Wider is better...

Greetings,

More today on articulation...

Quantz suggests restricted vowel sound use in flute playing. For tonguing, he suggests using an “LL” syllable alternating with “d.” Because of the width of the tongue in the mouth, “LL” feels like air in cheeks, but without any embouchure instability. A wider contact area results from using a wider tongue, also improving control of articulations.

The “LL” syllable passes air around the tongue rather than straight over it. In Linguistics, this sound is called an “velarized alveolar lateral approximant” (pictured).

This “Dark “L” sound --as said in the words "tell", "dull", "bold", "bell"--is great for flute playing. The tongue is shaped like the back side of a spoon, with the back of the tongue raised and curving downward in the front. This position helps keep air moving through (around) articulations and also makes it possible to maintain a stable tongue position.

According to Keith Underwood, “When using the double ‘L’, the tongue is less rigid and hinged in middle. It feels like the next tonguing is already in place.”

Also according to Jerome Callet (of Tongue Controlled Embouchure fame), it is best to not blow through a vowel sound because it creates too much tongue movement. Buzzing off the top of the tongue prevents this problem. Try buzzing wider in your mouth. Use a wider portion of the inside of your upper lip against a wider tongue. Some air will come sideways through the teeth, pressurizing the air. This results in more ringing in the sound without distorting the embouchure.

To sum up: the wider your tongue, the less it moves, the faster you can articulate, the less your airstream (tone) is affected by your articulations, and the more stable your embouchure will be. It’s a win, win, win, WIN!

Happy Fluting,
Catherine

Double Tonguing: It All "Hinges" on This

Greetings,

In his 2.17.2012 masterclass Keith Underwood taught us about something he referred to as "the best thing since buzzing." Is this some new fangled, goofy exercise? No indeed. It is very old and straight from the source--well, from this classic source for 18th century performance practice: On Playing the Flute by Johann Joachim Quantz.

Today this standard reference book is easily available on Amazon for Kindle devices for $13.29. What a deal! It is truly amazing to be able to carry this big, fat book in my iphone!

Here are the pertinent passages from Quantz:

CHAPTER VI
Section 1
6 (excerpt)
In the di (the tongue) must remain free in the middle of the mouth, so that the wind is not kept from sustaining the tone.

Section III
Of the Use of the Tongue with the Word did’ll, or the so-called Double Tongue

1
The double tongue is used only for the very quickest passage-work. Although easy to explain orally, and simple for the ear to grasp, it is difficult to teach in writing. The word did’ll which is articulated in it should consist of two syllables. In the second, however, no vowel is present; hence it must be pronounced did’ll rather than didel or dili, suppressing the vowel which should appear in the second syllable. But the d’ll must not be articulated with the tip of the tongue like the di.

2
I have indicated in the first section of this chapter how the di must be formed. [Section 1: 6 (excerpt) above] I refer you to that section here. To articulate did’ll, first say di, and while the tip of the tongue springs forward to the palate, quickly draw the middle portion of the tongue downward a little on both sides, away from the palate, so that the wind is expelled on both sides obliquely between the teeth. This withdrawal of the tongue will then produce the stroke of the second syllable did’ll; but it can never be articulated without the preceding di. If you pronounce did’ll quickly several times in a row, you will hear how it should sound better than I can express in writing.

For many years I have encouraged a wide, forward tongue when playing, and, also, as a prerequisite for double tonguing (as in syllables: "yell yell yell yell"). The above passages indicate the importance of blowing around the tongue, through the teeth (like I have described as "tz" and "surf sounds").

In this passage:

while the tip of the tongue springs forward to the palate, quickly draw the middle portion of the tongue downward a little on both sides, away from the palate, so that the wind is expelled on both sides obliquely between the teeth.

Quantz is encouraging a "hinging' of the tongue in the middle, arcing it forward for the second syllable of the double tongue. This keeps the tongue from stiffening up in long double tongued passages, while keeping the tone focused throughout without disturbing the embouchure.

