Fluteachniques™: Harmonics + 2 Note Slur tone Study

Greetings,
I recently started having students combine 2 favorite tone studies for a great warm up. The results have been improved evenness throughout the range of the flute and richer tone in the high register.
Best,
Catherine

Flutorials™: "Wavy" Finger Breath

Greetings,

The video and audio compression seem to brighten the tone and lower the volume of the finger breath. The actual sound is somewhat lower in pitch and louder. Still, I hope you find this useful!

Catherine

Curtains Up!

Greetings,

It's almost time for Curtains up on the New Year!

Try thinking of your upper lip as a theatre curtain raising --straight across, not curved to follow your teeth. Your upper lip will feel really wide, but the effect is to expose more of the underneath of your upper lip increasing resonance and flexibility. When your lip descends to play, feel how wide your tongue and lips are and be aware of he surface area of your tongue.

Take a deep breath as the curtain goes up, then play as the curtain descends:-) On with the show!

Best,
Catherine

Daphnis and Chloe Beatbox

Greetings,

Yesterday in my studio masterclass, I shared beatbox basics with my students in our warmup.

Later in the class, we were inspired to accompany as a beatbox ensemble for each student to perform the Daphnis solo (It sounded better than my feeble rendition of the piano reduction of the orchestral score from Kyril Magg's Accompanied Orchestral Studies, Volume 7, LEAF Productions.)

I'll show you what I mean in Standard Beatbox Notation or SBN--yes, there is such a thing! See this great article with complete explanations and mp3's of the sounds:
http://www.humanbeatbox.com/tips/p2_articleid/231

[b t _ t] [b t _ t]

What fun, AND how practical that each had a chance to be both accompaniment and soloist.

Also, after beatboxing the accompaniment, their high notes were even clearer, unrestricted, and more beautiful. How cool is that?!

But I couldn't quite wrap my brain around the idea yet of playing that solo while beatboxing...

hmmm...
Off to try it out.

Catherine

Flutistic Advantages of Beatboxing

Hello,

Since my return from the NFA Convention, I have been including a bit of beatboxing in my daily practice routine, and I am beginning to include it in lessons and studio masterclasses because of the unexpected benefits I have experienced!

Thanks to Greg Patillo's informative class at the NFA convention and Susan Maclagan's copious notes from the class which she posted on the flute lists, at last I have a real plan to learn this skill and integrate it into my playing.

These are the unexpected benefits I have noticed so far:

Relaxed embouchure: it is impossible to over tighten lips when beatboxing.

Ingrained rhythmic pulse: try this with your students who have rhythmic changes. They learn to breathe in rhythm and to account for each subdivision of longer notes by assigning a syllable to each part of the beat.

It's really fun!

For those who want to learn about the history of beatboxing, check out these articles (There's even a picture of an original beatbox!)

http://www.humanbeatbox.com/history/p2_articleid/27
http://www.humanbeatbox.com/plugins/p2_news/printarticle.php?p2_articleid=28
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatboxing

For more about Greg Patillo and to hear and see his playing visit Greg's Myspace.

More about beatboxing to come!

Best,
Catherine

"The Primary Colors of Flute Playing"

Hello,

Keith Underwood has recently been talking about creating "Red," "Blue," and "Yellow" tone colors on the flute by using the depressor labii inferioris muscle of the lower lip (pouting muscle) to control the coverage of the embouchure plate, changing both the dynamic and the "color" of the tone.

"Red" notes have the most coverage of the embouchure hole with the lower lip creating an intense, strong, focused tone.

"Blue" notes have moderate coverage of the lip plate with a slightly more open, mellow tone.

For "Yellow" notes the muscle contracts the lip back off the lip plate somewhat creating a more diffuse, pale tone.

And don't just think of this as a phrase-by-phrase experience. Try using the "red" sound to emphasize notes in a phrase, such as the structural notes in a passage--scale outline or important harmonic notes.

Wow! Amazing musical results...
Look for some video examples later this month.

Please let me know how "The Primary Colors of Flute Playing" work for you!

