Chopstick: Take 2

Greetings,

About three weeks ago, I was practicing my buzzing while driving (Yes, I buzz in my car. It's great to be warmed up already when I get to the university or a rehearsal!) and I noticed that my upper lip and tongue were in a great relationship, rather like a ballroom dancing partners responding to slight pressure and gesture from the other.

Then I started thinking about the Chopstick Exercise, and it "hit me" to try the Chopstick Exercise, emphasizing the relationship between the upper lip and the tongue with the chopstick on TOP of the tongue!

I did not post about this immediately because I wanted to test out the effects of doing this over time before suggesting it to you.

My experience is that working this way a few minutes a day helps me to lift my upper lip--in fact, to lift my entire embouchure, activating the zygomatic major muscle, encouraging the tongue to stay wide, and allowing for much flexibility with the center of the lips.

When doing this exercise, please remember to keep the tongue in relationship with the upper lip. The benefit seems to stem from doing it with this focus. I suggest starting out by buzzing with the chopstick in this position.

Try it for yourself!
Please let me know how it works for you.

Catherine

Chopstick and Tonguing

Greetings,

This video is a response to a subscriber request for more specific information about how to tongue with a chopstick in the mouth.

Please let me know if there is a specific topic you would like me to post a blog article or video about.

All the best,
Catherine

A Great Flute Embouchure (according to Keith Underwood)

Greetings,

Last summer in a Ghost Ranch class Keith mentioned that an ideal flute embouchure was a combination of the facial features of two late night hosts:

Jay Leno on the bottom (lower lip lifted above lower teeth and tongue)












and


David Letterman on the top (zygomatic major muscle activated and air sizzling through the slit in the front teeth)




I have found this to be an enormously helpful image.
Let me know if it helps you!

As my chopstick and buzzing exercises have improved, my embouchure has actually begun to take on this appearance.


Best,
Catherine

Tips for Chopstick Users

Greetings,

Re. chopstick use: I don't mean for eating in Asian restaurants!

For tips on eating with chopsticks, check here:
http://www.wikihow.com/Eat-With-Chopsticks

I am referring to practicng with a chopstick in the mouth as a means of efficiently learning good muscle movement and balance for flute embouchure.

I have posted a video, "Tips for Chopstick Users" in the VIDEO, Category C section, of the LeGrand Virtual Studio.

Please post your questions or comments.

Hope this helps!

Catherine

Flute Duo Chopstick Exercise

Bravo to both members of this duo who have studied the buzzing and chopstick via Skype and ichat.

Wow! What impovement!

Congratulations! Catherine

This video has been reposted under a different account name.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RA4sNwZv_k

Many thanks to Roland's family for reposting many of his flute videos, especially the duos with Helen Milena.

Catherine 7.17.10

Practice Guides: 2007 Texas All-Area Auditions

Greetings!

This post is directed to Texas High School students who have qualified for All-Area auditions, but much of this advice applies to other auditions, so give it a read!).

Obviously, you already know these etudes, but I hope these practice hints help you give your best performance of these pieces at the audition.

First, a few general comments:

In the final days before this, or any other, competition, remind yourself that a competition is only worth the progress you make in your playing and your approaches to the problems presented. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose, but our musical, flutistic, and personal growth is a reward we continue to reap after the competition is over. Challenge yourself to improve some aspect of your flute-playing in this last week before the audition.

Review the etude study guides and the latest errata at http://www.tmea.org and predominantly notate any changes in your music. At the time of this post, the most recent changes were September 14.

It is a good idea to demonstrate certain skills in an audition:

• even, focused tone throughout all ranges of the instrument
• good register changes (tone at the end of each note prepares for the next)
• accurate rhythm and large rhythmic structure
• dynamic contrast (if there are none in the chosen passages--make your own)
• good vibrato (begin and end phrases with vibrato engaged)
• fluid, even finger technique (eliminate blips and bumps)

Plan (and mark!) your breaths carefully. If you end up taking an extra one in the audition, don't worry, just make it sound intentional, but be sure to take the next one you planned to get back on track right away.

The judges have heard this music as much as you have, and are probably tired of it, too! In the audition, give a musically inspired performance. Reacquaint yourself with all the things about the music that you originally found interesting and beautiful. Play to please yourself above all--this will create the most convincing audition. Engage your listeners.

Practice Guide for Etude #1: Sigfrid Karg-Elert, Op. 107 #17

Concentrate on even tone and finger technique and good register changes. Try buzzing the phrase shapes, to discourage overblowing for high notes and embouchure collapse for low notes, and to encourage efficient use of breath. Also, practicing with a chopstick in your mouth helps with these things.

"Hit or Hid-Inhales" helps produce clear note starts in good rhythm after breaths.

Review and apply these exercises to all the notes in this etude.

Show the dynamic contrast in m 10-11.

Practice Guide for Etude # 2: Theobald Boehm, Op. 26 #6

The two main things to be sure of in this etude: light, clear articulations and focused tone, especially on low notes.

Practice the etude with double-tongue-stop/fingers ahead, beginning each phrase with a "hit or hid-inhale." Keep breaths rhythmic.