Now, go practice!
Catherine

Thoughts on Robert Verrill's Tongue Controlled Embouchure and Buzzing Video

Greetings,

Here are my thoughts regarding Robert Verrill's TCE video and captions (yesterday's post)

Firstly, I included a dental map in case you don't know what your teeth are called. Incisors are front teeth, canines are the pointy ones a few teeth from center,and molars are the big ones farther back--the ones that most often get cavities...

OK. Here is my annotated commentary on Robert's video and captions.

"Get the feel for having the jaw wide apart."

It is important not to clench teeth because this makes the tongue recede and causes a collapse of the functioning embouchure. If you have trouble keeping your tongue forward when you play, this could be why.

"Make tongue very wide and push down (not out) against the inside lower lip and push the lower lip up so that it feels like the lower lip is buckling under the pressure of the tongue."

I often refer to this idea as the tongue being vertical in the front of the mouth, pointing somewhat downward.

"Push the middle part of the tongue hard against the canines all the way back to the molars and push less hard against the incisors so that there is a seal between the teeth of the upper jaw and the wide tongue."

Only the center part of contact line between teeth and surface area of the tongue releases and closes to create articulations--your upper front teeth.

"By huffing, the air escapes from the weakest point which is at the incisors, because you push the tongue less hard there. Remember it is the air that creates the aperture between the tongue and the teeth. The tongue resists the air."

I created the "Hit" or "Hid" Inhale Exercise partly to get this feeling of controlling the air at the incisors.(There is a video of this exercise in the LeGrand Virtual Studio Archives.)

"Now bring the top lip down so that it is touching the tongue. It’s like you’re puckering the lip down rather than out. TCE is a two stage compression technique. The tongue presses against the incisors and also against the inner upper lip."

I think the image of "puckering the upper lip down" is fantastic! The idea of 2 part compression is one I have always advocated--"emm,p" for starting to play/buzz or the concept of "zipping it up." (Just ask if you don't know what this is!)

"You’ve got to continue bringing the top lip down so that it gently touches the lower lip as though you were saying a ‘p’. It’s tempting to close your jaw and let your tongue recede. Don’t! The jaw must remain wide apart and the fat tongue must continue to push down against the inside lower lip, against the incisors and against the upper lip."

Yes! As the tongue pushes forward and down it increases your control at the contact area between teeth and surface of tongue.

"Now spit buzz. Think of trying to spit hairs off your tongue. It’s like simultaneously saying a ‘p’ and a ‘th’. Don’t let the air destroy your embouchure setup. The air creates the aperture. Keep the lips gently touching and the wide tongue forward."

Yes! The air creates the aperture between your tongue and upper teeth. Don't blow so hard that your embouchure collapses.Think of "fuzzies" on your tongue if the thought of hairs on it sickens you. We don't want to have gag responses while working on this!:-)

[Brass specific] "To place the mouthpiece, pucker the top lip down and push the mouthpiece vertically up, so that you fell you’re getting the meat of the upper lip into the mouthpiece."

[Trumpet specific] "Also push the wide tongue downwards against the lower lip so that the lower lip buckles outwards and meets the mouthpiece rim. There is more mouthpiece pressure on the upper lip than the lower lip, but you could easily create enough pressure on the upper lip if you were to hold the trumpet with only your right hand."

"To play high, you need to be able to roll your upper lip in against the tongue. The variation in the lip roll from playing low to high is only very slight. To get the upper lip-tongue connection so that the upper lip roll works, I push my tongue right out of my mouth and as I bring it back into place, the upper lip rolls inward against it. I’ve seen a picture of Maurice Andre sticking his tongue into the mouthpiece in his setup."

As Keith Underwood says, "...like licking an ice cream cone."

"Because the top lip is pushing down against the tongue, as you bring your tongue back into the spit buzz position, the top lip comes down to meet the bottom lip."

I call this a "Tootsie Roll embouchure" because you can simultaneously feel the wide, rolling upper lip muscle with your tongue and your wide, rolling tongue with your upper lip.

"Now spit buzz whilst maintaining this setup."

Remember that your tongue sliding down the inside of your front lip keeps your tongue in contact with your upper teeth.