Enjoy,
Catherine

How to Have "Just Ducky" Tonguing

Hello,

You probably guessed it...this is Keith's latest on tongue-controlled embouchure.

It always fascinates me that when I have a long Keith hiatus (this last one was October 2007-June 2008) my own process parallels that of my mentor.

I have noticed in recent months that my tongue contact area includes a place of contact between my upper molars and the surface area of my tongue.

From this place my tongue rests in a slightly downward trajectory onto my lower teeth, with the surface area of my tongue still touching both lips across the front of my mouth when I play.

I had been noticing that my double tonguing was even more stable with the tongue somewhat higher in the back and that the 2nd syllable of the double-tonguing felt close to the duh, but in front!

I thought, "The "back" tonguing is in the front. hmmmm. A bit confusing."

Then, in the recent Cape Cod classes,Keith described his new tonguing syllable as "duh." Then he went on to say that his double tongue syllable is actually even farther forward than the duh...like a "Key"

So, we called it "ducky tonguing!"

It felt great to hear Keith express so precisely and enthusiastically the same things I had been experiencing in recent months. Whew! What a relief.

"Key" is a brighter sounding syllable than "kuh" or "guh" and helps keep my tone more even and the sound clearer on the second syllable.

It also helps keep my embouchure stable and not too open in the front. This really saves air!

This tonguing approach also helps me get my rhythmic "ducks in a row." creating very crisp and rhythmic articulations.

All the best,
Catherine

The latest from Keith at the Cape

Greetings,

I recently attended several days of masterclasses with Keith Underwood on Cape Cod, MA.

Not only was it great to get a huge dose of Keith's latest thoughts, but it was wonderful to reconnect with previous "Keith class" attendees and to meet more nice folks.

David and Gail Williams stopped by one day to let folks try their latest equipment andto visit. Great to see them, also!

In the next few days, I will post my thoughts on the info I have been working with from the classes.

Topics will include

How to have "Just Ducky" Tonguing
The Primary Colors of Flute Tone (Red, Blue and Yellow)

Now that I have successfully completed moving both my home and my studio, the posts will come fast and furious for the rest of the summer.

As always, let me know if there is something specific you would like to know more about.


Best,
Catherine

"Uplifting" Thoughts

Hello,

Tonight when I was practicing (interspersing buzzing with playing my flute) I once again noticed that my tone and articulation were noticeably clearer when my embouchure felt more related to the upper part of my head (skull) rather than the lower part (jaw.)

In his Master Superchops DVD, Jerome Callet describes a good spit-buzzing embouchure as akin to licking an ice cream cone. This analogy well describes the feeling I wrote about in my May 3 post.

If the corners of the upper lip are lifted, then there is more room for the surface area of the tongue to come into contact with the inside of the upper lip, creating efficient compression of air.

Three useful warmup exercise videos for the upper lip are posted in the LeGrand Virtual Studio, Category B:

• "Rabbit Face" Exercise
• "Tongue Sandwich" Exercise
• "Miss America" Exercise

Happy practicing!

Catherine

Sir James Galway at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention

I had the pleasure of meeting Sir James Galway after an "informal conversation session" at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention yesterday.

He delighted the many attendees with his witty responses, personal stories, and opinions and advice in response to questions on flutes, recording, warm-up routines, and flute pedagogy.

Here are a few of the things I learned:

• Sir James uses top-of-the-line Neumann microphones for all of his audio and video recording.
• In response to a question of maintaining physical flexibility, Sir James proudly announced his age, 68, and suggested shoulder stretches for range of motion, forearm and hand self-massage, and, when nothing else works… just keep playing and enjoy the music!
• He practices studies regularly from the Moyse’s De la Sonorité and advocates practicing scales and patterns always with the best tone and musical expression and style. He pointed out an obvious, but seldom considered, fact: if you practice scales and patterns in a boring, unmusical, way, not only is practicing boring, but you are actually practicing to play boring and unmusical music (music is largely created from these patterns)!
• He also advocates practice of the Boehm Caprices and Andersen Etudes, in particular, to develop a fluid technique and legato while maintaining tone and musical expression.

