Basic Sound
    Developing a tonal palette is intensely imaginative work, but relies on an ability to listen objectively to subtle nuances in the sound and bring out certain elements by making very specific adjustments. Start with your best tone on a note that is comfortable at a variety of dynamic levels, such as a C or B above the staff. Listen to what you like and do not like in the sound. Try to accentuate the features that are pleasing to your ear.
    Next play the same note and think about focusing and lifting the sound. For some people, the body translates mental concepts into physical changes. Others may need to think about specific physical adjustments such as bringing the center of the bottom lip forward slightly or using a smaller aperture. Figure out which of these techniques works best for you – following your ear, mental concepts, or specific physical changes. A combination of methods may help you hear and create the sound you want.
 
Sound in Space
    Explore concepts of how sound fills a space. These are imaginative exercises designed as preparation for experimenting with tone color.

Wide Sound
    First, imagine and try to create a wider, more horizontal sound. Working again with the C or B above the staff, think of widening the sound by making a slight smile without the corners, and imagine the sound as coming out of the ears. It might feel like trying to pop the ears or opening the space in the sinuses. This can help open and broaden the tone, especially if a player’s basic sound is on the small side. It may also give the tone a bit more brightness, without sacrificing openness. This is a similar concept to vocalizing with an e vowel sound without the lips being so stretched.

Tall Sound
    Next think of creating a taller sound. Perhaps think of there being more vertical space in the back of the mouth as if yawning slightly while still maintaining the piccolo embouchure. This is similar to vocalizing with an o or ah sound. The objective is to have more depth and resonance.

Forward Sound
    For this exercise, using the same note, send the sound forward. Many teachers encourage students to play to the back of the hall, but this does not mean forcing. Concentrate on creating a full, resonant sound that spins forward. Imagine using the complete space around you.
 
Forte Sound: Dark vs. Edgy
    Forte on the piccolo is not simply a matter of playing as loudly as possible and accepting whatever comes out. Instead develop a sound that is bold, dark, perky, edgy, or majestic depending on the musical context.
    Play the same note as before, and feel that there is more space inside the mouth. It may help to increase the distance between the teeth and to make the aperture (opening in the lips) slightly taller. Allowing a little more room in the mouth provides space for the sound to resonate, and opening the aperture a bit lets the additional air flow out freely without buzzing the lips.
    For a darker forte sound experiment with bringing the upper lip forward slightly, but do not roll the piccolo in. The resonance will feel more contained inside the mouth; but as long as it does not inhibit the airflow, the sound should be darker without sacrificing volume. This color is crucial for section blend, and most high register fortissimo playing can benefit from this method of darkening the tone.
    For a brighter, edgier color, widen the aperture while directing the center of the lower lip slightly forward. While this will raise the pitch, this is not a concern for the moment, as the goal for now is just to explore various tone colors. Achieve the edgier brightness by subtly tightening the embouchure and directing the airstream more across the embouchure hole, which will automatically give the illusion of a louder sound as well as a sharper one. In actual playing, to produce this color change without altering the pitch, adjust the volume and speed of the air. This color is excellent for playing loudly in the middle register, as called for in works by Ravel and Shostakovich.
    Additional tone colors within the forte dynamic may be created by shading these dark and edgy extremes together. For example, it is possible to create a very satisfying forte sound with a bright edge and the depth of the darker tone by keeping the oral cavity long and the upper lip slightly forward, but using a wider aperture and a little bit of that slight smile to give tone and firmness to the embouchure. Warm, low register solos can particularly benefit from combining light and dark colors in this way, as can majestic forte passages in Brahms and Beethoven.
 
Piano Sound: Sweet vs. Glassy
    Playing softly on the piccolo can be nerve wracking, so it is worth spending some time developing the color palette at a reduced dynamic. You will feel much more confident knowing that you have a variety of tools available. Start with a basic sound and steadily reduce the volume while simultaneously lifting the airstream. Notice what is happening with the shape of the aperture. Imagine that the tone is a beam of light, and it is getting farther and farther away. The center of the light stays bright as it gets smaller. Stop when it starts to feel out of control, and practice sustaining this dynamic level comfortably. Gently play up a scale, or play by half-steps slowly, paying careful attention to the tone. Stop if it starts to feel tight. Sustaining a relaxed, beautiful pianissimo is like holding something very delicate – firmly so you don’t drop it, but gently so you don’t crush it either.
    For a sweet pianissimo tone, think about making the aperture round with the slightest hint of a smile. Direct the sound forward and feel the resonance in the apples of the cheeks. This quality is excellent for lyrical, sparkling, soft solos, like those in Ravel, Dvorák, and Prokofiev.
    For a glassy, icy sound, make an oval aperture and less directed resonance. This may feel like you are not projecting, but the goal is to experiment with a more opaque, dead sound. You can enliven it by blending in a brighter edge, but this is a useful color in itself. This shade is effective for exposed, contemplative solos in the quiet moments of Shostakovich, Bartók, and Stravinsky where you probably don’t need to worry as much about projection.
    The possibilities for tone color shading are limited only by the player’s creativity. After becoming comfortable with the primary colors, blend musical characters and physical techniques to create a custom palette. The piccolo is indeed tiny, but just because it paints with a smaller brush, does not mean it is limited in the range of colors available.

