing over and over... not to roll in.

You should take in more relaxed, deep breaths... alot of air into your lungs.  Work on adding to your measures.  Try to get two measures with one breath... then take a deeper breath and try to get in three measures.   This is going to take time..  for just playing 9 months, you are doing GREAT.

Your fingers are not going to be gliding for another year or so.   You just have to put the time in with practicing to get that to happen.  Don't feel bad.   Finger fluidity does not happen over night...  not over weeks or months and for some people,  not over a couple of years.   You must practice scales with a metronome on a daily basis for at least 20 minutes a day.   One of the very important scales to develop fast fingers is the chromatic scales... in all of the keys.    

If you have the desire... you will also have to have the commitment and know that a great flute player takes work... more work and more work after that.  If you can commit to practice from 1 hour to 1 hour and thirty minutes a day, 6 days a week,  you are going to start seeing the improvements  you want.  

Trust your teacher... but,  if you don't think you are making the advancement you need, in the amount of time you think is reasonable,  you might consider looking for another teacher.  I know not every teacher has the same skill for teaching.   You will know what is best for you.  :))

Continue to work hard... and you will be rewarded for it.

Thanks for reading.