Tip #4 for Absolute Beginner Flute Players

Today we are continuing the series of Top 10 Tips for Absolute Beginner Flute Players!

These tips in this article (that I wrote for the fantastic music app called Tomplay) are actually not just for beginner flute players. 

They apply to any flutist who wants to improve their playing in a smart, efficient way!

Today's TIP #4 below teaches you how the basics of a good embouchure is the foundation of a good sound on the flute.

Have a read below (or read all of the 10 tips here if you would like to read the whole article at once!)

TIP #4. Learn the correct flute embouchure 

Apart from having a flute that works, there is nothing more important in the early days as a flute player than learning the correct mouth shape, which is called your embouchure.

Is the flute embouchure easy?

It seems so simple to just “blow across” the embouchure hole on the flute and create a sound. But if you remember trying that, in your early days of learning the flute, your sound would have been airy, you would have run out of breath really quickly, and playing a few sounds in a row would most likely have made you dizzy!

You probably discovered (maybe the hard way!) that there is more to getting a good sound than just “blowing across the flute”.

A lifetime of good flute playing

When you learn to get a good sound by learning the proper embouchure, you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of enjoyable, musical and skilful flute playing!

Even though it's easier and quicker to learn the correct embouchure when you first pick up a flute, there's a good chance that that's not what happened for you!

It's normal to get enthusiastic, and try the flute out for yourself before you can get a really good teacher to actually teach you a good embouchure.

Or maybe you never had a good teacher (or any teacher!) to begin with!

Well, it's never too late to fix your embouchure!

The 3 parts to a good flute sound

There are three main elements to getting a good embouchure (which is what creates a good sound):

1. Forming the right shape embouchure
2. Getting the right size embouchure hole, and
3. Correct placement of on the flute lip plate.

What to do if you're getting a fuzzy flute tone

If your sound on the flute is airier or fluffier-sounding than you would like, you will definitely benefit from doing this free mini-course on how to instantly improve your flute tone (if you haven't done it already!)

It’s well worth the 15 minutes a day (for 3 days) to learn the correct shape, size and placement of your embouchure. Setting yourself up with a good embouchure then allows you to be able to play with a clear, strong tone, easily play long phrases, and of course, play without ever getting dizzy!

It's never too late to adjust your embouchure!

And remember, it's never too late to fix your embouchure, and get a clearer, stronger tone!

It's really quite surprising how the tiniest (correct) tweak to your embouchure makes a noticeable (and instant) difference to your sound!

Stand by for Top Flute Tip #5!

They were the basics of getting a good embouchure, and getting these right are the direct cause of a good tone!

In a few weeks, I'll send you tip #5 to continue this series. Until next week, have a wonderful week of flute playing!

Jane x