Ok, I have been playing flute for...8 years...and I am still having problems with getting my sound to be clear all the time...somedays it`s really airy, and other`s it`s pretty clear...what can I do to make it better???

I know, I have the same problems (been playin for 3 1/2 years but on a college level) practice your low tones and pull your tongue back really far so not to split the air then relax your mouth (sumtimes if you play to long your embechure gets jacked and makes you airy) practice B flat down to low low C then from above staff B flat to staff C and so on, play till not airy or just rest for a day or too and dont play.

haha, yeah, I`ve noticed that if I don`t play for a day, my sound is GREAT!....but, I have to play everyday...1 hour and half classes...daily...and at least 1/2 hour practice...daily...kinda have no choice, haha...but thanks, I`ll try what you said

I use to have the same problem before,and I asked my director.He said that it`s,because I wasn`t in tone.All you need to do is tone yourself,and you`ll come out w/ a great,CLEAR sound.MacTownFlutey is right abuout the B flat to C.

Hi, I`m a self taught flute player. (Well not completely, I had help from my uncle who play one at one time.) Anyway, I was wondering how do you get a clear sound? I`ve been playing for about a year and a half now and my sound is really airy.

u have probably developed a common bad habit...bad embochure. (how u are forming the hole inbetween ur lips) this may or may not be the problem. there is the posibbility of it being ur flute. make sure u r regularly cleaning it and bringing it to a repair shop for checkups. i would get a band teacher or sum1 who no doubt knows what they are doing, to have u play a piece. Tell them to critisize any imperfections with ur embochure in particular. Hope this helps.

Yes that did help. I need to get in the habit of cleaning it. I hardly ever do. I think that may be some of the problem. I played my friend`s flute and it sounds ok. So I will take it to a repair shop to see if it`s the flute.

If your tone varies from practice session to practice session, it might be the alignment of the headjoint when you put it together. Because the sound is created when some of the air you blow is shaved off (in a sense) and spins in the flute, if it is shaved off differently, your tone will be different. Experiment with headjoint placement, and find a place that sounds the best. Then mark it with an itty bitty dot of nailpolish so that you alwayse line up your flute exactly the same.

NOTE: if your bad tone is because of a bad embrocure (sorry about the spelling), or because your flute is damaged, this won`t help much.


Gumdrop