The post Let’s Talk Picc, Exploring Tone Color on Piccolo appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Slice and Dice
    Since the Andersen etudes offer some of the best solutions for understanding and playing the flute, it is important to include these books in the advanced high school and college curriculum. However, in order to help students successfully learn this material, I employ the slice and dice technique. This technique, used in solving a Sudoku puzzle and in cooking, is a method or approach of slicing and then dicing material to help understand a concept better or to solve a problem.
    Rather than assigning four etudes per week in Op. 33 first and then on completion of the book progressing on to Op. 30, I assign one etude, C major, from each of the four books (Op. 33, 30, 63, 15). Then the next week another etude (A minor) from each of the four books. It takes students 24 weeks to get through these four books (96 etudes) at a rate of four per week. Assigning four per week in the same key signature, is still the same 24 weeks. However, by experiencing key saturation, students better understand the keys.
    When I first assigned one etude from each of the four books, I worried that some of the later etudes would be technically too advanced. However, having students chunk each exercise (tongued using T, K, Hah, TK or TKT or slurred) for three or four practice sessions before putting it all together quieted my concerns. If students encountered problems, then they were to use one of the 450 rhythmic and articulations patterns found in the Appendix of The Flute Scale Book by George & Louke (Presser).
    While the chunking practice and learning technique is now almost 30 years old, many teachers today are just adopting this learning strategy. The chunking technique, based on the eye seeing one inch of notes, has a flutist play one chunk of notes followed by a rest. The student is to breathe in each rest which separates the vocal folds or opens the throat. This type of breathing is called panting.
    In reading Harold Bennett’s practice suggestions for Op. 33 (Flute Talk, November 2014); it is obvious that he was using a similar practice tactic to modern day chunking. Michel Debost shared that his teacher Gaston Crunelle (1898-1990) also suggested practicing in a similar style when he was a student at the Paris Conservatory. I suppose this proves that nothing is actually new, but that we continually recycle and rename time-proven practice ideas.

Challenges of A Major
    As my students cycled through the Andersen etudes, it became obvious that playing in the key of A major offered more challenges than other key signatures. How many times have you heard a student put a D# in when playing an A major scale? Even students who know A major has three sharps do this because the D# key is depressed all the time except for D natural and several of the top octave notes. Students simply forget they have this finger on (failure to disengage) and leave it down when playing through the sequence of fingerings.

Intonation
    The key of A major also offers challenging intonation issues. First, look at the A major triad. The A on most flutes is slightly flat, the third space C# is sharp, while the C# above the staff can be slightly flat. The dominant E can sound dull and flat in the second octave but sharp in the third. The leading tone G# in the second octave can be flat while the G# in the third octave is quite sharp. When playing slowly, sensitive fingerings may be used to rectify these issues, but as the name implies, sensitive fingerings should be employed in sensitive places, not in scales and perhaps etudes. It is up to the flutist to solve these issues when playing scales as the sensitive fingerings are often clumsy to undertake when playing fast technical passages.

Balancing the Flute 
    The A major scale is a difficult key to play and keep the flute balanced in the hands. If the flute is not balanced well just above the third knuckle back from the nail of the index left hand, every time the flutist removes his left hand thumb (for the two C# and the top G#), because of the design of the instrument, the flute will roll back toward the player. If the flute remains in this rolled back position, then the tuning of the entire scale is compromised.
    The A major scale (like any of the scales that begin on left hand notes) offers balance issues. When beginning the scale, the balance is a bit more in the left hand because the fingers are depressed. Then going over the break from C# to D, the balance is slightly shifted to the right hand. In watching a professional flutist, you will not be aware of the skillful shifting of balance, but it is something that a novice flutist will struggle with until discovering the secret of balancing the instrument well. Playing these two notes as a slow trill offers clues to achieving success.

Fingering Suggestions
    When playing the C# in the staff, any combination of the right hand fingers may be added. This fingering lowers the pitch and improves the sometimes too bright timbre (color) of the C#. This brightness is caused because most of the keys of the flute are open, and this produces the open pipe sound. In the case of the A major scale, try several different combinations of right finger placement to get from the C# to the D in the scale. When playing other literature such as the opening two notes of the Griffes Poem try putting the right hand E finger down for the C# as this will make the opening transition from the C# to the E stable.
    The other challenging fingering is in the top octave connection between the F# and G#. This interchange may be one of the most difficult on the flute as three fingers are lifted from the F# and two fingers are depressed for the G#. Daily practice of these two notes as a trill will show drastic improvement. Since the top G# is sharp, in slower passages, add the right E and D fingers to lower the pitch. This sensitive fingering is helpful to use when the note is soft and requires a diminuendo.
    The key of A major also possesses a wolf tone when slurring from A7 to E6. To rectify this issue, many flutes have a split E key (actually it should be called a split G key) or donut/crescent in the lower G key. If the flute does not have a split E, then the A7 is fingered with the right pinky on the D# key and is quickly removed and repositioned for the E. This quick motion requires practice to navigate smoothly. With the newer scale flutes, a wolf between G#6 to E6 sometimes occurs. In both cases selecting a crown of a different weight may eliminate the wolf.
    Of course, there are challenges for flutists in keys other than A major. However, learning to control the coordination, the intonation, and the timbre in A major will offer benefits so that other keys will be easier to navigate.

The post The Joys of A Major appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

American Protégé International Concerto Competition is for flutists 12 and under, 13-18, 19 and older. First place winners will perform in a recital at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, May 23 at 7:30 PM and May 25 at 3:30 PM. Deadline: February 28, 2015.

The 64th ARD International Music Competition Munich for flute, singing, trombone and piano duo will be held August 31-Sept. 18, 2015. Monetary prizes will be awarded along with international concert invitations and radio productions at the ARD Broadcasting Union. Deadline: March 31, 2015.

Atlanta Flute Club will host the 15th Annual Young Artist Competition for full-time high school and college students who have not reached their 30th birthday by December 15. The preliminary round is by recorded (CD) audition. Entries must be postmarked by December 15. Those selected as finalists will compete at the Flute Fair in Atlanta on February 21. Prizes: $1000 plus recital at Flute Fair 2016, $700, $300. aalen201@aol.com,

Central Ohio Flute Association will sponsor its 32nd annual Flute Competition on April 18, 2015 at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Cash prizes will be awarded to the first place winner of each division:  Young Artist: $500, Collegiate: $400, Senior: $300, and Junior: $200. Winners may be invited to play in the guest artist masterclass at the Flute Festival. Deadline: February 20, 2015. , e-torres@onu.edu

Chicago Flute Club will sponsor the Walfrid Kujala Piccolo Artist Competition on March 29, 2015 at the Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL. The competition is for adult flutists aged 18 and over. The application deadline is February 1, 2015. Prizes: $1000, $500, $350, $100. See web for application and repertoire requirements.

