Thanks so much for this video! I just bought a flute and have been playing for about 3 days and couldn't hit any note lower than a G. About 15 mins practice with this advice and now I've not only gotten those lowers notes unlocked but with a fairly decent tone as well!
Hi Devyn, so now about 90% of the time my low register is sounding great(for me) but then 10% of the time, for no apparent reason, I have to struggle. Often this is before warming up at all, so I'm thinking that's partly why. I make sure my lips are not chapped and wash my mouth first. Can you suggest reasons why it doesn't hit sometimes for no obvious reason? I do swab out the flute too. Thanks!@@DevynFlute
0:39 Very rich sound with lots of harmonics🙂, almost like an oboe. Before that, a good example of wimpy low notes. You are very good at switching back and forth for comparison. Great video!
Can you post something about tonguing the low register. I can get a resonant low register, but tonguing starts with a more breathy/gutteral tone, especially when there are many in row (like in the Berbiguier #1).
your videos are so insanely helpful. I've literally never heard anyone bring up the same tips as you?? and the tips you bring up are so much more helpful than anything I've ever heard. thank you for your videos!
Brilliant! I just started to play the flute, and the last 3 weeks have been so frustrating, trying to get a clean sound out. I've gone through several "embouchure" videos, with the smiling and turning down of lips, etc. etc. but it didn't really help. In fact, the advice I followed often made it worse. So today I tried the tips you described - and lo! the low register notes came out just right almost straight away. With a little more practice, the notes now sound clearer and more powerful :) Now I can focus on actually playing this thing! Thank you.
Great video! Just what I needed. Playing Mack Wilberg’s The First Nowell in our Cathedral for Christmas Eve and the first 2 lines and a half kill me! Going to go try your tips.
Thanks!! This video is so helpful for me. I'm practicing right now, and I don't know if I'm in the right path, but my belly goes extremely exhausted playing low notes, and I notice that I start to force my throat. Maybe it's because it's been a while without playing and I need to keep practicing...anyways, thank you so so much.
Thanks for the super helpful video! You advise to keep your aperture hole small but if I make it too small I pop up an octave. I assume the aperture hole has to be slightly larger than the upper octave aperture hole to get the low note to come out nicely?
Besides one or more pads not closing properly, an older cork that is shrinking will also make the low notes the first to go bad. I know of one person who had a very airy tone in the low notes, and found they had solder go bad on a cup, causing a slight gap. For the more serious flute student, who intends to be auditioning for professional orchestras one day, if their bottom few notes are a weak point they can't overcome, they shouldn't be discouraged, but instead try dozens of headjoints. Sometimes, a larger, more square-ish (rather than oval) hole opening shape facilitates fuller low notes. Make sure it doesn't affect the sound in all the other notes, including the ease at which a high D can be sounded. My first flute had an embouchure hole shape where I could hit an altissimo E, but from from low D down it was terrible. This was decades ago, before the proliferation of flute and headjoint makers there are today, where there are all different kinds of styles you can try. It's not about brand, material, or price, as much as it is finding the right one that suits your tone and articulation. Except for it being in excellent condition, the body of the flute is much less important compared to finding the right headjoint. At the higher end, like custom headjoints, they can vary even if they are the same hole shape, because the undercutting can cause variations. Anyway, I liked everything you said, and the part about playing with as little tension as possible in the lips, or even in the hands gripping the flute, I agree with that. Another thing people can try with low notes, although it didn't work for me especially, is to pull the corners of the mouth down. For me, the key was finding the right headjoint. The best thing about playing flute today, compared to the old days, is all the information on the internet. The worst thing is that if you want to play professionally, the number of openings is getting narrower, with orchestras going under. I knew of professionals back in the 70s who played in good positions, like one who played in a good opera orchestra, and couldn't play Volière flawlessly. You won't find that today.
Is a better flute makes playing the low notes (and all the rest of the notes, actually) easier? I'm still with my student flute, and never experienced a better/professional one. Thanks'
For a sweeter timbre, you can try bringing your lips closer together and focusing the air on the riser of your lip plate. Make sure you don’t create any tension in the corners of your lips!
