January 2021 Archives - The Instrumentalist

Memorizing Several Ways, Tapping Every Type of Memory to Play Unforgettably

theinstrumenta — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 23:31:45 +0000

   Unlike pianists and singers, flutists rarely have need to memorize the music. When memorization is necessary for a solo contest or concerto competition, some flutists become exasperated and may feel an impulse to throw the instrument out the window and quit music. Whether out of fear or laziness we often procrastinate on difficult tasks, making the process more difficult. Cramming at the last minute rarely works.
   To improve your memory and save your sanity, practice memorizing everything you play, including warmups, scales, arpeggios, etudes, orchestral excerpts, solos, and ensemble music. The goal should not be to perform everything from memory, only to play selected passages without looking at the music. You will learn the music more thoroughly, and enjoy being free of the page. Eventually memorizing will no longer seem to be a big deal.
   Start with something simple, such as Exercise #4 from Taffanel-Gaubert’s 17 Big Daily Finger Exercises, which uses a single pattern, then choose a thorny but short technical passage from more complex music, such as a movement from a concerto.
   There are a variety of ways in which we memorize music, and these complement each other: tactile, aural, visual, symbolic, and analytic. This list progresses from the most automatic but least dependable to the least automatic and most dependable.
   Everyone experiences some degree of tactile memory by playing music many times. Soon the fingers automatically reproduce the sequence of notes. This type of memory develops almost without conscious thought, almost as if no instructions were sent from the brain to the fingers. The downside of tactile memory is that it easily goes astray. To avoid relying on tactile memory, practice extremely slowly, at a speed of about one note every two seconds. At that pace memory is almost certain.
   Aural memory is indispensable to playing by ear and can be practiced without a flute at any time or place. While driving, hiking a mountain trail, lying in bed, or waiting in line at the supermarket, sing a piece you want to memorize. When you pick up the flute, you will be surprised how well the ears will guide each phrase to the next.
   Some people have such strong visual memory that we call it photographic because they can describe each detail on a page. Work to see in the mind every detail on a page of music. Without the music visible, try to write on a blank piece of music manuscript paper everything you can recall from the original music, including the title, composer, tempo indications, meter, the key signature, dynamics, articulations, and even the cryptic markings your teacher added. Repeat this exercise daily or weekly until you can produce a replica of the original.
   Symbolic memory involves remembering the names of each note. Speak aloud and from memory the names of every note in a piece. As you name each note, finger it without holding a flute. Taken from Kato Havas’s classic book Stage Fright, this exercise is not as pointless as it sounds. Reading music is partially a process without conscious thought, but naming each note is a conscious effort that establishes a connection between written note and sound, together with the fingering and embouchure placement to produce the sound.
   Analytic memory involves musical analysis of such things as the key, intervals, form, recurring melodic and rhythmic motifs, and any repetitions or sequences.
   Be sure to start memorizing a piece well before the performance. Try to memorize only one phrase or section at a time, and correlate new sections to prior material. "To memorize anything, the only possible process is to bring the something you wish to memorize into some form of connection, progression, or sequence of thought …. " [Matthay, On Memorizing and Playing from Memory, 4-5] Another method is to record the entire piece while using the music, and then play along with the recording from memory. Whenever you trip up, the music will suggest the next phrase. This exercise can be done to a recording by someone else, but it may not be desirable to conform to the tempo, intonation, and phrasing of another flutist.
   Some students develop only a linear memory and have to play from beginning to end. If the sequence is broken, they cannot continue. It is far better to challenge yourself by starting at any point in the piece so you can recover from a momentary lapse during a performance. When free from the page most musicians play with more musical expression and confidence. When not fixed to the page, a soloist can watch the conductor without getting lost. An unfamiliar copy of the music is upsetting at auditions to some people. As with any other technique, skill at memorizing will improve with experience. Don’t wait to begin.

For Further Reading
"Memorization and Performing from Memory" by Denes Agay, Teaching Piano: A Comprehensive Guide and Reference Book for the Instructor; Yorktown Music Press, 1981.
Stage Fright: Its Causes and Cures by Kato Havas, Bosworth, 1953.
On Memorizing and Playing from Memory by Tobias Matthay, Oxford University Press, 1926.
"Musical Memory Skills," The Flutist Quarterly XX/3 (Spring 1995), pages 51-53.
"Psychology of Music," by Natasha Spender, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Macmillan, 1980.

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Those First Four Measures

theinstrumenta — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 23:08:52 +0000

The old saying that cream rises to the top is true in my experience as a judge of national and international competitions. Lists of prize winners often include the names of previous semifinalists or finalists; their consistency, polish, and brilliance are characteristics they demonstrate in each performance. Experienced judges understand the importance of the first four measures: a strong beginning sets the style and builds both momentum and confidence for a winning performance.