The Firebird Chamber Ensemble’s 5th Annual Fred Moore Sr. Scholarship Competition will be held in Lexington, Kentucky in March 2015 with competitions for middle school, high school and piccolo. First round entries are due December 1. Check website for repertoire requirements. Cash Awards TBD. or klkirsh@windstream.net.

The Flute Society of Greater Philadelphia 2015 Young Artist Competition will be held on April 25, 2015 at the West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Swope Music Building and Performing Arts Center in West Chester, PA. The competition is open to flutists ages 18-30 (as of April 25, 2015). Recorded round: Telemann Fantasie in G Minor (No. 12) and Bozza Image. Final round: A 25-minute recital including both compulsory pieces. Prizes: $1000, $500, $250. For application and information .

The Flute Society of Washington (DC), Inc. will sponsor the Young Artist Competition (for flutists under age 30), Collegiate Soloist Competition (for Flutists under age 28), Mid-Atlantic High School Flute Choir, Adult Amateur Competition, Student Honors Competition (Grades 12 and under), Guest Artist Masterclass Performer, and Student Masterclass Performer February 21-22, 2015, Sheraton Reston Hotel, Reston, Virginia. Application and recording due November 3, 2014. See web for repertoire requirements.
 
The 22nd annual Hampton Roads Flute Faire Solo Competition will be held at Old Dominion University Diehn Performing Arts Center, Norfolk, Virginia on Monday, February 9 for elementary, middle school and high school flutists and on Saturday, February 14 for college and adult flutists. Prizes will be awarded in each division. For information: flutefaire@cox.net,

Houston Flute Club Byron Hester Solo Flute Competition for flutists of all ages will be held on March 14, 2015 at the Tallowood Baptist church, Houston. Recorded round requirements: Theobald Boehm: Caprice #20 in F# Minor, from 24 Caprices-Etudes, Op 26 (Schott) and John La Montaine: Sonata for Solo Flute, Mvts. 3 & 4 (Broude Brothers) Final round requirements: John La Montaine: Sonata for Solo Flute, Mvts. 3 & 4 (Broude Brothers) and one or more movements for flute and piano of the applicant’s choice not to exceed 10 minutes. Recorded round deadline: January 7, 2015. Prize: $1000 and recital.
Houston Flute Club 5th Annual Young Artist Student Competition will be held on May 9, 2015 between 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM at the Tallowood Baptist Church, Houston, Texas. The junior division is for flutists grade 9 and under and the senior division is for flutists grade 12 and under. Deadline: April 3, 2015. For requirements and application:
The Greater Indianapolis Flute Club will sponsor the annual Sandra Graef Junior Flute Competition for flutists grades 5-8 in April, 2015. Prizes: $1000 Indy Flute Shop gift certificate, $500 Indy Flute Shop gift certificate, Flute Lesson with Karen Moratz, principal flute Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. For information: mackenzielayne@gmail.com

Mid-South Flute Society Competitions will hold several competitions on March 27-28, 2015 at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Young Artist Competition is for flutists age 18-30. See website for repertoire. Prizes: $1000, $500, $300. Deadline: November 15, 2014. Mid-South also hosts competitions for High School Soloist Grades 9-12. Prizes: $150, $100, $50 and competitions to perform in masterclasses.
Musicfest Northwest, Young Artist: Flute. May 11-16, 2015. Deadline: March 1, 2015, Spokane, Wash.

National Flute Association Competitions: Young Artist, High School Soloist, Piccolo Artist, Baroque Flute Artist, Convention Performers, Flute Choir (Professional, Collegiate, High School), Jazz Soloist, Master-classes, Orchestral Audition, Non-performance (Arts Venture Competition, Flute Choir composition, Graduate Research, Newly Published Music), August 13-16, 2016 in Washington, D.C. See website for detailed requirements.
New York Competition for flutists ages 18-27 will be held at the New York Flute Fair on March 15, 2015. Repertoire: Albert Roussel Joueurs de Flute “Pan” by memory and another piece of applicant’s choice. Prizes: Performance opportunity on April 26, 2015, $1000, $600, $400. Deadline: February 13, 2015.

The 67th Prague Spring International Music Competition for flutists under the age of 30 will be held May 7-15, 2015 in the Czech Republic. The deadline to enter is December 1, 2014. Cash prizes and concert engagements will be awarded. , competition@festival.cz
 
The Respighi Prize 5th International Competition for composers and soloists is open to young composers and soloists under the age of 40 who are currently enrolled in a conservatory or college. The prize is a performance with the Chamber Orchestra of New York during the 2017-2018 season. Deadline: June 30, 2015. For competition rules:
Southeast Michigan Flute Association will sponsor the Rachel Stornant Junior Artist Competition in October 2015. The competition is open to any Michigan resident who has not completed the 8th grade at the time of the final round of the competition. The deadline to enter is September 15, 2015. Prizes: $300, $50 Gift card to Flute World, $25 scholarship. Information: competitions@semfa.org,

Southeast Michigan Flute Association will sponsor the High School Young Artist Competition in October 2015. The competition is open to any Michigan flutist in grades 9-12 who is currently a SEMFA member and has not previously won the first prize. The deadline to enter is September 15, 2015. Prizes: $300, $200, $100. Information: competitions@semfa.org,

South Carolina Flute Society will hold competitions for school-aged flutists through professional at the College of Charleston, Charleston, SC on April 11, 2015. Deadline: February 23, 2015. Prizes: $100-$500. For requirements: . 