I encourage you to join to Sir James online forum, Galway Flute Chat (Yahoo group) and to watch the videos posted at http://www.thegalwaynetwork.com/ for access to Sir James’ teaching and thoughts.

Many thanks to Sir James for reminding us that joy and expression give meaning to music-making--and to life!


I also attended the fine Valentine’s Day evening concert performance by Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway with the San Antonio Symphony. They performed the Cimarosa Concerto in G Major for 2 Flutes and a lively encore, an arrangement of “Rondo Alla Turca” from the Mozart Piano Sonata, K. 331. They clearly had great fun together on stage!

After intermission, Sir James performed “The Pied Piper Fantasy” by John Corigliano, attired in festive costume and joined by dozens of local young flutists performing with Sir James while parading on stage and following him out of the theater. Quite a spectacle!

Sir James’ final encore, Badinerie from the J.S. Bach Suite in B Minor, BWV 1067, brilliantly played, was a rousing ending to an evening celebrating the love of music-making and flute-playing—perfect for Valentine’s Day.

I will post more notes from other clinics and events I attended at the TMEA Convention later this week in the LeGrand Virtual Studio.

Best,
Catherine

“De la bourdonnement” (buzzing)

Greetings,

I posted a video explanation of my new exercise, “De la bourdonnement”: using materials from "De la Sonorite" by Marcel Moyse in combination with "buzzing" to increase embouchure flexibility and increase resonance in the VIDEO, Category C section, of the LeGrand Virtual Studio.

Though "De la Sonorite" by Marcel Moyse is a flutist's tone study book, this approach will have benefits for any wind or brass player.

Let me know how this works for you!
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

History of Vibrato in Flute Playing

Hello,

These sites are good to bookmark--or just check back here to find them--that's what I'll do now!

A history of the use of vibrato in flute playing, with recorded examples, by John Wion, one of 2007 recipients of the NFA (National Flute Association) Lifetime Achievement Award is posted at his website.

(John's homepage features a snazzy rendition of Godard's Waltz as you read.
Larry Krantz's John Wion's Corner has a list of links to John's articles.)

Marcel Moyse is credited with integrating vibrato style from the operatic singing into flute playing. Some examples of Moyse's playing can be heard at Mr. Kirio Matsuda's website.

It is informative to listen to recordings of flutists (including yourself!) slowed way down to hear the subleties of pitch, dynamic and speed variance. Amazing Slow Downer is a simple-to-use, inexpensive, cross-platform shareware that does the trick.

Enjoy!
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 and Balance

Greetings,

At the Keith Underwood/Anne Waxman Flute/Alexander Technique Workshop on September 28-30, frequent topics included:

body mapping of the atlas occipital joint versus the jaw
balanced use of the zygomatic major and triangularis muscles

Remember that your atlas occipital joint (where head rests on the spine) is located between your ears--behind your tongue and soft palate. Most of us were allowing either our jaw or our upper back to carry part of the weight of our heads while playing our flutes, rather than allowing the head to actually balance on the atlas occipital joint (despite how much Alexander training we have had).

Allowing the head to balance naturally frees up the masseter (jaw) muscle so that the zygomatic major muscle can have improved function, helping the lip to lift very slightly laterally from the upper edge, across the cheek bone to the jaw bone. I notice that both my buzzing and my flute tone become more resonant (my upper lip vibrates more) when my zygomatic major muscle is activated.

Allowing the head to balance naturally also helps the jaw to be relaxed but not hang open which can cause a somewhat unfocused tone. (This happens when the head pulls forward and down, straining the upper back. I call this condition "turtleneck.")

Balanced use of the zygomatic major and triangularis muscles in the embouchure: the triangularis muscles stabilize the corners of the lower lip and the zygomatic major muscles lift the lip laterally across the cheekbone to the jaw joint. Most of of us were using either the upper or lower pair of muscles more than the other pair. As we adjusted this balance, everyone's buzzing, flute tone, and articulation improved!

I found that when my head/jaw body map was clear, my head was balanced, and I used the zygomatic major muscle in balance with the triangularis, my tongue position was naturally ideal and my embouchure felt organized and very flexible.

Hope you enjoy experimenting with these thoughts!