   The same characteristics are obvious in outstanding athletes (Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan) who start strong and establish their presence and power in the game. This momentum often builds to a winning conclusion. Confidence, accuracy, and excitement create a strong first impression. The observations of a coach or trainer help an athlete to eliminate much of the trial-and-error that produces failure in inexperienced competitors. The flutist’s first opportunity to excel is the beginning notes of the solo exposition of Mozart’s G Major Concerto (K. 313), one of the most commonly requested flute competition pieces; they set the style of the performance.
   Observations and evaluations by an experienced teacher benefit flutists, just as they do athletes and competition pressures or other performance distractions make rigorous mental preparation necessary. Performers should understate the important aspects in those first moments of a piece in order to improve competition preparation. To create a winning first impression, I suggest these steps as the best way to the winners’ circle: confidence, rhythmic organization, environment, attitude, and musical impression.
   Confidence. Even before playing the first note, performers should demonstrate confidence in the way they walk to the center of the stage, smile at the audience, and coordinate the opening notes with the pianist. This confident demeanor includes standing straight, walking with a sense of purpose and with eyes focused ahead. Never turn away from the audience; and when tuning, listen to the pitch of the piano in order to have it clearly in mind before playing. The flute should tune with a strong sound and move into different dynamic levels. Adjust the music stand to fit your height without blocking your face from the audience. Many inexperienced performers raise the stand too high and eliminate contact and communication with the audience as well as interfering with projecting the tone to the back of the hall.
   Setting the Rhythm. Establish an internal pulse before beginning the performance to define the meter and rhythmic structure; these are essential characteristics in a performance. Precise rhythm patterns communicate phrase structure to the audience, and they convey style and meaning to the audience immediately. Run through one fast, tricky measure, mentally, subdividing the basic pulse into smaller units. Rhythmic accuracy is an important element in every performance but particularly for orchestral auditions.
   Environment. Experienced competitors understand that the particularly frustrating effects of different temperatures and acoustics are out of the performer’s control and will practice in different locations in anticipation of either lively or dead acoustics. It helps to rehearse in large, small, dry, or live classrooms, rehearsal halls, or recital halls to learn to adapt quickly to whatever conditions may exist for the performance. Temperature also affects both flute and performers, because either hot or cold temperatures cause intonation, endurance, and other performance problems. Practicing with a sweater or jacket on a hot day will simulate a performance when the air conditioning fails.
   Attitude. A positive, anticipatory attitude toward performance creates confidence in both performer and audience, and even if nerves are a factor, maintaining a great attitude conveys confidence in your performance. Anxiety and nervous tension often begin days or weeks before a performance, and a calm, focused practice carries over into performance and creates confidence rather than insecurity. Focus on the music and the enjoyment of performing for an audience in order to calm performance anxiety.
   Musical Impression. The most important element in the first four measures is also the musical substance and style they convey. This is certainly the most subjective part of any musical performance, but the key in which the passage is written, the tempo, the time signature, and structure have to be combined with a tone quality, dynamics and the intuitive or emotional quality that connect the notes to capture the soul of an audience. Players should record practice sessions and listen objectively for the musical impression beyond the notes to develop this essential part of performance. It’s helpful to find a partner and trade performance observations; write objective improvement suggestions such as more dynamic contrast, rhythmic accuracy, or improved tone quality.
   As the academic year begins and new challenges and opportunities emerge, players who make use of these suggestions will feel more confident and experience more success in auditions, competitions or performances. Remember that the cream always rises to the top.

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A 1926 Profile of John Wummer

theinstrumenta — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 22:50:12 +0000