Texas Flute Society Competitions: 30th Myrna Brown Competition will be held May 14-15, 2015 at Texas Woman’s University, Denton, Texas. No age limit. Recorded round: Eugène Bozza Image pour Flute seule and Robert Aitken Icicle. Live Final Round: Newly commissioned work, 25 minute program of applicants choosing. Prizes: $1200 and invitation to be a guest artist at the 2016 Texas flute Festival, $500, $250. May 14-15, 2015. Deadline: February 15, 2015. terriflute@gmail.com,
4th Donna Marie Haire Competition for school aged flutists who will graduate during or after 2014-2015 school year. The competition will be held May 16, 2015 at Texas Woman’s University, Denton, Texas. Recorded round: Muczynski Three Preludes, Op. 18, movement 1; Mozart Concerto in D, K. 314, movement 2 (no cadenza). Live round: Enesco Cantabile et Presto and a 15-minute program of the applicant’s choosing. Prizes; $1000, $500. Deadline: March 1, 2015. francesca_arnone@baylor.edu,

Festival Masterclass Competitions for college and adult masterclasses, high school solo and junior high solo will be held May 15-16, 2015 at Texas Woman’s University, Denton, Texas. Recorded round: flute solo of choice. Prize: Opportunity to perform in masterclass at Texas Flute Society. Deadline: March 1, 2015. juleekimwalker@gmail.com,

Upper Midwest Flute Association (UMFA) will sponsor a Young Artist Competition (for flutists under the age of 30) on April 25, 2015 at Hamline University, St. Paul, Minnesota. Deadline: February 18, 2018. Check web for repertoire details for recorded and live rounds. Prizes: $600, $400, $200.

Woodbridge Flute Choir is sponsoring its seventh Concerto and Scholarship Competition for flutists aged 14-18. The winner will receive a $500 scholarship award and perform the concerto with the Woodbridge Flute Choir on March 22, 2015 at 3:00 PM at Greenwich Presbyterian Church, 15305 Vint Hill Road, Nokesville, VA. See website for repertoire suggestions. Deadline: January 6, 2015..
jdgilbert99@gmail.com

If you have information about an upcoming competition or other event, email: editor@flutetalkmagazine.com

Upcoming Final Rounds
Several competitions are already past their application deadlines for this year. Information on the final rounds is included below. Many are yearly events and interested flutists may wish to note the information for next year. 

Chicago Flute Club will sponsor the Annual Student Competition on November 9, 2015. Application deadline was October 6, 2014.

The Florida Flute Association Competitions will be held at the annual convention January 30-February 1, 2015 at the Orlando Airport Marriott. The College Young Artist (Prizes: $400, $350, $300) and High School Young Artist (Prizes: $250, $225, $200) have an application deadline of October 1.
The 75th Geneva International Music Competition for piano and flute will be held Nov. 16-December 6, 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland. The application deadline was April 2014. elias@concoursgeneve.ch,
 
James Pappoutsakis College Young Artist Competition for flutists attending Berklee, Boston Conser-vatory, Boston University, Longy, or New England Conservatory will be held January 25, 2015 in Boston. Preliminary round: November 16, 2014. Deadline: October 17, 2014.
Oklahoma Flute Society will host the 2014 Collegiate Competition and High School Masterclass Competition at the Flute Fair on Nov. 14-15. The entry deadline was Oct. 3. For more on 2015 competition see .

Rochester Flute Association Flute Fair on November 7 and 8, 2014 will sponsor a competition in flute for high school, adult, and emerging artists and a piccolo competition for high school and collegiate ages. The application deadline was September 26, 2014.

The post Directory of Competitions (2014-2015) appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    Andersen etudes were the cornerstone of Harold Bennett’s teaching. He believed that every serious flute student should study Opuses 33, 30, 15 and 63. (Each opus contains 24 etudes, one written in each major and minor key.) Opus 33 is the foundation, as each etude is short, concise, and can be repeated in many different ways. They are just challenging enough technically to warrant concentration, but not all-consuming, so other musical aspects can simultaneously be considered. Each etude deals with different musical and technical challenges that flutists should overcome to control the instrument and perform musically.
    During the early 1960s Jack Furlong, who was one of Bennett’s recording studio colleagues and also his student, commissioned him to record a lecture and demonstration of Opus 33. It was not intended for commercial use. However, after Bennett’s passing, this recording was made available in a limited quantity on a 33 1/3 LP record album. I have taken quotes from this album, not only to supplement my memory of intensely studying these etudes with him, but also to capture his down-to-earth personality and method of relaying profound concepts in simple terms.
    After 40 years of teaching these etudes at the university level, I have supplemented Bennett’s approach with my own ideas as well. (HB in the text refers to Bennett’s comments, and JB to my ideas.) This has metamorphosed into a combined approach to Andersen’s Opus 33.
    The main idea is to thoroughly dissect each etude and get as much benefit as possible from each one. A few general guidelines are:
    1. Perform finger exercises on fragments of each phrase. Start each fragment slowly and repeat, while gradually accelerating until a smooth evenness is reached at a fast yet controllable tempo. Repeat each fragment in all octaves possible.
    2. Using a metronome for the rest of the practice session, play the etude three times (ff, mf and pp) slurred. Do not leave any notes out or add any rests in which to breathe.
    3. Articulation practice: play the etude staccato with air pulsations only (no tongue); play the etude with single-tongued staccato added to the air pulsations; play with all Kahs (the weaker double-tongued syllable); play double tongued (Tah-Kah).
    4. Play the etude as written, with the dynamics, articulations and all repeats and da capo markings.
    5. Breathe in the most musical places according to Andersen’s phrase construction.
    6. JB: I have students play each previously studied etude at least once before concentrating on the etude currently assigned. After studying an etude intensely for a week, playing it once per day keeps it under the fingers and continuing to improve. Once a student has reached the half-way point and beyond, the previously studied etudes can be divided up. For example, before practicing etude 13, play etudes 1-6, then 7-12 at the following practice session.

Etude 1
    HB: “Finger exercises in etude #1 are two-beat fragments. Repeat the fragments slowly and when the tone and evenness of rhythm are established, begin speeding up the repetitions. Play the finger exercises slurred and double tongued in all octaves possible.”
    JB: Practice finger exercises the first 5 or 10 minutes. Start the next practice session where you left off. Practice the most difficult finger exercises daily.
    HB: “Breathe every two bars. When breathing on the bar line, rush the last four notes before the breath a tiny bit to create a breathing space. Make certain the proceeding downbeat is not late.”
    JB: This idea of creating a breathing space is very subtle and with practice will become almost imperceptible. Bennett’s idea of always playing these etudes with a metronome forces the students to conserve air, breathe quickly and efficiently, and work through the suffocation stage. To maintain the dynamic level, crescendo slightly when descending into the low octave.