Feel free to post questions. I will do my best to answer them or to find out the answer for you.

Best,
Catherine

Facial Muscle Quiz

Here is a great, interactive, quiz-style facial muscle diagram.

Facial Muscles

The seemingly obvious omission for flutists is triangularis, but the diagram uses its other name, depressor anguli oris.

In case you have not visited the DataFace website yet, it also has an interactive facial diagram. When you click on a muscles you see a short movie of a man activating that muscle.

For more information on the Alexander Technique and its benefits you may visit these sites:

http://alexandertechnique.com
http://www.alexandercenter.com/
http://www.stat.org.uk/

Do your homework now, so you will be ready for my comments on embouchure, buzzing, and more, from the September 28-30 Keith Underwood/Anne Waxman Flute/Alexander Technique Workshop. Look for them soon!

Best,
Catherine

Upper Lip: "Suppressed Smile"

Cheshire Cat . here is The Cheshire cat as John Tenniel envisioned it in the 1866 publication of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.

A helpful hint for "beginner buzzers": Keith Underwood suggests that the ideal upper lip position for buzzing feels like a suppressed smile. Imagine something is funny and it is not appropriate to laugh. Feel how your upper lip feels like a combination of smirk and and sneer.

He also sometimes refers to the upper lip as part of a "cheshire cat" grin.

Give it a try!

Catherine

Catherine interviews Keith Underwood

Greetings!

I have just returned to North Carolina from the Keith Underwood Flute Masterclass at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, a week filled with tangible learning in an open, warm, and supportive atmosphere. Thanks to Nancy Laupheimer for organizing a great class, and thanks to my classmates for sharing their learning processes.

I am grateful for the information and inspirations I have received from Keith over the past 15 or so years, and I am delighted to share a video interview with Keith filmed on August 18, 2007 at Ghost Ranch.

I have posted the first four segments of the video in the public blog since the interview was a gift from Keith to the world flute community. I am honored to be able to share this information.

Here is the link to the interviews.

Catherine LeGrand interviews Keith Underwood
Ghost Ranch, NM, August 18. 2007

• On Benefits of Buzzing for Flutists
• When will we hear improvement from buzzing?
• What if our lips get numb?
• Please provide a Buzzing 101: Syllabus…

Additional segments coming in September and October!

Catherine LeGrand interviews Keith Underwood
Ghost Ranch, NM, August 18. 2007 (continued)

• More Buzzing Exercises, Lip Vibrato, and Tuning
• Timing and Sequence of Events for a Breath
• Tongue-Controlled Embouchure and Support
• On Ideal Vibrato Speed
• On Creating an Open and Supportive Atmosphere

Sincere best wishes,
Catherine

Moyse Tone Development Through Interpretation Recording Supplement

Moyse Tone Development Through Interpretation Recording Supplement

This resource provides recorded examples of over 60 of the tone study exercises in Marcel Moyse's Tone Development Through Interpretation book. Many examples are from vintage recordings, including two of my favorite artists, Galli-Curci and Gigli. Recordings of Moyse playing are also included in the the list.

I recommend Moyse's Tone Development Through Interpretation book, published by McGinnis and Marx, as study material for any musician--flutist or NOT--who wishes to improve their range of tonal and expressive possibilities.

Also of interest is John Bailey's "Teaching Moyse's 'Tone Development' Using Operatic Recordings" originally published in the Moyse Society Newsletter, Volume 13, p. 6. Address: c/o Wendy Webb Kumer, 136 Fairfax Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15221.

For more information about Marcel Moyse and his teaching lease visit http://www.moysesociety.org/.
Enjoy the vintage listening experience!--try to listen past the surface noise of the recordings to hear subtlety of phrase shape and tone.

Catherine

Keith Underwood and Jerome Callet Video

This video of Keith working on Bach Sonata in B Minor, BWV 1030, with tongue-controlled embouchure expert Jerome Callet. The focus of the session is articulating off the top of the tongue.

It appears that Jerome uploaded this to Google video.

Please visit Jerome's website for more information on his teaching and more previews from his soon to be released teaching DVD.

Great stuff!

Catherine