   Many a young lad comes into the possession of some kind of a flute or tin whistle, and thereupon proceeds to tootle much to the discomfort of everyone else about. But only here and there do we find a lad producing this tootling with an avidity that promises something worth while later on when a boy eventually becomes the artist.
   While still a lad of ten, John Wummer, solo flutist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, was in a fair way to master the violin. The violin might still have been his chosen instrument if he had not chanced to find an old six-keyed piccolo of this father’s that had lain away forgotten in a drawer.
   Right from the start the boy evinced an unbounded enthusiasm in his find. His father, pleased with such an ardor, and who had some knowledge of the instrument, gave the youngster his first instruction.
   John was so infatuated with his piccolo that he used to take it to school, where, at recess, he would indulge in its delight. Even during lessons he could not resist the temptation of taking it from his pocket to do some silent practice. On one of these occasions the teacher discovered his lack of attention to the lesson and forthwith commanded him to come before the class.
   As a punishment he was to demonstrate his musical ability. To many a boy this would have been a real predicament, a position of overwhelming embarrassment. To Johnny, however, it was a golden opportunity. The call had come: he was prepared. His solo was such a success that thereafter his playing was a feature of the regular Friday afternoon leisure hour. Incidentally this was his first public appearance in the capacity of a piccolo virtuoso.
   At thirteen he was to be found in the band of his home town, Reading, Pennsylvania, and being featured as soloist. By this time he was the proud possessor of a wooden Boehm C flute and a Fred Lax tutor, working hard and teaching himself.
   At fifteen he had graduated from the local band and was enjoying life in a theatre pit in Trenton, New Jersey. He now commenced studying with Julius Spindler, in New York. Ambition is a hard taskmaster. John worked harder than ever, practicing whenever he could be at it, even after getting home from the theatre at night.
   It was while in Trenton he changed to a silver flute. It happened thus: One cold winter day the temperature of the theatre nearly matched that outside, and while John was practicing before the show the body of his flute cracked. Fortunately he was able to borrow another flute in time, a silver one, however, being the only available. It was so much to his liking that he has played a silver flute ever since.
   After one and a half years at Trenton, he studied with Andre Maquarre in Philadelphia, spending nearly three years with this famous flutist and taking up harmony and theory with him in addition to flute. During this time he gained his first symphony orchestra experience at a Bach Festival under Dr. Wolle, at Bethlehem in the company of members from the Philadelphia orchestra.
   A little later on he made his debut as an artist with Pryor’s band at Asbury Park. Playing with Pryor at this particular time demonstrated musical ability and self confidence remarkable for one so young. He was the ninth flute player to try out with this organization in a period of six weeks. This cheerful news was imparted to him just before his first concert, by a fellow musician. John admits that it did not tend toward calmness. He played the parts from scores written for band flute and piccolo on his C flute and piccolo, having come direct from the theatre to the band, so acceptably that he continued with Pryor for several seasons.
   After Maquarre left Philadelphia, John Wummer went to New York to study with Georges Barrere. His stay in New York lasted several years, during which time he played with numerous organizations, including the Capitol Theatre, and at the Chamber Music Society concerts, also doing some solo work.
The latter years of his New York stay were devoted to Metropolitan engagements and with Simone Mantia’s symphony orchestra at Asbury Park, with which he appeared as soloist.
   The musical season of 1923-24 found him as associate first flute of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, under Ossip Gabrilowitsch. After a year’s absence he is again with the Detroit orchestra, this time as the only first flute. His work with the orchestra is exceptionally fine and many times he is compelled to acknowledge the applause that greets his efforts.
   His playing of Bagatelle, a solo for flute with string and harp accompaniment, composed by Victor Kolar, associate conductor at one of the Sunday popular concerts, was one of the outstanding events of the series. The writer was present on this occasion and remembers with pleasure that Mr. Wummer was recalled six or eight times to acknowledge the applause. And when at last he again took his place with the orchestra he had to take another bow, the applause being so prolonged.
   In February of this year, at the dedication of the new Masonic temple in Detroit he shared honors with Mme. Luella Melius, playing an obbligato to her singing of the Wren, in which the famous Patti cadenza was done with unusual brilliance. The writer has yet to hear a richer blending of flute and voice than resulted on this occasion. For some time past he has been delighting the vast radio audience with flute solos from station WGHP Detroit, where he also plays with a little symphony orchestra composed of solo members from the Detroit Symphony.
   After hearing him play one ceases to wonder why he is such a prime favorite with the musical public here. Possessing a beautiful tone of rare purity and sweetness, a brilliant technique, and greatest of all, a wonderful gift of interpretation by which he is able to reach the hearts of his listeners, he is an artist of exceptional merit.
   Mr. Wummer has a repertoire of over forty both flute and piccolo solos, all of which he has committed to memory. It is truly remarkable that at but twenty-six he has attained such a high position in music. Careers such as his are the finest example of what talent plus hard work can accomplish. Of a genial nature and modest disposition, John Wummer is one of the finest fellows one could ever wish to know and treasure as a friend. – Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Editor’s Note: Toscanini invited Wummer to join the N. B.C. symphony orchestra in 1937, and in 1942 Wummer became the principal flutist with the New York Philharmonic, a position he held until his retirement in 1965. He died in San Francisco September 6, 1977.

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In Pursuit of Musical Phrases, An Interview with Gaspar Hoyos

theinstrumenta — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 21:49:58 +0000

Editor’s Note: Gaspar Hoyos is currently the principal flute of the Opera Nationale de Lorraine, France and is a William S. Haynes artist. This interview was originally printed in 2002.