Six bars after the first second ending, the word cresc. is written. Many students tend to forget to continue the crescendo in the proceeding bars. In the final section (A minor), make sure to bring out the accents. For clear phrasing, emphasize the first note of each slur in this section (not the last note).

Etude 2
    HB: “Practice #2 at various speeds, begin at 100 and work up to 116 as indicated. Practice single and double tongued. Finally, practice double tongued with two repeated sixteenth notes per eighth (Tah-Kah squared). Since the eighths are staccato, breathing between eighths is not a problem.”
    JB: Breathe at the phrase endings even if it’s on the bar lines. The breaths will be least noticed if taken just before the phrase pattern repeats. A common practice on etude 2 is to breathe after the downbeat. This works in many situations, however, in this case the breath would occur after the first note of the new phrase. The breath then becomes musically disruptive and more noticeable. This etude is also good for catching a bad habit that most flutists have. When slurring, flutists move their fingers in rhythm. However, when articulating they tend to depress the keys slightly ahead of the articulation, especially on right hand low notes. This creates an unnecessary popping or clacking sound of the keys. I call this pre-articulation fingering (PAF). When the keys are depressed, air is moved within the flute. Therefore, when depressing the keys simultaneously with the tongue release, articulation becomes more effortless and the key noises disappear. Logically it makes no sense to move the fingers in rhythm for slurring yet out of rhythm for articulating. Pianists don’t do this.
 
Etude 3
    HB: “Finger exercises are six-note patterns. Breathe practically in every bar, just before the last group of notes. Begin at MM=52 and work up to 66. Bring out the downbeat low notes.”
    JB: In the first bar lean on each downbeat as the other notes are accompaniment. Exaggerate all the subtle dynamic changes. Be careful to keep all sixteenth note passages even.

Etude 4
    HB: “Finger exercises are two beats long. Work for smoothness in the octave higher finger exercises. Bring out the accents.”
    JB: This etude is good practice for distinguishing between the two types of accents Andersen uses: those at the beginnings of slurs (articulated) and those under slurs (breath accents). When executed correctly, there should be an audible difference.

To perfect this technique, sustain each accented note, without vibrato, until the next accent and then sustain that note, etc. The trick is to stop the air behind the tongue momentarily on the articulated accents, without cheating the length of the previous note. Therefore, the overall effect should be legato. When that has been accomplished, the other notes can be re-included around the accents. Also practice etude 4 an octave higher.

Etude 5
    HB: “In etude #5, finger exercises are one beat (6 notes). Breathe every two bars. The trick is to get to the lower notes as soon as possible from the highest note. Start at MM=50 and work up to 58. Also practice double tongued, Tah-Kah squared and triple tongued.”

    JB: I encourage students to treat this melody as a compound line (melody and accompaniment) with the melody being the downbeats. Bring out the melody and treat the other five sixteenth notes as pick-ups.

Etude 6
    HB: “Be extremely careful of your rhythmic matters. Practice with the metronome at e =88, subdivided. The last note can be played an optional octave lower. [In the] third bar from the end, beat three should have a triplet (3) marked over it. This is one of the nicest exercises I know. Play an octave higher where possible.”
    JB: This etude taught me to hear the subdividing voice in my mind while playing, a huge rhythmic breakthrough for me. Before practicing this etude as written, I have students actually play the subdivisions as repeated notes in place of the sustained notes.

    Then when playing etude 6 as written,

they begin to hear the internal subdividing voice. Since I have students first play the subdivisions, they set the metronome at q =44 from the start. This etude solidifies the two main subdivisions in music: duple and triple.

Etude 7
    HB: “Finger exercises are two or three beats. Breathe every two bars and after the long notes. This is a good exercise for double tonguing.”
    JB: This etude is good for practicing evenness of technique, as Andersen alternates between ascending and descending scales and arpeggios.

Many students tend to rush in the first bar, yet play the second bar in time. This is understandable, since putting down fingers in the first bar has less resistance than lifting the weight of the fingers against gravity in the second bar. Anticipate key resistance, as ascending requires more work than descending (lowering the fingers with gravity). Etude 7 is also beneficial for maintaining a strong tone throughout. Since the low octave speaks softer, a crescendo is necessary on descending passages to maintain a consistent volume. The most difficult skip occurs in the second bar, between middle D and low E. To practice executing this interval, sustain the low E. While sustaining, switch the fingering to middle D, still maintaining the low E embou-chure position. The D will automatically speak as the first finger in the right hand has been lifted. Therefore, in context play the middle D with the embouchure position for the low E and move the fingers to low E while continuing to crescendo. The E should speak more readily.
 
Etude 8
    HB: “#8 is excellent for finger exercises. Do finger exercises carefully – legato and staccato. Breathe every four bars or eight bars at tempo. Start at MM=60 and work up to 76. Crescendo as you go down to the low notes.”

    JB: In order to breathe, almost every student clips the last eighth note of the phrase too short. This breaks the etude’s lyrical mood. Get to the last eighth on time or a bit early in order to catch a breath after playing a long eighth note. To make dynamic sense out of the last four bars, the penultimate dynamic should be mp to create the hairpin (crescendo/diminuendo).

This one is also excellent for checking the right pinky position when negotiating to and from middle D. Bennett, along with his teacher Kincaid, was adamant about the right pinky being depressed on all fingerings where applicable. Only the Ds should have the right pinky up during this etude.

Etude 9
    HB: “#9 is especially good for fingering E to F#. Start at 52 and work up to 66. Breathe after staccato downbeats. Also play an octave higher.”
    JB: Careful attention must be paid to the rhythm of the first beat of the melody.