"To play high, the upper lip comes down more and as it does, rolls very slightly inwards against the tongue. Also the tongue pushes harder against the incisors. It’s a two stage compression. If air escapes from the side of your mouth, it’s because you’re not making the tongue wide enough, or your wide tongue isn’t pushing hard enough against the canines."

Wide and forward tongue , pointing downward slightly, is the big deal...

"To play low, push the upper lip down less and relax the tongue, but still keep the tongue wide and forward. For going lower than C below the stave, roll the lower lip out slightly as well."

Flutists, remember to keep some contact, without pressure, between the skin just below the outer corners of your lower lip and the embouchure plate.

"It took me a long time to get the feel of the two stage compression of TCE, but once I did, within 5 months I could play a strong G above top C and during this period when I made the most progress I was only practising ½ hour a day. For a while after, I had a high note and a low note embouchure."

He means he had separate embouchures for low and high notes at first.

"I learnt how to smoothly connect the embouchures by playing a super G immediately before every exercise. Getting the upper lip feel was also important for being able to move smoothly from low to high."

Buzzing intervals is the best exercise I know for improving smooth intervals. The integrity of the embouchure has to be maintained and one can't achieve a good result if blowing too hard!

"Because the two stage compression in TCE is much more efficient than going from ah-ee with the back of the tongue as in more traditional methods, with TCE there is much less pressure in the lungs and so you can play really high without feeling dizzy. I’m no expert on physiology, but I reckon that if there is too much pressure in the lungs, then the heart finds it difficult to pump oxygenated blood from the lungs into the brain…TCE is not a panacea. You will have to listen. Also you’re going to have to practise hard if you want to develop any finesse. At the moment I don’t have that much time to practise—there’s more to life than playing the trumpet."

...or the flute!

Thanks to Robert for sharing his insights and expertise!

Best,
Catherine

Fantastic Toungue Controlled Embouchure and Buzzing Video Demo!

Greetings,

Trumpeter Robert Verrill of Oxford, UK recently posted this YouTube video demo, including captions packed with physical details and insights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRphnUtgsEc&playnext_from=TL&videos=f3o84mAMy80

Then, if you want to hear him play some great trumpet on another demo, check out this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW9q_anliJw&playnext_from=TL&videos=8c2BKVO39G8

Robert's comments exhibit great understanding of TCE and a healthy understanding of process. His video captions shared so many gems of wisdom that I typed out yesterday!

My next post will include commentary on his video and captions.

Get the feel for having the jaw wide apart.

Make tongue very wide and push down (not out) against the inside lower lip and push the lower lip up so that it feels like the lower lip is buckling under the pressure of the tongue.

Push the middle part of the tongue hard against the canines all the way back to the molars and push less hard against the incisors so that there is a seal between the teeth of the upper jaw and the wide tongue.

By huffing, the air escapes from the weakest point which is at the incisors, because you push the tongue less hard there. Remember it is the air that creates the aperture between the tongue and the teeth. The tongue resists the air

Now bring the top lip down so that it is touching the tongue. It’s like you’re puckering the lip down rather than out. TCE is a two stage compression technique. The tongue presses against the incisors and also against the inner upper lip.

You’ve got to continue bringing the top lip down so that it gently touches the lower lip as though you were saying a ‘p’. It’s tempting to close your jaw and let your tongue recede. Don’t! The jaw must remain wide apart and the fat tongue must continue to push down against the inside lower lip, against the incisors and against the upper lip.

Now spit buzz. Think of trying to spit hairs off your tongue. It’s like simultaneously saying a ‘p’ and a ‘th’. Don’t let the air destroy your embouchure setup. The air creates the aperture. Keep the lips gently touching and the wide tongue forward.

[Brass specific] To place the mouthpiece, pucker the top lip down and push the mouthpiece vertically up, so that you fell you’re getting the meat of the upper lip into the mouthpiece.

[Trumpet specific] Also push the wide tongue downwards against the lower lip so that the lower lip buckles outwards and meets the mouthpiece rim. There is more mouthpiece pressure on the upper lip than the lower lip, but you could easily create enough pressure on the upper lip if you were to hold the trumpet with only your right hand.