   After winning the Flute Talk competition in 1994 Gaspar Hoyos won the James Papoutsakis competition at the New England Conservatory and the National Flute Association Young Artist competition. Hoyos is a native of Bogota, Colombia and first came to the United States to attend summer flute workshops and study with Stephen Preston, Karl Kraber, Ransom Wilson, and Andras Adorjan at Wildacres, North Carolina. "I grew up listening to music and explored my parents’ record library by starting with the music of Vivaldi and Beethoven followed by Shostakovich and Messiaen. When the motion picture Amadeus was released, I bought the soundtrack and literally wore out that recording. A career in music became my dream. A good friend was a flutist, and he had the patience to play duets with me when I was just a beginner. We played duets every Saturday afternoon and again after dinner, sometimes until three in the morning, and my sightreading improved immensely."
   American flutist Sarah Brown taught in Bogota and was Hoyos’s first flute teacher. From the earliest lessons she taught with Marcel Moyse’s 24 Petites Etudes and Taffanel and Gaubert’s #1 and #4 exercises. As Hoyos progressed in his studies, he wanted to study in the United States. At the University of Colorado (Boulder) he studied with Karen Yonovitz. "This was a big step, but I had such a passion to make music that I was willing to do anything for this, including leaving my country. One year later I transferred to the University of North Texas to study with Mary-Karen Clardy. She stressed breath control and releasing air in a controlled manner. After graduation I moved to Boston to study with Paula Robison, whose main concern was communicating the poetry and joy in music. Through her theatrical approach I learned to create music and communicate with an audience using the air that Clardy had stressed. I was shy and soft-spoken then, but I loved to play. Robison focused on long musical lines and sending the sound to the back of the concert hall. She also advocated interpreting music in a theatrical way. If musicians feel happiness while performing a piece, listeners will feel that same happiness.
   "I played for Alain Marion in several masterclasses, and he was a good combination of Clardy and Robison. He was like Clardy, stressing the importance of the air, and like Robison in the way he expressed passion through the flute,but he also stressed the importance of tone colors prescribed by the music. An artist creates a melancholy painting using dark colors, not bright red, green, and yellow. In music the harmonics in the sound determine the musical tone color. Sometimes flutists have to sacrifice the sound quality to change the colors that add musical interest, but many American and Japanese flutists are not willing to make the sacrifice. Flutists who play with the same quality, beauty, and tone center give predictable, boring performances. Certainly teachers should not introduce tone colors to young flutists before they have developed a good basic tone. Marion’s lessons decisively changed my playing because he erased the last vestige of fear and shyness about expressing feelings and taught me to make music with air. He had a strong personality and insistently asked for more and more of everything associated with flute playing. Fantastic flutists came to his masterclasses, but they never could satisfy him. He always wanted the fortes louder and the pianos softer. He demanded perfection within the joy of making music and set a great example for all teachers with this approach.
   "In a 1994 Flute Talk interview I expressed the desire to study with Raymond Guiot, and in 1997 I began two-and-a-half years with him. Guiot had been Marion’s assistant at the Paris Conservatory for many years, and they worked well together. Flutists often think of Guiot as a technique specialist, and he is fantastic in that area; but his teaching covers much more than technique. He opened many musical doors by teaching me to analyze the musical structure of a piece. After a few lessons with Guiot I was able to apply his concepts to any music. Although he is retired and lives in Quebec, he still practices every day.
   "Guiot expects musicians to recognize the musical phrases and to give them shape, with a beginning, middle, and an end. He believes flutists should develop the ability to alter the tone and not give monochromatic performances. He often drew analogies between spoken words and the notes in music. If the music has patterns that repeat three to five times or motives that center on one note and return to it several times, Guiot taught that the inflections should be varied, just as inflections vary in speech. When someone repeats a comment several times, the tone of their voice grows insistent. A repeated declaration of love that is given with the same inflection may create doubt about the sincerity of the declaration. If it is stated as I love you or I love you, the message grows stronger as the inflection changes. In the Daphnis solo the opening measures center around three G# s; each should develop and change. When the solo moves on to three C#s, the same growth or progression should occur. Guiot taught this concept using the Mozart concertos which build phrases in patterns of three. By the third phrase Mozart usually makes fun of it by turning in a new direction. The concept applies to the Daphnis solo as well as all other music."
   Hoyos enjoys teaching and has up to five students. "As a teacher and a coach I try to create a relaxed atmosphere for students, who generally can fix mistakes on their own. If they encounter some technical problems in the literature, I indicate specific exercises that will strengthen this aspect. If a D major scale progression is not clean, I recommend exercises in Taffanel and Gaubert or Moyse books. Many students are unenthusiastic about scales, arpeggios, and tone exercises because they find basic exercises boring. I want them to realize that technical work is essential to establish the foundation upon which all music is written. When students have mastered the D major scale in Taffanel, they are able to play it wherever it occurs in the solo literature. Without a solid technical basis it is not possible to play musically. Only when flutists have a solid technical foundation can they develop the expressive freedom to shape phrases or change tone colors, even on a whim in the middle of a performance.

