Dynamics on Flute

[Jawschlech]

I'm a doubler, have been playing tenor for five or six years now and flute for six or seven months.
Things are going well, I've played a few pieces on flute with the jazz band already and I'm toying around with some legit Telemann stuff. One of the largest problems I'm having now is dynamics. I find that from the lowest Bb to E or F an octave above I can get some amount of control (although low E, D, and below are difficult to play loudly). But in the middle and upper octaves (particularly above middle G) it's difficult for me to play with any sort of dynamic variation and if I've not been warming up it's usually just -loud-. If I slow down my airstream to get quieter I drop an octave and if I narrow it to compensate the sound gets very thin, out of tune, and difficult to sustain. How does one, in theory, vary dynamics on flute? Is it an air stream or an embouchure issue? Are there any good excercises other than just sustaining long tones in front of a tuner that I should work with?

(Note: My instructor has me using the 'pout' embouchure, if that's significant.)

Thanks in advance!

[G-dawg]

It's tough because of the lack of resistance. Long tones will help you develop and learn to control the sound. Also practice the overtone series on the flute - it works the same as the sax where the fundamentals at the lowest end of the instrument can be "overblown" to get the various extensions.

Consider the speed of your air remaining the same, but the amount is what varies depending on you dynamic level. I don't think that's exactly correct, but conceptualizing it like that might help.

[Jack W.]

I agree with mbgurgel. Think of using a smaller embouchure opening without decreasing breath support, so that the air speed remains high, but the air stream is smaller. At least this is what my teacher always recommended to me, and it seems to work. But it's true, playing loudly in the first octave and softly in the third octave, are among the difficulties peculiar to flute.

[Gordon (NZ)]

IMHO, to play softer you need less quantity of air.
You MUST retain SPEED in your airstream, or you will drop an octave (or other harmonic).

You reduce the quantity of air by blowing through a smaller embouchure - narrower both in width and in height.

If you reduce the lip aperture, then there is more friction for the airstream between the lips, so the airstream will actually slow down.

To counter this, and maintain appropriate air speed, you must actually INCREASE the air pressure - even more puff - more force from the abdominal muscles.

Summarizing... to play high notes softly, use a considerably smaller lip aperture, with INCREASED air pressure, in order to produce a skinny, but fast air-stream.

IMHO any mucking around with airstream angles, head angle, coverage of embouchure hole, chin movement, etc is a band-aid for not adequately attending to the above.

Some people actually do not have the abdominal muscle strength to do this. If you can lie on your back and breath while somebody stands on your stomach, then you are probably OK. :-)