Hello! This is probably a very basic question, but i wanted to know about beginner air capacity. I can get notes out and have a pretty nice range, getting up to a top A without much difficulty. But i cant hold notes for very long, therefore not play melody lines or anything yet. Is this normal? Ive only been playing for about 5 days. I have played a little flute before, but this is the first time ive really knuckled down and practiced seriously. THANKS

Very normal for non-flutists. It goes away with time and practice.

Ok thanks, any suggestions from one flute player to one whos not?

Try to use less air while keepin the same sound.

You also may have a leaky flute. It will take more air to make the notes sound right, so you run out of breath faster,if its leaky.

Because of inexperience you are using too much air You need to blow hard - plenty air pressure - in order to get top notes, but limit how much air is used having a smaller gap between your lips. do not pull them tight around your teeth to do this, but press your lips a little closer togther. YOu may need to gradually develop the required muscles.

Keep your throat/mouth open and your lips relaxed... and blow.

As far as proper embouchure goes if you have no one around pointing out when it is wrong, then there is no way it can be described that will get you to do the "right" embouchure. I can only tell you that it should not be too smiley, nor should it be too poh`ey. Larry Krantz` website has pics of some professional flutists embouchures for reference ( http://www.larrykrantz.com/embpic.htm ). You can practice in front of the mirror just to make sure you`re not doing something odd.

Any restriction of air flow should be handled by the lips. Your mouth cavity should be just as open on your lowest range and your highest range. Keep your chin up, if your head is down you are cutting off good air flow by curving your neck (like a curve in a river slows the speed of the water).

You shouldn`t experience pain in your hands when you play. If you do make sure you are not playing in such a way that you are moving your wrists around.

focus, don`t force, don`t overblow

IMHO and in my numerous years of teaching, it is not completely wrong to use a tight embouchure when playing the piccolo.

What exactly does "focus" mean? I keep reading it here, but to me "focus" is something to do with lenses, and mind. I am a beginner on flute so for flute it means nothing to me. Please explain.

to Carolyn, think of your flute embochure like a camera lens, when a note is fuzzy it is like a fuzzy picture through a viewfinder, adjust your embochure till the "picture" is clear, you will see what I mean, good luck

www.patrickandfriends.com

Make sure to use a really tight embouchure and blow really hard.

There are many ways to adjust my embouchure. What do you suggest?

Carolyn, think about what I wrote, your embochure should be as loose and relaxed as a camera lens finding the right adjustment to create a clear picture, a relaxed embochure = a clear tone, a tight embochure = a tight,pinched, unpleasant tone.
Ignore any advice telling you to over-blow with a tight embochure

www.patrickandfriends.com

okay i have been playing for 5 yrs and if you have been playing for 5 days than you should be able to last for about 4 counts but in a year you should be able to last 8 counts later on if you dont get any better thin email me back i could show you some breathing techniques

First, I`d ask do you play any other wind instruments already? If not your problem may just be learning how to increase lung capacity and teaching your body how to breathe to play an instrument. I`ve been teaching brand new players ranging from fouth grade to high school for many years and one of the first things they have to learn is that they have to uncrease capacity, and the best (and fastest) way is to over-extend the diaphram muscle beyond its NORMAL comfot zone using long tones. Yes those dreaded long tones, but they work if done right! STEP ONE: 3 deep breaths in. STEP TWO: On the third breath use your flute head only and blow its natural note NONSTOP till no more air is there, THEN PUSH OUT SOME MORE! (Repeat twice then put horn together and do it all again.) Like I tell my studens, if you are getting red in the face and come up sucking air like a drowning man your doing it right. The idea is to over extend the muscle (just like bodybuilders do) and it is uncomfortable (no pain, no gain), but it works!