   "Moyse’s De la sonorite is incredible for tone work. Many flutists play the opening half-step exercise as if the two notes were unrelated. Singers would not sing the exercise that way, and I often ask students to sing the exercise. Although they may be self-conscious about singing, they should listen to recordings of singers and attend vocal performances to learn how close flute playing is to singing. Perhaps because of the physical act of holding the flute, many players forget that the flute is just a tool with which they sing. The goal is beautiful, lyrical music. When students understand that the instrument is only a means to do this, they give warmer, more expressive performances.
   Vibrato is only one component of the tone equation, but it is one of the biggest challenges teachers face. The ideal is for teachers not to have to teach vibrato, which should be a natural part of the sound. If it is contained within the sound, wide pitch fluctuations do not occur. Any vibrato is incorrect if listeners notice it. A good vibrato should reflect the passion of the music, with the width and speed of the pulses varying to fit the emotional content of the piece. On some solos I use very little vibrato, and on others it is just happens as part of the passion, not as a specific choice."
   The 1999 audition for the Nancy Orchestra in France was Hoyos’s first professional audition, and he admits that major pieces are easier to perform now that he has had more orchestral experience. "I did the homework for the audition by studying scores, and listened to several recorded versions of each work to know what instruments accompanied the solos. Any orchestral audition requires long preparation. Certainly flutists have to obsess about every detail in the quest for perfection, but they should also enjoy the audition process by making it a game to see how in tune they can play a passage. I remember the Nancy audition well because I enjoyed the process. Afterwards members of the audition committee stated that they heard the joy in my playing.
   "In auditions most flutists play cleanly, and some perform with broad dynamic ranges. Others play incredibly fast, but those who play beautiful, musical phrases with colors that invoke images are likely to be successful. When I am on an audition committee and hear someone play well but not musically, I will indicate that on the audition form. When an audition is musical, I put the pencil down and enjoy the music.
   "It is unfortunate that competitions for an orchestral position or an international competition encourage students to forget why they make music. Even though I was an international competition winner, I now believe that the goal of wining a prize should not be the primary motivation as flutists practice or perform. It is pointless to just work for first prize by playing loudly or by attempting to perform better than other contestants on a Bach sonata, a Mozart concerto, or the Nielsen concerto. If a monetary goal or a prize leads to faster or louder playing, or resorts to choreography or a great hairdo to win, these will be the results. Competitions often skew our values because so many performances seem to be a way to display expertise on the flute rather than to find the beauty in the music.
   Hoyos particularly enjoys French music by Debussy, Ravel, and others. "It is pure joy to sit in the orchestra and play fine music that requires such wonderful tone colors. Performing Strauss is also an incredible experience, but it is different because flutists sit in the middle of the orchestra under a big, weighty Romantic orchestral sound, while with French music flutists float above the orchestra."
   Hoyos prefers flute headjoints that have resistance instead of a free-blowing mouthpiece that is easier to play. "Manufacturers always provide flutes with the qualities that are in demand. Currently this means headjoints with a bright sound and a compact, cutting edge. It is more difficult to shape phrases and produce different tone colors on these headjoints, and I find them a bit monochromatic."
   Hoyos travels and performs around the world and speaks French, Italian, Spanish, and English. He urges students to be "aware of flute events and trends around the world, especially in France, where such a long flute tradition exists. I urge them to experience the Parisian flute community first-hand because reading about Parisian music-making or listening to recordings is not the same as living in a culture. I recommend that students live and study in Paris for at least one year. Besides fantastic teachers and players, the experience will open doors to personal and musical development. With the paintings at the Louvre, fantastic architecture, and excellent food and wine, in addition to the joy of making music in this invigorating place, all flutists will be richer after living and studying there."

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Misconceptions About French Tonguing

theinstrumenta — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 21:19:34 +0000

   The controversy over French tonguing stems from a few misunderstandings. The process, anathematic for some and indispensable for others is the procedure, indigenous to the flute, whereby the tip of the tongue shows through the lips in an attempt to obtain precise attacks and crisp articulations in staccato passages. The misunderstanding comes from some flutists, often American, who think that since the old glory days of Taffanel, Gaubert, Moyse, and Rampal, this is the only way French flutists articulate. Others, often American also, always avoid French tonguing because of American tradition or comparison to articulation on other woodwinds.
   As usual the truth, if truth exists in artistic matters, lies somewhere in the middle. Why are these edicts stated in terms of always and never? There is no moral imperative. Whatever you do, if it works, keep doing it. I am reminded of something that happened to a very close friend of mine long ago. He was playing a gig with a rather pompous senior flutist who doctorally told him: "You see, mon cher, this flute is perfectly padded, it’s beautiful, and I have a new headjoint, but it doesn’t work… " The young guy replied: "You see, Monsieur, my pads don’t cover, the flute needs cleaning, it looks terrible, I got the mouthpiece at the flea market, but it works!" He was never called back to this gig.
   First, let’s dispel a few myths. Is speaking French the secret of articulation? It is true that French is a more dental language than the cheeky English. However, thank God, French speakers are not the only ones who know how to articulate. It’s all in what flutists want to hear. If they want a crisp, light staccato and a precise attack, there are solutions for that. If they like a barely separated legato,¹ they can learn that too.
   Second, there are many varieties of French, French vanilla, French dressing, French fries, most of which do not exist in France. France has everything that America has: judges who cheat at the Olympics and C.E.O.s who defraud their employees, flutists who like to be crisp, and others who can’t articulate. Let’s not put people into little categories.
   Third, I was never taught to show my tongue on every played note, fast or slow. My late colleague Alain Marion used such a device for practice, but I don’t recall him using this technique except for the onset of a phrase, as I will try to explain.
   When French youngsters start the flute, one of the first things they learn is how to tongue each slow attack as if spitting out a tea leaf or a fig seed. This action is the basis of French tonguing. Too many theoretical explanations turn students off. For very young students, without thinking, this type of articulation provides a good air speed, a good placement of the airbrush,² and a natural embouchure. Eventually, when the time is right, vibrato spontaneously follows the fig seed effect.
   So I agree that French tonguing is impractical and ill-advised for repeated notes. At the onset of a phrase, such as the start of Faure’s Fantaisie Op. 79 or the first high F in Poulenc’s Cantilena, at the attack of long notes in countless orchestral works, it is extremely useful if done right.
   Let me digress a moment to a seemingly unmusical comparison with the internal combustion engine that propels most of our rolling stock. During each cycle the valves control the intake of air/fuel mixture and allow exhaust gasses to exit at the appropriate times. The valves have no other function than to open or close an opening. "It must be remembered that the tongue is simply a kind of spring valve that contains and releases the appropriate impulse of pressure of air behind it … "³ If for some reason the valve does not close well, the action of the engine is jeopardized. In French tonguing, the tongue acts like a valve. Just before the attack the tongue closes the aperture of a volume where air is under pressure (support). When the tongue is swiftly pulled back, the air column pressure becomes air speed, without percussion.
   The principle of the organ pipe is more musical and closer to us. Organs have a wind chest, just as we do, that is full of air under pressure, ready to go to the pipes. When the key is depressed, a valve opens beneath the pipe so the wind can finally get through to the pipe. If the valve is open before the wind chest is under pressure, the sound of squeezed teddy bear results. If air is released without first stopping the pipe, the sound comes too soon for a controlled attack.
   If the tongue is still back in the mouth at the onset, the tongue has to travel to the teeth to articulate, and pressure build-up becomes problematic because the aperture is not stopped. A common misconception about French tonguing is the perception that the tongue moves from back to front, but instead the tongue’s movement is a simple venting of an aperture from front to back.
   It can be useful to blow a little bit of air through the nose just before release to set air in motion, and prevent an explosive onset, just like strings’ bows move before a smooth attack.
   There is no religion about this. If another way works, by all means keep doing it. After all, what you do with your tongue is nobody’s business.

