As the new school year begins, there are numerous challenges looming, whether it is just performing successfully in the first Blue Note Lounge, passing off those scales and marching pieces at school, or auditioning the Raleigh Flute Association Contest and All District. Even hearing about them mentioned can be enough to disturb a pleasant day!
So, let us approach this question a bit differently and consider what successful flutists actually do to win their accolades. Here are some things I have observed that consistently create good results, no matter what your instrument or goal might be.
1. TONE – Point that Air!
A beautiful tone quality is an absolute must for any successful musician. A flutist needs a big, strong, clear sound to be competitive. That doesn’t mean you must sit and do long tones each day for an hour, although that would probably be helpful. Tone practice can be done by just playing songs you like, or slurred scales and exercises and studying how to produce the best sounds. Always be vigilant – every breath is a chance to reset. How to get that beautiful tone? That varies with individuals, but for most of our flute problems, it helps to point the air down. Don’t forget!
2. TECHNIQUE – Steady as she goes.
So you’ve been stressing to get all those pesky notes right, and maybe throw in a few dynamics if you can. This is all important – your competition will probably get most of the notes right. But most young musicians and many older ones forget something very important – controlled, steady, even technique. A lot of uncontrolled speed leaves the listener vaguely unsettled at best and totally tuned out at worst. I’m sorry to say there’s no substitute for measured, steady practice of technical things, either parts of the piece you are working on or our friends – scales and other similar mind-numbing exercises. Use a metronome and gradually increase the tempo as your skills allow. Don’t be tempted to skip ahead too soon or you’ll just sound like a dog running across the ice.
3. PERSONALITY – the Natural Musician
OK – so everybody pretty much gets the notes right, a lot of people pretty much have nice tone quality, so what is that magic ingredient that wins the race? Personality! alias, musicality. How does one get that? Hmmm….. instead of thinking of a lot of black dots to read, think of the story you are telling. That can be easier said than done sometimes. Most people can get a good start, but many fall back to Robot Status.
Some things to help you….
- Try recording yourself frequently. You will hear things you didn’t know you were doing.
- Always think of natural motion when changing tempos, such as how a bicycle coasts up and down a hill. Sudden or jerky starts and stops are not natural and rarely work in a musical setting.
- Think of every phrase as a paragraph in your story with a beginning, middle, and ending. Most phrases work well starting relatively softly and building to a climax and then relaxing at the end. I call them phrase arches.
So there it is – I hope it is helpful to you as you work toward your goals. Have fun, and remember
Don’t worry if you didn’t practice today. Somebody else did.