Online flute/piccolo fingering charts

Greetings,


This seems to be the week that everyone is asking for special fingerings.

The most comprehensive online fingering charts:

http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/flute/

Please let me know if you have any questions.


Best,
Catherine

More support for slow practice

Greetings,

Below is a quote form a blog article by Todd Hargrove, a bodyworker living in Seattle , WA.

The full blog post can be read here.

Another reason to move slowly and gently is to allow yourself time to approach movement in an exploratory and curious manner, and to put a great deal of attention on the subtle details of the movement. Becoming more coordinated is essentially a matter of rewiring the neural circuits that control movement, which is an example of a very trendy process called “neuroplasticity.” According to Michael Merzenich and other prominent neuroscientists, attention and awareness are the major preconditions for neuroplasticity to occur. In other words, your brain is much more likely to get better at a certain activity if you are paying close attention while doing it. Slow movement can help your ability to pay attention to exactly what you are doing when you are doing it...

It is also worth noting that a great many elite athletes, musicians, and martial artists have used slow motion practice as a means to develop their skills. Ben Hogan, Monica Seles, and I’m sure many others who I don’t feel like looking up right now use slow motion movement as an important part of their practice routine. Probably Tiger Woods used slow motion practice too, and maybe even for his golf game. Even Olympic lifters, the most powerful athletes in the world, will spend substantial time improving their technique using only a broomstick.

Of course, at some point you will have to speed things up to use your skills in a more real world application, but it should be clear that slow movement presents some huge advantages that are not present in any other form of practice.

Best,
Catherine

"...speed is one of those things you have to give up ...before it comes flying to you through the back window."--W.A. Mathieu

"....You cannot achieve speed by speedy practice. The only way to get fast is to be deep, wide awake, and slow. When you habitually zip through your music, your ears are crystallizing in sloppiness." ....Pray for the patience of a stonecutter. ....Pray to understand that speed is one of those things you have to give up - like love - before it comes flying to you through the back window."

--'The Listening Book' by W.A. Mathieu, p. 101.


Greetings,

I say it again and again to students (and keep reminding myself!), slow practice builds excellent technique. My personal rule: "ten times slow for every time up to speed." Awareness, of self and every musical detail, is the quickest path to virtuosity.

Best,
Catherine

Make improvement fun in the New Year!

Greetings,

At this time of year in is important to find strategies for sticking to our resolutions to change behaviors or develop new habits.

The People at TheFunTheory.com know that the easiest way to change behaviors or develop new habits is to make it fun. Duh!

Check out their assortment of experimental videos at TheFunTheory.com

I especially like this one (piano stairs):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw

I'll do my best to supply you with fun ways to improve your music making skills in 2010.

Happy New Year!

Catherine