In that case, your air speed is too fast, hence the crack up the octave. Try to keep the air speed slow while maintaining pressure to keep the low note sound focused.
![How to Breathe FOREVER 💨 [Circular Breathing]](/img/1.gif)
Thanks so much for this video! I just bought a flute and have been playing for about 3 days and couldn't hit any note lower than a G. About 15 mins practice with this advice and now I've not only gotten those lowers notes unlocked but with a fairly decent tone as well!
Glad it helped!
1/2 hour after watching your video & my low register is much improved already, including my fluidity in dexterity down there. Thanks again.
That’s great! I’m so glad I could help!
yeah, a few days now and my whole sound is transformed at all registers. Your vid sent me on a practice groove that's really done wonders.@@DevynFlute
I've for my life been a strong sax player. I might be catching up on flute now@@DevynFlute
Hi Devyn,
so now about 90% of the time my low register is sounding great(for me) but then 10% of the time, for no apparent reason, I have to struggle. Often this is before warming up at all, so I'm thinking that's partly why. I make sure my lips are not chapped and wash my mouth first. Can you suggest reasons why it doesn't hit sometimes for no obvious reason? I do swab out the flute too. Thanks!@@DevynFlute
0:39 Very rich sound with lots of harmonics🙂, almost like an oboe. Before that, a good example of wimpy low notes. You are very good at switching back and forth for comparison. Great video!
This is really helpful I I had my difficulties with the C but this helped thank you 😁
Can you post something about tonguing the low register. I can get a resonant low register, but tonguing starts with a more breathy/gutteral tone, especially when there are many in row (like in the Berbiguier #1).
This was the video I needed.
This video is so underrated, thank you for such an amazing video
Great analogy with the hosepipe! Thanks ❤
Wow, thanks. I had immediate success with your suggestions. You sound great, btw.
your videos are so insanely helpful. I've literally never heard anyone bring up the same tips as you?? and the tips you bring up are so much more helpful than anything I've ever heard. thank you for your videos!
I'm so glad! Let me know if you have any other topics you’d want a video about!
Awesome lesson! Thank you so much.😊
Jaw-droppingly wonderful advice! Thanks!
Nice pun! Glad it was helpful!
perfect advice, very clear and extremely helpful!!! Thanks a lot!
Best flute instructions on youtube
Do the teeth formation have an effect on the sound?
My lower teeth are projected Abit outside
Very Good Leason. I will try everything you say.
Brilliant! I just started to play the flute, and the last 3 weeks have been so frustrating, trying to get a clean sound out. I've gone through several "embouchure" videos, with the smiling and turning down of lips, etc. etc. but it didn't really help. In fact, the advice I followed often made it worse.
So today I tried the tips you described - and lo! the low register notes came out just right almost straight away. With a little more practice, the notes now sound clearer and more powerful :)
Now I can focus on actually playing this thing!
Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m so glad that my video could help you.
This is the best video I've seen on low notes and I've watched a bunch of them! I'm looking forward to putting these ideas into practice. Thanks!
Thank you!! I finally got my low c back after 2 years
This video literally helped me a lot. Now I can play my lower notes better thank you!!! 😭🙏🏼🙏🏼
I'm so glad! Happy to help!
Great video! Just what I needed. Playing Mack Wilberg’s The First Nowell in our Cathedral for Christmas Eve and the first 2 lines and a half kill me! Going to go try your tips.
Your low register is fantastic.
Great video. So much valuable information. I look forward to watching it again and playing along next time instead of eating pasta.
There’s no wrong time for eating pasta!
Nice. VERY nice!
Thank you!
Thanks!! This video is so helpful for me. I'm practicing right now, and I don't know if I'm in the right path, but my belly goes extremely exhausted playing low notes, and I notice that I start to force my throat. Maybe it's because it's been a while without playing and I need to keep practicing...anyways, thank you so so much.