In descending intervals to low notes (especially m 49-54, m 76, m 84-85, and m 98-105) keep the tone clear by insuring that the embouchure does not collapse. Lift the mentalis and zygomatic major muscles of the face to keep the tone clear--practice buzzing these intervals! Chopstick exercise practice is also useful in these places.

Observe the p dynamic contrasts in m 9, m 41-54, and the diminuendo m 102-the end.

Practice Guide for Etude # 3: Joachim Andersen, Op. 21 #10

When we practice the same music for many weeks, our performance can become a "caricature" of itself (in much the way as truth is modified in gossip). Get back to the basics and simplify!

Yes, this IS the "slow, lyrical" etude, but I encourage you to revisit practicing this etude with the metronome to feel the overall rhythmic structure of the piece.

Keep the triplets fluid, without a syncopated feel. Be sure duplets are the correct length.

It is a good idea to simplify the ornamented passages (remove the ornaments, playing a rhythmic outline) a few times, then reinsert them, keeping the direction of the melodic line clear and the tone good on all notes.

Double check the tuning of your middle c#'s and your c# octaves.

In the un poco più mosso, m 26-40, keep the tone focused on all moving notes and be sure the longer rhythms do not rush--keep the vibrato going. Chromatic intervals should be expressive without slowing the rhythm.

Notice the "bow-tie effect" on ascending intervals, matching tone and playing accurate pitches.

Observe breathing, phrasing and dynamic indications.

Play each note with great beauty.

All the best for great practicing and a successful audition!

Catherine

Aralee Dorough, Principal Flutist of the Houston Symphony Speaks on Chopsticks, Buzzing and Finding Your Sound

Greetings,

I just posted a video interview with Aralee Dorough, Principal Flutist of the Houston Symphony, on September 22, 2007 in my public blog.

Aralee talks about:

• benefits of practicing and teaching "buzzing" and "chopstick" (from Keith Underwood)
• embouchure lessons she learned from Robert Willoughby --and from her horse!
• finding and sculpting your tone

Many thanks to Aralee for sharing her experiences and her wisdom. You may visit her at her website, www.araleedorough.com.

All the best,
Catherine

"Chopsticks", "Buzzing," and improved finger dexterity

Hello,

I have found that practicing difficult passages after buzzing or with a chopstick in my mouth, not only helps my lips create better sounding notes and intervals, but also helps my embouchure remain stable and independent and my flute better balanced.

When I remove the chopstick, the difficult passages seem almost effortless, like my flute is floating. Since my embouchure is stable, I don't have to hold the flute to keep it from wiggling about due to migratory tongue or flopping lips.

See if it works for you. Let me know!
Catherine

Keith Underwood Ghost Ranch Interview Video List

Dear subscribers,

Here is the list of all nine of the Keith Underwood Ghost Ranch interview videos and their links on my public blog and the directions for finding my version of the “Chopsticks Exercise”.

I hope you find the list useful.
Catherine


What are the benefits of buzzing?

http://catherinelegrand.blogspot.com/2007/08/video-interview-with-keith-underwood.html


When will we hear improvement from buzzing?

http://catherinelegrand.blogspot.com/2007/08/interview-with-keith-underwood-part-2.html


What if our lips get numb?

http://catherinelegrand.blogspot.com/2007/08/interview-with-keith-underwood-part-3.html


Please provide a Buzzing 101: Syllabus…

http://catherinelegrand.blogspot.com/2007/08/interview-with-keith-underwood-part-4.html


More Buzzing Exercises, Lip Vibrato, and Tuning

http://catherinelegrand.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-keith-underwood-part-5.html


Timing and Sequence of Events for a Breath

http://catherinelegrand.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-keith-underwood-part-6.html


Tongue-controlled embouchure and Support

http://catherinelegrand.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-keith-underwood-part-7.html


On Creating an Open and Supportive Atmosphere

http://catherinelegrand.blogspot.com/2007/10/interview-with-keith-underwood-part-8.html

On Ideal Vibrato Speed

http://catherinelegrand.blogspot.com/2007/10/interview-with-keith-underwood-part-9.html


LEGRAND VERSION OF CHOPSTICK EXERCISE:

Scroll down to see video on Chopsticks on lower right at:

http://www.catherinelegrand.com/

Or:

http://catherinelegrand.blogspot.com/2007/09/chopstick-exercise-practice-bytes.html

Buzzing Hints

Hello,

Here are some buzzing tips that have been helping my students.

Try buzzing with a chopstick under your tongue. This helps teach a wide, forward tongue position and "3-way stop" of the lips and tongue, while developing a happy path for the lips to travel on to create intervals.

Try getting different pitches while buzzing with the chopstick under your tongue. Start out holding the chopstick with both hands (or stay away from breakables!)

Many students who have not been able to get much buzzing resonance, volume, or pitch change have found this to be quite helpful in speeding up the learning curve (learning new habits).

Other students have been finding it useful to whisper "emmm" and continue the exhale with a buzzing sound. This also teaches a wide, forward tongue position and "3-way stop" of the lips and tongue.

Let me know how these ideas work for you!

"Buzzing off" for now,
Catherine