The F# sixteenth receives 1/8 of the beat, while the proceeding G# receives 1/6. The tendency is to play both notes 1/6 of the beat. This melody is also a compound line. Bring out the staccato sixteenths and treat the slurs as accompaniment (played slightly softer). Be mindful of the specific dynamic changes. In the first phrase, for example, the melody sixteenths should make a gradual three-bar crescendo leading to the subito piano. The second section should be absolutely pp. The final eight bars are a steady crescendo from p to f. There is often a rhythmic inconsistency during the slurred notes. The descending notes tend to rush, due to the change in key resistance.

Etude 10
    HB: “Play #10 in both octaves. This exercise has spaces between every single note. It’s more or less an exercise of style. Watch the individual eighth so it doesn’t get out of place rhythmically. The triplet must be very clear and accurate. Start at MM=116 – single tongue.”
    JB: Since etude 10 is marked agitato, each note should be rendered crisply. This is very good practice for clear articulations within the muddy middle register (especially middle D# and E). Since middle D# and E tend to be flatter than the surrounding notes, most flutists avoid cracking and going flat by blowing across slightly. Unfortunately, they lose resonance as a result. A better way to avoid cracking, while maintaining pitch and tone, is to slightly uncover the embouchure hole (mostly with the top lip), while continuing to blow downward. When playing this etude an octave higher, the last phrase is good practice for negotiating high C#s and the occasional high E.

Etude 11
    HB: “Get the grace notes in the proper proportion. Grace notes (should be) on the third part of the triplet. Start at 88 and work up to 120 – also triple tongue. No finger exercises for #10 & 11.”
    JB: This is yet another compound line. First practice the melody only.

The remainder of the sixteenth notes forms the accompaniment (played slightly softer). In contrast to etude 10, the articulation in 11 should be light and effortless to conform to the dolce mood. Breathing can be very uncomfortable for both the performer and listeners. When performing continuous note melodies, often the best and least noticed place to breathe is right before the repetition of the phrase. In this case, breathe on the bar line after each four bar phrase.
 
Etude 12
    HB: “[There are] some very good finger exercises in #12. Breathe every two bars after the quarters. Try to get a nice full tone. Start at 80 and work up to 104 – also double tongue.”
    JB: The phrasing often sounds too heavy. Students tend to emphasize every downbeat. In the first phrase, the downbeat of the second bar is the end of the slur and a resting point, a comma in the middle of the two-bar phrase.

Therefore, only emphasize the quarter notes on the downbeats, not the ends of slurs. Louis Moyse always said, “Lean on the first note of a slur.” Execute the dynamics exactly. In the middle section, the forte is under the second note of the second and fourth bars.

Etude 13
    HB: “#13 seems to have as its main purpose, this crescendo in the second part of the bar.

Play B# as soft as possible. Make finger exercises on each bar. Start at 104 and work up to 126. Breathe after the second note in any bar or every four bars.”
    JB: This is yet another compound line melody. This etude is all about playing a clear staccato melody note on the downbeat of each bar, after the preceding slurred notes. First practice the melody only, leaving out beats two and three.
    Next leave the melody out and play all the slurs,

making sure each hairpin is symmetrical. Make sure the highest note in each slur is the loudest. Concerning the best breathing places, since each bar is heard as a complete motive, I prefer breathing on the bar line every four or eight bars.

Etude 14
    HB: “#14 is a real pretty exercise. One of the main reasons for this is to differentiate between the sixteenths and the triplets. The triplets want to dominate, so emphasize the sixteenths so they won’t get swallowed up. Don’t play eighths as part of the triplet.”
    JB: As with etude 6, play the subdivisions on repeated notes in place of the written long notes. A common phrasing error here is emphasizing the long note at the end of each phrase. This makes each phrase sound too heavy and not espressivo as indicated. In the first phrase, for example, the emphasis should go on the downbeat of the second bar.

Etude 15
    HB: “Single and double tongue and mix them up – four bars each. Make sure they sound the same. Breathe every four bars before the upbeat. Start at 80 and work up to 100. Also do Tah-Kah squared and in dotted rhythms.”
    JB: Having repeated notes at the beginning of each beat creates a great way to examine the evenness of double-tonguing. The tone tends to suffer when articulating as opposed to slurring. This is because notes tend to speak sharper when articulated. To compensate for the pitch and improve the tone as well, cover slightly more embouchure hole when articulating.

Etude 16
    HB: “#16 is just a group of one bar phrases with a nice big crescendo in each bar. Practice at 92. Make six-note finger exercises disregarding the quarters. Be sure you get a good legato between the first two notes. Drive the low note up into the top note. You have to do this with your diaphragm – your air pressure. As soon as you hit the first note, start the crescendo into the tied note.”
    JB: This is a great exercise to practice making large skips sound proportional and effortless. Do most of the crescendo during the first note. Make certain the first note ends louder than it started, as there is not much time to achieve this. Then execute the top notes in proportion to the crescendo made on the lower note – not suddenly louder. A phrasing mistake is often made on the sixteenths, making them sound too heavy. Notice in this example that the sixteenths are in groups of two. Emphasizing the highest note of each group, which happens naturally on the flute, sounds heavy. Instead, emphasize the first note leading to the second.

Etude 17
    HB: “This is a kind of pretty exercise. Breathe every two bars before the final beat. The accented notes represent a melody. Don’t punch them too hard, but they must be brought out. Start at 88 and work it up to 108. Not much we can do about finger exercises on this one. Get a nice slowing vibrato. Make sure there are no gaps, etc.”
    JB: Andersen forces the compound line issue by writing the accompaniment thirty-second notes p. This is excellent practice for subito dynamic changes. This is what I call jaw-shifting. First practice the melody only with a comfortable amount of air and comfortable jaw position.

Then practice only the p thirty-seconds using less air with the bottom teeth slightly forward of the top teeth.

Then put the two together.

Etude 18
    HB: “On the crescendo/diminuendo, these three notes should be brought out.