I’m glad to help! Keeping your throat open and relaxed will help you use less tension and hopefully help you avoid exhaustion.
You’re a great teacher
Excellent lesson.
As others have said this is extremely helpful!
thank you so so much this was very helpful
This is very helpful. But can you also make toturial on how to play soft on the picolo with high notes. I kinda struggle with that
very helpfull . thanku!!
ขอบคุณมากครับ เป็นเทคนิคที่ดีจริงๆ
Thanks for the super helpful video! You advise to keep your aperture hole small but if I make it too small I pop up an octave. I assume the aperture hole has to be slightly larger than the upper octave aperture hole to get the low note to come out nicely?
Exactly! There’s a certain sweet spot :)
Many years ago I attended a masterclass with the french flutist Maxence Larrieu and he said to drop the jaw too.
Yup. He was dropping his jaw before this young man was born.
Exactly@@rudolphmcneill515
Besides one or more pads not closing properly, an older cork that is shrinking will also make the low notes the first to go bad. I know of one person who had a very airy tone in the low notes, and found they had solder go bad on a cup, causing a slight gap.
For the more serious flute student, who intends to be auditioning for professional orchestras one day, if their bottom few notes are a weak point they can't overcome, they shouldn't be discouraged, but instead try dozens of headjoints. Sometimes, a larger, more square-ish (rather than oval) hole opening shape facilitates fuller low notes. Make sure it doesn't affect the sound in all the other notes, including the ease at which a high D can be sounded.
My first flute had an embouchure hole shape where I could hit an altissimo E, but from from low D down it was terrible. This was decades ago, before the proliferation of flute and headjoint makers there are today, where there are all different kinds of styles you can try. It's not about brand, material, or price, as much as it is finding the right one that suits your tone and articulation. Except for it being in excellent condition, the body of the flute is much less important compared to finding the right headjoint.
At the higher end, like custom headjoints, they can vary even if they are the same hole shape, because the undercutting can cause variations. Anyway, I liked everything you said, and the part about playing with as little tension as possible in the lips, or even in the hands gripping the flute, I agree with that. Another thing people can try with low notes, although it didn't work for me especially, is to pull the corners of the mouth down. For me, the key was finding the right headjoint.
The best thing about playing flute today, compared to the old days, is all the information on the internet. The worst thing is that if you want to play professionally, the number of openings is getting narrower, with orchestras going under. I knew of professionals back in the 70s who played in good positions, like one who played in a good opera orchestra, and couldn't play Volière flawlessly. You won't find that today.
Great video! Would love to see one on vibrato
Is a better flute makes playing the low notes (and all the rest of the notes, actually) easier?
I'm still with my student flute, and never experienced a better/professional one.
Thanks'
❤ I love it!!!! Thank you so much.
Wow !!!! Great tips
Glad it was helpful!
Excelente...!!!
Would the same technique apply to the irish wooden flute
Next practice i do it
do you have any tips on making your middle and high register not airy?
Here is my video about getting rid of the air in your sound: ruclips.net/video/1nCzlIe3_z4/видео.html
Super!
How to get a sweeter richer C and C# just above the staff
For a sweeter timbre, you can try bringing your lips closer together and focusing the air on the riser of your lip plate. Make sure you don’t create any tension in the corners of your lips!
T H A N K Y O U !!!
Low notes were my strength! I felt like I lived in them.
I keep doing the higher octave
In that case, your air speed is too fast, hence the crack up the octave. Try to keep the air speed slow while maintaining pressure to keep the low note sound focused.
Lütfen Türkçe alt yazı
I used to be soooo good at my low notes but all of the sudden I can’t get out the lowest 2 notes!!
I can't hear any notes in my flute when I try low notes
The chin tip does not help me at all...resonance happens inside of the body
Last tip: buy a $20,000 gold flute.
Jokes aside, it actually tends to be easier on a cheap student flute
Не понятно главное, как вы учите дышать во флейту. это самое важное, остальное ерунда.