—–

¹Literally legato means tied. It is not supposed to describe the da-da-da, which is the antinomy of both slurring and staccato.
²The short and narrow stream of air linking the lip aperture to the breaking edge of the lip plate.
³William Kincaid in Kincaidiana by John Krell (page 18).

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Virtual Flute Lesson Survival Skills

theinstrumenta — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 01:15:01 +0000

Welcome to the wonderful world of virtual flute lessons! Whether they willingly set foot upon this path or a global pandemic tilted their ship toward this virtual port, many teachers are now charging ahead into uncharted territory. As we quickly adjust to new teaching vehicles, making a conscious choice to focus on solutions, instead of shortcomings, will smooth the transition. Here are a few ideas to consider as you set forth.

Hardware
   Computers and tablets are more suitable devices for virtual lessons, but in a pinch, smart phones will work. Adding an external microphone and good-quality speakers will produce a more clear, accurate musical tone for the listener. I also encourage my students to have a printer, a separate tuner/metronome, and a pencil nearby. It is important, however, to be sensitive to the financial constraints that students may face when acquiring new equipment.
   Ensure the student’s and teacher’s devices are plugged in or have ample battery charge. Have a back-up device handy, in the event that one device stops functioning. Spend extra time with students in their first video lesson setting up the video camera to enable you to see them clearly. It may be valuable to change camera positions during a lesson. Be sure to turn off ceiling fans to avoid tone distortion in the flute’s higher registers.
   The camera device should be firmly attached to a stable surface and make every attempt to have ample lighting on both the student and teacher, preferably without backlighting. For an even more professional lighting dynamic, add an overhead ring light.

Inspired Space
   Just like your studio’s visual decor creates a learning environment, create an inspired visual space for your video backdrop. You are now appearing to students through the same medium with which they watch movies. Think of your screen space as a miniature television studio and strive to present your best image. Choose an uncluttered, well-lit, distraction-free space that sets the tone for a fantastic lesson.
   Learning through a video is a different experience from a face-to-face lesson, and I strive to make the experience as engaging as possible for students. Speak a bit slower than you would in person, and clearly present your ideas. Lean in to the camera to emphasize ideas and maximize your visual presentation. Try to reach through the internet to generate interest in the material.
   My students appear to enjoy noticing my two cats, Astro and Cosmo, sleeping and racing around behind me during lessons. Since this further pulls them into our learning environment, great! I’m all for whatever works. Building rapport and trust with a student is just as important online as it is in face-to-face instruction, but the methods of building those connections may occur differently. Smile, you are now creating a media presentation, so use your personality (and your flute knowledge) to captivate the attention of your audience.

Connection Platform
   Technology evolves at an ever-increasing speed. Stay up-to-date on the latest trends, as whatever worked yesterday may be replaced by an improved platform tomorrow. Zoom, Facetime, Google Duo, Facebook, or Skype are all viable options today. Test drive the platforms you select with colleagues or friends before you begin teaching with them, and encourage students to do the same. Actively work to avoid feedback, echos, or delays.
   Become a technical support wizard as much as possible. Learn how to walk students through troubleshooting glitches. Both student and teacher need a viable connection to maximize the value of the lesson. When all else fails, try reconnecting to boost the signal quality, and as a last resort, combine a muted video platform with an audio feed via telephone. Always have a back-up platform available since connection quality can be highly variable.
   There is no one perfect ideal platform; each has pros and cons. For example, Zoom allows multiple students to interact together and offers screen sharing, so it may be worth exploring for studio classes. The sound quality of recorded video submissions is generally clearer than a live feed, so consider splitting time between platforms. For example, a student with an hour lesson might email a 15-minute video performance for comments and then meet with you later to play for 45 minutes or simply to listen to their recordings together.
   While connection lag may prevent teachers and students from playing pieces or duets together in real time, the internet offers many other exciting options. Apps like Audacity, Hokusai, GarageBand, Acapella allow students to practice duets with themselves or friends. Also consider recording parts for students to play along with, or have students record one part and then play the other part live for you at a lesson.

