Flute Tube, Episode 5: Building Better Breath Support
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- čas přidán 28. 08. 2024
- Defining breath support, and discussing best ways to engage your support. Using the weight of your body and the strength of your core muscles to get your best sound. Ideas of April Clayton, Michel Debost, Carol Wincenc, Samuel Baron, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Linda Chesis, and others are discussed.
My favorite way to practice Taffanel & Gaubert 17 Big Daily Exercises, #5, is also discussed. (Also known as the Flute Players' Bible)
April Clayton has had support epiphanies throughout her entire life, but most notably while she was a student at Oberlin and Juilliard. Obnoxiously, at Juilliard she was the youngest student who had ever been admitted to the doctoral program there, at age 21. But she is certain some 20-year-old came along and beat her since that time.
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"The moral of the story is that if you want to get better, you need to go back to the basics." I needed that reminder tonight. Thank you!!
Oh did I say that in here? Sounds pretty good! 😆 It's true, anyway!
Hi I am a teacher from the UK and finding these videos very helpful for my own students.
Indeed a fundamental need. I see why this was one of your first episodes.
Yes, absolutely!
I thought I knew how to blow into the flute growing up, but I had an epiphany this past January about not pushing my air out by force, but letting the natural weight of the air flow out of my lungs (like you mention). Literally changed my flute playing and has allowed me to relax and improve so much in many ways.
THANK YOU!!!!!
The sighing chromatic scales are so helpful--and also a great stress reliever!
French canadian speaking adult watching from Montreal! I discovered your videos today and wish i had discovered you earlier this spring when i had plenty of time watching and practicing! ( i could have catched up with my 10000 hours of practice ;) ) I love your videos! Been watching the 5 first tonight and cant wait to practice tomorrow. You're amazing! Merciiii!
This is helpful for clarinetists too! I love the wall sit idea. I'll have to try it for clarinet.
The "sigh" is a really good technique for breathing! I'll use this a lot! Thanks!!
This is such a game-changer! I have been focused on this a lot recently and have some students that will definitely benefit from this.
It makes me happy that so much improvement at the flute revolves around making everything simpler.
That's exactly what I was thinking! I'll definitely try out the different positions for engaging abdominal muscles.
Here from the University of North Texas studying with Professor Terri Sundberg :)
Watching from Boston! