anybody have nany cool flute advice for someone who skipped like 3 bands. all these other people are super good and i stink compared to them! I need some advice so maybe I can get in third Chair at the end of the year? Anybody???

The only advice is to practice. You can't improve without practice. You also should not compare yourself to them. It is not a competition between you and them, it's a competition between you and yourself. Set goals for your practice sessions, and then work to meet them. Also, be sure you are practicing, and not just playing through the music. If you make a mistake, break the music down, fix it, play it over and over again until you are sure you won't do it again, and then go on. Don't just fix it once, and say, "Well, I fixed it....It'll work from now on" because it won't. Playing the same mistakes over and over won't help you improve. Also, lessons with a good teacher will help you a lot.

yes, thank you very much but i have say 4 weeksto improve everything and my teacher is giving me extra stuff... becuase i skipped bands and never learned it!!!

Well what exactly do you need help learning? There's no magical technique to help you learn 3 years worth of stuff in 4 weeks. If there is something you need an explanation of, or a term you don't understand or something, we probably can help you with that, though.

>>becuase i skipped bands and never learned it!!!<<

Can you explain what you mean by "skipped bands"? I'm not sure if you mean that you skipped 3 band practices, or you weren't in band for the past 3 years.

If you haven't been in band, then basic good musicianship should work for you--practice your parts (at home, during study hall--make time for this); attend all practices; listen attentively to the director; ask questions if necessary. Act happy to be there. And be extremely nice and polite to the people you are trying to get ahead of. I got in the audition-only wind ensemble my senior year by the skin of my teeth--I audition horribly (I can perform just fine, but I can barely breathe when I audition), and everyone else had had private lessons (my parents then gave me private lessons AFTER I got in because now I'd shown that I was "serious about it"). But, I practiced; I was a good overall musician; I was dependable; I played the bassoon for the concert band for two years (therefore, taking away some of my flute practice time); and the band director knew those things about me.

Judy

thanks! Um I started in beginning band then jumped over 3 bands to Symphonic... skipped concert, advanced, accelerated) Symphonic is the highest... I just wanted to know ilf there was like a hint... um say a different fingering for a note so it's played easier or something like that... i've only had 3 flute lessons... i convinced my parents

>>thanks! Um I started in beginning band then jumped over 3 bands to Symphonic... skipped concert, advanced, accelerated) Symphonic is the highest... I just wanted to know ilf there was like a hint... um say a different fingering for a note so it's played easier or something like that... i've only had 3 flute lessons... i convinced my parents
<<

Is this something you wanted to do and auditioned for? Or something you simply had to register for? Just trying to understand. What grade are you in? Are you continuing to take flute lessons?

There is no easy fix. Yes, there are special fingerings--I don't recall ever really needing to use them in high school, though, or even in flute lessons. The best fingering is usually the basic fingering, unless, with practice, the passage is still truly next-to-impossible. You need to be in tune with the rest of the flute section, so special fingerings should be something the flute section discusses as a group.

If you have specific questions about the music, I suggest you ask the higher chairs in your band. That's one of those ways that you can be nice to them--show them that you're trying to learn from them and be a team player. If you're taking private lessons (and I highly recommend it if you're struggling), then you should ask for your flute instructor's assistance with your band music.

What, exactly, is the extra work that your band director is having you do? I'm not sure why there would be "make-up" work, but, then, perhaps band programs have changed considerably in the last 20 years.

Judy

OK, replying again.

I see from your profile that you are 12. Is that still correct? How old are the other musicians in your symphonic band? Do you think that you made the correct choice to skip levels? You have a lot of years between now and the end of high school, and, IMO, it's better to have a challenge that is manageable, particularly at your age, rather than feeling lost. You've only been playing for a couple of years, from what you've said. It takes time and patience to learn all this stuff. I really think you'd be better served to continue your private lessons and participate in a band where you can have a little more fun and enjoy the "band" experience--the friendships you develop, the working together as a team towards a goal--at this point in your life. I can understand the draw of being able to reach for the sky and take on a particularly hard challenge--been there, done that, have the t-shirt. You want to feel that you're doing well, and I fully understand that there can be a particular status applied to different musical groups within a school setting. But, life only gets more stressful--don't create stress when you don't have to.

My 2 cents. Good luck and happy fluting.

I have to agree with Pickled. Nothing really changes when you skip bands besides the music becomes more difficult. There are not new fingerings you need to learn (unless your range is incomplete, which means to most high schoolers that they can play to C4), and usually no extra techniques (flutter tonguing might be an exception if you haven't already learned it). You may need to get up to speed with the level of music being played, or learn some new music terms, but other than that, I have a hard time thinking of anything you should be behind on. As Pickled mentioned, there are alternative fingerings meant to improve intonation and response, but these almost never NEED to be used, and when they do, it should be collectively. It's worthwhile to know these fingerings, but the should not be used except in circumstances where the passage is nearly impossible without them, as they do represent a compromise (otherwise they would be the "normal" fingerings). If you encounter a particular piece of music where you need these fingerings, wheck out www.wfg.woodwind.org.

All that I can really tell you is to practice. =/ I know that you are getting it a lot and it is incredibly irksome to hear it over and over again, but it does help, I promise you. I was in the same boat last year, and with daily practice, my skills greatly improved over time. You'll get there!

Good luck!

complicated to say. First off to your qusetion My band director just put us into a band for the following year... we had no addition or test but just how we did during the year.
i started in beginning band in 6th grade and starting wed. im going into 7th.

i have piano lessons because that's a instrument that my mom wants me to take.... i don't really like it but I have to do like 1 hour a day on it!!! (its annoying!) She says we don't have enough money for flute lessons becuase of piano and there is no way that I can quit piano (trust me i've tried!)So i finally convinced her that I can't go into Symphonic by what I'm trying to teach myself... So 3 weeksago she gave in and used extra money for my flute lessons... i hope to keep doing them unless we need the money!

I'll trying asking people but it seems everyone hates me.... they just say I'm a big band geek for trying to keep up with the top band... they say I shouldn't be in it... that I should be in Advanced... but I can't change! My band director is giving me 16th notes... (which I haven't done on the flute!)And really high notes that I was supposed to learn in other bands... just stuff like that... It's not so much makeup work but extra work to keep up... if only i knew how to do some of the stuff...

Well, all of that really does come with practice. It's not really fair for your director to toss you into something you're not ready for, but since he did, you'll have to practice to get those high notes (how high exactly?) under your fingers. 16th's shouldn't be that big a deal. They are just twice as fast as 8th notes (or have half the length). Other than that, they're nothing new. Good luck getting lessons! Those really will help a lot, as long as you have a good teacher.

thanks guys!!! That really does help! The other people in symphonic are just a year older but all of them have taken flute lessons forever!!! It's just a lot so fast... i got moved up there becuase I excelled so fast at what I already know... I could sight read better andjust pick up stuff faster... I'll try making friends but the problem is that all my close friends gat into Concert which is one level lower! I want to enjoy band but alot of stuff is going on with new jobs and brothers and competitions with piano i'm trying my best to keep up... I don't want to much stress but it seems to always find me!!!

Thanks Pickled. thanks Flutist06, and thank you Kito... i hope your advice works better than it sounds!!! I'll try what you said and tell you how it goes!!!

>>I'll trying asking people but it seems everyone hates me.... they just say I'm a big band geek for trying to keep up with the top band... they say I shouldn't be in it... that I should be in Advanced... but I can't change! My band director is giving me 16th notes... (which I haven't done on the flute!)And really high notes that I was supposed to learn in other bands... just stuff like that... It's not so much makeup work but extra work to keep up... if only i knew how to do some of the stuff...
<<

Have you talked to your band director about this? Why did he/she place you in that particular band?

I do feel obligated, as the parent of a budding middle schooler, to point out that the "band geek" comments are probably most likely from people who wish THEY had been placed in the higher band. However, if you are having trouble, you need to talk to people about it. Have you discussed this with your mother? Can she go with you to talk to the band director about why you are in this group, what his/her expectations of you are, and about things you can do to improve? It could serve two purposes--making sure your placement is correct and settling any doubts in your mind AND, perhaps, if your band director thinks you show promise, helping your mother to see where her private lesson dollars might best be spent. If you CAN'T afford private lessons at this time, there are other options--tutoring with an older flute player during study hall or after school; tutoring from the band director; etc. You would probably only need a couple of sessions like this to catch up enough to pick up the rest during rehearsals. There are also other options for private lessons, like alternating weeks, or taking a shorter lesson on each instrument. It might cost a little more than just piano lessons to do that, but it might be a good compromise if you can find private instructors willing to work with you. Another option is saving some money and taking one or two more individual lessons a month from now, after band has gotten into full gear. Keep track of any questions you have, and use the limited session(s) to ask all of them and get the most out of the experience.

And, remember: the only stupid question is the one you don't ask.

Good luck.

Judy

thanks judy!!! um personally I have talked to the band director...so has my mom and he's positive that the is the best band for me... he says that my progress level is so good it will only take a week or two and I should be fitting in right away... I believe him and so does my mom but I wish that one of my friends where with me when I go on trips and stuff because I get lonlely really fast and that doesn't make anything fun for me... I think I might be right in the band but I'm not sure that i'm up to it... everyone says I should be but I have some doubts.