Wifi
Be aware that the speed of your wifi signals may affect the quality of your connection. With technologies also rapidly changing, it is worthwhile to do a diligent search for the highest quality internet connection you can afford. Be aware that the number of devices accessing wifi connections, as well as the distance to your router will affect the signal strength. A wired connection between the router and computer will also result in a stronger connection. A video feed’s quality can be drastically reduced if too many devices are pulling from the same network. Schedule lessons around other family member’s wifi requirements. If the connection quality is poor, a student may sound as if they are rushing or dragging. Additional resource options for low-income students who do not have reliable data plans may or may not be available in your area.

Tips for Online Teaching
   Be twice as organized. Have all music and supplies ready to go before the lesson starts. Encourage students to use virtual or paper notebooks to track their weekly assignments, goals, and questions.
   Prioritize the most good for each student. Because a video platform may make some components of flute lessons more challenging, it may be more effective to tackle other areas first, saving some issues for when you return to face-to-face lessons,. Get creative with your approaches. We are never truly at our most creative until we run out of options.
   Motivate students and set measurable goals. Virtual teaching during a global pandemic may reach students who are experiencing a loss of motivation or heightened frustrations, both in their music and their lives. Seek out opportunities for your students such as virtual recitals, solo contests, masterclasses, or really anything that will break the monotony of a quarantine. After all, music is a performing art.
   Consider assigning alternative projects in place of traditional competitions, like podcasts, essays, powerpoints, or compositions. My student who is learning Katherine Hoover’s Kokopelli recently vacationed in the southwestern United States. We decided that she would record her performance with a slideshow of photos from her trip. This is something that she will be able to share with friends and family for years to come.
   Focus on feedback. For college students receiving a grade, consider prioritizing targeted, quality feedback, rather than measuring achievement. Use your best judgement and be aware that the challenge of living through a pandemic is giving students quite the education already.
   Embrace stretching and resting. If you are regularly teaching many online lessons, schedule breaks to give your eyes a chance to rest. Initially, I purchased a pair of blue light glasses to lessen the screen glare, but recently, I have found wearing sunglasses is equally helpful and adds a splash of style. Adding a few stretches, or alternating between sitting and standing, may alleviate tension in your body while teaching.
   Use technology to your advantage. With a computer at your fingertips while you are teaching, use every resource imaginable to supplement your lessons. PDF tools can quickly send exercises. Assign Finale or Smart Music projects, or invite students to record lessons. Send emails or texts with importation information. Maximize your assets.
   Collaborate freely with colleagues. Since geography is no longer an issue, consider bringing in a guest artist teacher for a virtual masterclass or presentation. While you may not have previously had the budget to bring in a guest artist for fresh inspiration, now without transportation costs, it’s more feasible.

The Bright Side
• Virtual learning will further build digital competency for your students, a skill that will likely serve them well regardless of their future career.
• It is much more challenging (but still not impossible) for a student to forget their music, flute, or supplies for a virtual lesson.
• With virtual lessons, the world is our classroom. Students from any place on earth with an internet connection may now learn with us. While I currently live in Fort Worth, Texas, I just accepted an invitation to teach remotely for an international academy in Seoul, South Korea. This would never have been possible if I needed to be physically present on a regular basis in both cities.
• With the recent mass conversion to virtual learning, many studios are larger than ever, and weekly student absences are much lower. Furthermore, lesson times are much easier to plan when everyone has a more flexible, less hectic schedule.
• Because a video’s limited spectrum may muffle sound, students must diligently work toward clear expression and exquisite dynamic contrasts, skills that will be valuable when resuming live performances.
• The listener can control the speaker volume! This is a godsend for teachers when listening to loud passages and the piccolo’s high register.
• Accepting payments virtually for lessons has never been easier. It’s free and easy to set up accounts on Zelle, Square, Pop Money, Venmo, Cash App, Paypal, Google Wallet, Facebook, or Apple Pay.
• Celebrate the slower pace of life. A sudden change in environmental stimuli is an excellent time to build new habits and re-pattern behaviors and musical skills. With many concerts and other life activities cancelled, this presents motivated students and performers ample time to improve their skills.

Gratitude and Laughter
Video lessons are a bit like driving in the rain. They require both the student and teacher to pay just a bit more attention in order to stay on track. As you navigate the high seas of virtual teaching, be generous with your time and wisdom whenever possible. In the end, regardless of who, what, where, when, why or how, good teachers are still good teachers. Be the best that you can be for your students. Modeling flexibility, adaptability, and innovation will serve as an excellent example. Most importantly, don’t forget to bring a healthy dose of compassion, gratitude, and laughter along for the journey.

The post Virtual Flute Lesson Survival Skills appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Practice Techniques with a Look at Andersen Op. 30

theinstrumenta — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 22:07:53 +0000

As teachers our mission is to help the student learn to play well. However, after teaching the literature for a few years, it becomes obvious that students have difficulties in the same passages in the repertoire. In a masterclass James Pellerite, Indiana University professor emeritus, suggested that in troublesome passages, you should analyze what the problem is and then either write an etude to fix the problem or find an etude in the repertoire that solves this issue. Otherwise, for your entire life, when playing this composition, the chatter in your brain will be something like, “Page 3, line 2–difficult.” These are not the thoughts to be having when performing.