    Always take a breath after four bars before the last three notes, except when you have slurs. Start about 76 and work up to 88. Single tongue and double. It’s fun to play this one all double tongued (Tah-Kah squared). No finger exercise on #18.”
    JB: With so many hairpins, students often forget to make the middle note the loudest all the time. Make certain the three repeated notes, during the first two bars of every phrase, sound like one gesture. This can be accomplished by not emphasizing the last repeated note which is on the beat. Also, the second note of each two-note slur should be short (even though Andersen and many other composers don’t mark it). This creates space for the proceeding staccato.
 
Etude 19
    HB: “#19 is another one of those pretty ones. I like a little slower tempo, quarter equals 56. Put a little schmaltz on this one.”
    JB: To create the sentimental mood as Andersen requests, do not crescendo to the downbeat of the first phrase,  but diminuendo instead. This creates a more nostalgic mood.

This motive occurs again in diminution, in the first bar on the upbeat of two. Bring it out a bit in the same manner. Reflecting on the first three notes is truly sentimental. As in etude 14, do not emphasize the last note of the phrase – lean on the downbeat.
    One detail almost always overlooked occurs three bars before the first ending. The loudest note of that phrase should be the high G. The p dynamic is marked under the note after the G. Practicing 19 with the metronome is a good way to explore measured rubato. Experiment with changing the distribution of the notes while keeping the overall tempo steady.
 
Etude 20
    HB: “Make a difference between sixteenths and triplets. Watch your dynamics in this one – no finger exercises. Start at 108 and work up to 132. Be very careful of the note values in this. In the first bar the eighths are staccato. In the second bar the first two eighths are a little bit longer.”

    JB: A very common mistake is made in bars six and seven. The low Gs are mistakenly played an octave higher. Make sure the last four bars are very powerful throughout, making a crescendo on descending lines.

Etude 21
    HB: “The breathing is one of the big problems here. Of course, the main problem is the dynamic. I find it easier to get the repeated notes by double-tonguing, but I think you should practice it both ways. Again, you have to rush the repeated notes slightly, in order to get a space for the breath. The breath will occur in the second bar just before the last group (of sixteenth notes) and that pattern will maintain throughout the exercise, except where it returns to the original theme. Breathe every two bars. On the eighth bar, breathe at the end of the bar. Start at 84 and work up to 100. Be careful of the dynamics – that’s the main purpose of this. Double-tongue the entire exercise and also use dotted rhythms – no finger exercises.”
    JB: To help students pay close attention to these very detailed dynamics, I have them first practice the repeated notes only.

This makes them more sensitive to the individual dynamics of each group. When repeated notes crescendo, make certain the last note is the loudest. Then practice only the slurred notes.

Then put them all together:

Etude 22
    HB: “This is a real loud one. Pound this one out. Start at 72 and work up to 96. Play the triplet grace notes as fast as you can. Play as loudly as you can.”
    JB: Breathe at the end of every phrase, which is after beat three of the fourth bar (not after the downbeat of the fifth bar). Notice that the first sixteenth in the second and fourth bar is not staccato. During the middle section, breathe at the end of the phrase, after beat three of the second bar (not after the downbeat of the third bar).

Etude 23
    HB: “#23 is just the opposite of #22 – more effeminate and sweet sounding. Breathe after the lowest note in the phrase, every two bars. Start at 54 and work up to 63 – no finger exercises. The hang-up here is that crescendo down to the low note. Watch your accidentals in this one.”
    JB: Do not cheat the length of the eighth note before taking a breath. Make the sixteenths sound as if they grow out of the dotted eighths. To achieve this, accelerate the air (slightly crescendo) on the dot of the dotted eighths, into the sixteenths.

If the dotted eights decay, the phrases don’t flow together in the indicated amabile mood (warm and tender).

Etude 24
    HB: “#24 is one of the more difficult ones. Make each bar a finger exercise. Make them absolutely even. The trick here is to play the thirty-seconds as rapid as you can. Start at 60 and work up to 84. Breathe before the last four notes of the last bar (of each phrase) – single and double tongue.”
    JB: Even at the slower speed of 60, the thirty-seconds are really fast. To make sure a triplet rhythm is not played, replace the dot of each dotted-sixteenth with a repeated thirty-second note.

This is a way to feel the duple subdivision and get the sense of just how fast the thirty-second notes must be. Then perform as written.

    I firmly believe that a careful study of Andersen’s Twenty-four Progressive Studies for Flute, Opus 33 will bring the level of flute playing, phrasing, and paying attention to musical details to a higher standard. Before studying these etudes with Bennett, I studied them with John Wummer (former principal flutist with the NBC Symphony and New York Philharmonic) as an undergraduate student at the Hartt School of Music. Wummer called Andersen Etudes Opus 33, “the Bible.”

*    *    *

    Harold Bennett (1913–1985) was principal flutist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra from 1944–1965. He was originally from Sheridan, Wyoming, where he studied with his older high school friend, Maurice Sharp. They both played flute in Sharp’s father’s vaudeville theatre. When Sharp left Sheridan to study with William Kincaid at the Curtis Institute, he encouraged Bennett to also apply. Bennett began his studies with Kincaid at Curtis several years later. From 1940 to 1944 he played assistant first flute and piccolo in the Philadelphia Orchestra alongside his teacher William Kincaid. He also did stints as principal flutist of the National Symphony, Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Symphony. He taught extensively throughout his career and joined the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music in 1962. 

The post Teaching Andersen’s 24 Etudes, Op. 33, With Ideas from Harold Bennett appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

    Aldo Baerten is principal flute of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic and professor of flute at the Royal Conservatory Antwerpen and at the Hogeschool der Kunsten-Utrecht Conservatory. Previously he played principal flute in the Nieuw Belgisch Kamerorkest and the MDR Sinfonie Orchester Leipzig.
    Baerten studied at the Royal Conservatory Brussels, the Musikhoch-schule Basel, and the R. Strauss Conservatory Munich. His principal teachers were Peter-Lukas Graf and Philippe Boucly. He has recorded extensively with repertoire
ranging from solo flute and chamber music to large orchestral works.  