To play high, you need to be able to roll your upper lip in against the tongue. The variation in the lip roll from playing low to high is only very slight. To get the upper lip-tongue connection so that the upper lip roll works, I push my tongue right out of my mouth and as I bring it back into place, the upper lip rolls inward against it. I’ve seen a picture of Maurice Andre sticking his tongue into the mouthpiece in his setup.

Because the top lip is pushing down against the tongue, as you bring your tongue back into the spit buzz position, the top lip comes down to meet the bottom lip.

Now spit buzz whilst maintaining this setup.

To play high, the upper lip comes down more and as it does, rolls very slightly inwards against the tongue. Also the tongue pushes harder against the incisors. It’s a two stage compression. If air escapes from the side of your mouth, it’s because you’re not making the tongue wide enough, or your wide tongue isn’t pushing hard enough against the canines.

To play low, push the upper lip down less and relax the tongue, but still keep the tongue wide and forward. For going lower than C below the stave, roll the lower lip out slightly as well.

It took me a long time to get the feel of the two stage compression of TCE, but once I did, within 5 months I could play a strong G above top C and during this period when I made the most progress I was only practising ½ hour a day. For a while after, I had a high note and a low note embouchure. I learnt how to smoothly connect the embouchures by playing a super G immediately before every exercise. Getting the upper lip feel was also important for being able to move smoothly from low to high.

Because the two stage compression in TCE is much more efficient than going from ah-ee with the back of the tongue as in more traditional methods, with TCE there is much less pressure in the lungs and so you can play really high without feeling dizzy. I’m no expert on physiology, but I reckon that if there is too much pressure in the lungs, then the heart finds it difficult to pump oxygenated blood from the lungs into the brain…TCE is not a panacea. You will have to listen. Also you’re going to have to practise hard if you want to develop any finesse. At the moment I don’t have that much time to practise—there’s more to life than playing the trumpet.
--Robert Verrill

Hope you find all this as inspiring as I did!
Catherine

Better yet: "tse, tse"

Hi,

An even better syllable to use with the cuckoo clock concept.
Pronounced: tsi:tsi, tze:tze

DON'T think of large biting flies...think of cuckoo clocks...

Best,
Catherine

Old "Que-Que" Clock: Tongue postion during playing

Hi,

This takes a little imagination, but view this brief video and think of the outward/downward motion of the singing cuckoo as your tongue rolling forward and down, thickening, as you play through a passage or interval, or while double tonguing.

You will say, "que-que", rather than "Coo-koo" to keep tongue forward and the center of the tongue pressing upward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL1Xt3T9ZnY

Best,
Catherine

The tongue muscle

Greetings,

Once again the important subject of the tongue...

Position and use of the tongue muscle in wind or brass playing is second only in importance to air usage.

This week it occurred to me the students with seeming air flow problems could actually be restricting their air with some portion of their tongue...soooo....I studied images of the tongue muscle and saw that it is probable that the epiglottis is closed or partially closed while these students are blowing, causing inefficient use of air and tension in the throat.

Since I think it helps to picture what you are trying to feel, I posted a tongue image with labels.

The epiglottis of your tongue releases when you whisper "eh, eh, eh, eh, eh." (It is a relaxed, gentle, clicking sound.

Try whispering this just before you play (without breathing in between the "saying" and the "playing") and compare the position of the epiglottis when you are actually playing. Can you keep the epiglottis released while you play?

Best,
Catherine

How is flute playing like dry cleaning?

Greetings,

Insights and inspirations can be found in the most unlikely places...

I have a friend whose parents own a dry cleaning business in TX. One of their facilities burned to the ground in February. Fortunately, no one was injured and insurance covered the bulk of the expenses to rebuild.

I received notice recently that they are celebrating the reopening of the facility. As I thought about my friends and the happy end to their ordeal, the image flashed into my mind of a pants press machine used to steam trousers. I could see the lid closing and the steam escaping.