D’s and E’s
Two of the most common fingering problems on the flute are putting the right-hand pinkie on or down for E in the first and second octaves and lifting the left-hand index finger for the D in the middle octave. These notes are found in almost every composition. As teachers we stop the student and correct the fingering, and sometimes even circle in red pencil all of the places where the right-hand pinkie is on or when the left index finger is lifted. Taking Pellerite’s advice in finding an etude that addresses these issue leads us to Joachim Andersen’s Op. 30, 24 Instructive Studies, No. 5 in D Major. Throughout this 96-measure etude, these fingering issues are highlighted in almost every measure. In my own studies, once I could execute this etude perfectly at a brisk tempo, my fingering problems were solved.

Balancing the Flute
   Balancing the flute in the hands is an issue that has been overlooked in pedagogy. First of all, most teachers say, “Hold the flute” which may imply grasping the flute. Using the word “balancing” takes the tension off the hands, arms and shoulders. Once the flute is balanced, then only the fingers move. Fingers move from the third knuckle back except for the left-hand index finger. The right-hand knuckles should be the same height as the finger tips on the keys. Once a student balances the flute well, then the next issue to watch for is the end of the flute rising when fingers are being removed in ascending scales and then the end of the flute lowering on the descent.
   Repair people refer to the keys in the left hand as the upper stack, and the keys of the right hand as the lower stack. To achieve balance where the flute is stationary and balanced in the hands or balanced between the two stacks, alternate trilling the first key in the right hand or lower stack (F to G) with the last key of the upper stack (G to A). Once a student can successfully do this without the flute moving, then true balance has been achieved.
   Another balance issue occurs when going between the top notes of the upper stack (B or C) to the lower notes of the right stack (D or E). Andersen’s Op. 30, No. 6 offers a wonderful exercise to solve this balance issue.

Chipping the First Note
The term “chipping” comes from the brass world and refers to not having a clean, perfect attack on a note. If the chip or crack is high, then the flutist needs to lower the air stream on the wall. If the chip is low, then the flutist raises the air stream. Recording your playing on a phone and listening back immediately helps you to make the right decision about aiming the air stream. William Kincaid, legendary pedagogue and the father of American flute playing, suggested practicing Andersen’s Op. 30, No. 3 quite slowly. He set the tempo at eighth note = 60. Each note was to be played staccato or half-value. He called this exercise “A Page of First Notes.” During the rest, the tongue is replaced in the aperture.

Mordents
A mordent is an ornament in which there is a quick alteration from the written note to the note above and back. It is executed in a short, short, long rhythmic pattern. The first note of the mordent is played on the beat. Students rush and often play the first note before the beat with the middle note of the mordent landing on the beat. Once again, Andersen has offered a solution to this issue in Op. 30, No. 12. This etude is in ABA form. In the A sections, Andersen slows down the mordent rhythm so the flutist plays two sixteenths followed by an eighth. A few conductors have suggested playing mordents as triplets, but this thankfully has gone out of vogue.

In the B section, the mordents are used. The rhythmic relationship is the same for the mordents.

Many a Kincaid student agonized with these 32-measures in the B section of the etude. Kincaid was insistent that each mordent was played in time with the correct proportions and of course trill fingerings. His pickiness was worth the effort as many an audition has been won by a student who had control of mordents.

Jaw-Boning
Many students move the embouchure and/or the jaw much more than necessary when playing. To practice moving very little if any, play five-note patterns (Taffanel et Gaubert, Nos 1 and 2) slurred. Most of these patterns can be played without moving the embouchure. Since this exercise begins on the lowest notes of the flute, many flutists try to play higher five-note patterns with a low-note set embouchure. Joseph Mariano commented, “You can play low notes with a high embouchure, but not high notes with a low embouchure.” To set the embouchure high for low notes, play a top octave B or B flat, and then keep the lips set in this position when playing the lower patterns. Remember playing higher notes depends on the aperture size and the speed and angle of the air stream.
Andersen, Op. 30, No. 14 works on disjunct (not step-wise) intervals. Chunk each measure playing a high B before beginning the measure. The high B sets the embouchure making it easier to play the two bars without much movement. Once you can play with less movement, you will be able to play passages faster and efficiently.

What Changes?
In one of my first lessons with William Kincaid, I was playing Andersen’s Op. 30, No. 21. The entire etude is octaves. I was doing well and then I crashed and burned. At once Kincaid said you are thinking fingerings rather than which finger moves. This was a thought I had never had. So, I placed an X over all the octaves where fingers moved and suddenly I could play this without errors. I think the issue was that I knew the fingers moved someplace, but which octaves I could do by overblowing and which ones needed a fingering change was not organized in my mind. For my future practice, I created an exercise where I played chromatic octaves starting on C in the staff and ascending until I reached the top C. Before playing each octave, I said aloud “the same fingering" or noted which fingers moved. For example, for octave F’s, I said, “Lift the A finger.” For G, “Take off thumb.”

Etudes by flutist composers (Altes, Andersen, Berbiguier, Kohler, Hugues) generally focus on the technical issues of flute playing. Etudes by non-flutist composers (Genzmer, Karg-Elert, Bozza, Casterede) however offer a rich repertoire for musical phrasing and tone color work.

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