 
When did you begin your music studies?
    After one year of solfeggio, I began flute lessons at the age of nine. My first teacher was Linda Panis. Later we became colleagues and friends while teaching together at a local music school. Although my parents played piano, both were history teachers. As a young boy I attended children’s concerts presented by the National Orchestra of Belgium. I don’t remember why I chose the flute, but I suppose I was attracted to the shiny beautiful instrument in the middle of the orchestra. I also liked the cello. In my early studies I never practiced. As a young student I was influenced by Sir James Galway, Berdien Stenberg, and Thijs van Leer and later on by Peter-Lukas Graf, Philippe Boucly, and Jeanne Baxtresser.
    During high school (Brussels European School) I had an English music teacher who got me interested in music as a career. My main interest became music as I played in a band and orchestra, participated in the yearly musical, and sang in the choir.   
    While studying at the Brussels Conservatory, besides the flute, I enjoyed courses in playing chamber music and orchestra, music history, and piano as a second instrument. Unfortunately when you are young, you love to practice a lot and pay less attention to other courses. Now, I would love to learn more about history and harmony.

What were your first professional experiences?
    I graduated from the Brussels Conservatory when I was 19. I have always lived in Brussels, south of city center near the forest. I am still living in my family house where I was born. Luckily I could and still do commute to all my jobs. First I taught in a local music school, played in a small chamber orchestra, and played lots of chamber music. Eventually I auditioned for the Royal Flemish Philharmonic. The audition was quite normal with three rounds; the first two were behind a screen. At the time I hated the audition process, but in the end I was happy to win. Since we have two principal flutists, my schedule varies from one week to the next. This allows me to perform chamber concerts and fulfill my teaching duties.

How does a flutist’s role change in different settings?
    In an orchestra, a flutist must blend and adapt. In a chamber ensemble, the flutist still blends and adapts, but less so. In the soloist’s role, you are the boss. In orchestra I am a chameleon, choosing tone colors to enhance the total performance. I am a team player who is trying to make everybody feel happy about playing together. At times, for a very short while, I may have a solo and can be more individualist in my choices.

What is your advice for audition preparation?
    Auditions are a very special way to select musicians. It may not be the best way but it is what it is. Preparation is about the basics: sound, intonation, flexibility, accuracy, good stable technique, and rhythm. Depending on the position (principal or not), more or less individual playing.

What is your teaching philosophy?
    My younger students range in age from 9 to 18 years old. I also teach some adults and professional students at the conservatories. Students are not very different from 25 years ago when I was one. However, access to the internet and mobile phones seems to take even more attention away from practice time than television and playing outside did in my childhood. For curriculum I teach all the Gariboldi books, etudes (Köhler, Drouet, and De Michelis), repertoire pieces, and orchestral excerpts. I focus on the basics of flute playing: sound, technique, phrasing, breathing, and healthy playing.
    In teaching tone color, I start with the four basic tone colors: full without vibrato, full with vibrato, hollow without vibrato, and hollow with vibrato. Then the rest is up to the player’s imagination. There are an unlimited number of possibilities taking into consideration who the composer is, what style he is writing in, and the orchestration of the work or passage.
    To develop seamless slurs, I have my students practice slurring (without vibrato) on small intervals, then larger intervals to develop control of the airstream and the body. The embouchure should not be down, but in a natural position with the upper face smiling.
    I teach all the possible attacks I can imagine from Tu, Du, Gu, Pu, Bu to nothing at all (breath attack). Try Ti, Ti, Tu, Tu, and you will feel where the tongue should be placed. Since you can’t see this, you have to feel this placement.
    Vibrato should be well-placed and diversified. Once you can control it, then forget about it and express music. The vibrato will follow quite naturally.
    Breathing should be natural and not exaggerated. Jean-Pierre Rampal suggested, “Nothing more than when you speak.” To develop projection, I tell students to aim the sound far away from them. Never play for yourself, but play for others. In a concert hall direct the sound to the last row.
    Each flutist should look for individual solutions to aligning the flute, stance and balancing the flute in the hands. Search for solutions by reading Quantz and books of our time. Every person is different. Be flexible to find the right things for each individual, as we are all built in a different way. Go for playing comfort, never pain, and search for the best possible position so you can make music without thinking. There are three things to do to develop technique: practice, practice, and practice. 
    My advice for students is to be passionate, work hard, live, and love. Music is great but not the only thing in your life.

What are you listening for when auditioning a prospective student?
    Talent. Musical Talent. It is the only thing I cannot teach the student.

Throughout your career you have specialized in playing and recording chamber music. What is your philosophy for programming chamber concerts?
    I usually go with the flow and play what is asked. Sometimes though I develop my own ideas based on what instrumentation we have or what
compositions might be interesting to play.
    I enjoy combining great music of known composers with great music of lesser known composers. I play all styles. For 15 years I played in a harp quintet, but now I tend to play in all kinds of groups and ensembles. Right now I am preparing Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire. (This piece involves a lot of piccolo playing, which I actually enjoy even though I have never had a piccolo lesson in my life.)
    Chamber music is about sharing – sharing among the musicians and then sharing between the musicians and an audience. It is an intimate art form that is emotional and performed in a smaller venue. It can be a remarkable experience for all.

How do you find balance in life?
    A musician’s life is very unbalanced. My teacher in Munich, Philippe Boucly, used to say, “Eat well, sleep well and do sports.” It was a good advice, and I admire him for running and biking and staying fit. My teacher Peter-Lukas Graf in Basel said, “A little of everything and a little of meditation.” 
    I love to read all kinds of things from newspapers to books about music and literature. I just finished reading a book about Beethoven written by my first chief conductor and musicologist Jan Caeyers. I am old fashioned as I always read in hardcover.
    I hardly listen to music outside the repertoire I play and that of my students. My ears are usually very happy to have some time off especially after playing every day in the orchestra and teaching about 25 hours a week. I love jazz, musical, pop music etc., but I do not listen very often as I love silence. 
 
What are your future plans?
    First I want to stay healthy. Then I want to continue to play, teach, learn and share. I plan on making a new CD and performing in a new tour of Norway. I have a love and passion for life and for music. I enjoy what I do and especially sharing it with special people.

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