Eureka! The perfect image to explain the relationship of the tongue and upper lip in a flute embouchure:

Think of the surface area of the tongue as the flat bottom of the pants press and the inside of the upper lip as the lid. The "lid" (upper lip) closes on the bed (tongue) creating pressure (steam) and crisp clear articulations and control of tone are the results.

My students and I have enjoyed the wonderful results of this powerful image this week. Please give this a try and let me know how it works for you!

All the best,
Catherine

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

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

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

"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

Skull/Jaw "Mapping" and Lifted Embouchure

Greetings,

This past week I have had some seemingly simple, yet profound realizations.

When "mapping" the skull/jaw relationship, it is useful to remember that the jaw is an appendage of the skull, much as an arm or leg is an appendage to the torso.

While reaching around your face with your hand and pressing gently just under the cheek bones, imagine your tongue as related to your skull, rather than your jaw. This helps activate the zygomatic major and caninus muscles, lifting the embouchure and keeping the upper lip flexible.

Another approach to feeling this relationship:
If you place a finger on each side of the upper lip, just inside the corners, gently pressing upward with your fingers, then relax your entire face to be supported by the upward pressing fingers, you can feel many muscles of the face and head relax as the upper lift is lifted and remains soft and flexible. Wow!

This is a great position for buzzing, leaving lots of room for the tongue.

it is a good idea to also activate the triangularis muscle slightly to stabilize the lower lip.

A good interactive webpage for understanding the function of the facial muscles is found here. This wonderful website created by Joseph C. Hager, Ph.D., has many detailed illustrations of the anatomy of skeletal and muscular structures of the head and face.

I invite you to post your insights and questions as always.

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

“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

"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

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

"Airplanes" and "Chopsticks"

Hello,

Today am publishing new videos to the LeGrand Virtual Studio.

"Airplanes Exercise"(in Category C)

My version of Keith Underwood's "Chopstick Exercise" which helps flutists learn to better organize their embouchures by playing with a chopstick in their mouths. Very weird exercise, with wonderful results! (in Categories B and C)

Practice "Bytes": short examples of using chopsticks and buzzing to improve embouchure function, tone , and breathing in musical excerpts. (under Advanced Lessons)

I use the "Chopstick Exercise" as a "prelude" to teaching buzzing, especially for advanced flutists who are beginner buzzers.

In the video I demonstrate the exercise, along with some buzzing and it's results, in short Practice "Bytes." Todays nibbles include:

* Texas High School All-State Band Flute Etudes:

Joachim Andersen, Op. 21 #10
Sigfrid Karg-Elert, Op. 107, #17
Theobald Boehm, Op. 26, #6

* Honegger’s Dance de la Chèvre (North Carolina High School All-District Piece)

For those of you who can't wait to download the files to watch them, here is the excerpt I am posting on the public blog.


More Practice "Bytes" will be posted in the near future. Send me requests for spots in your repertoire to chew on!

Bon appetit!
Catherine

About Flutorials™

Hello,

Some of you have asked for more information about the Flutorials portion of the LeGrand Virtual Studio.

These recent video series are in addition to the other video lessons (currently c. 20) on various aspects of fluteplaying

There are currently 2 Flutorials™ series:

"From the Start"
Step-by-step videos for teaching beginning flutists

"Progressive Lessons for Novice Flutists"
video lessons to supplement what the beginner flutist is learning in their flute lessons or band class. They assume the student already knows how to make a sound on the flute, how to assemble the flute, and how to and finger the notes B, A, and G before watching these video lessons. These short lessons simplify songs into easy to learn elements, then combine the elements to form the entire song.

Podcast lessons benefit students by allowing them to repeat each element or part of the video until they have mastered each skill.

Teachers and advanced students might also benefit from watching these videos and remembering how to simplify a song into basic elements. And...you are not likely to hear me play "Hot Cross Buns" anywhere else!

In early Fall I will post the first videos in a new Flutorials™ series for advanced students, and additional lessons in the other 2 series.

Please let me know what other materials and topics would be helpful you would like to find in the Virtual Studio.


Best,
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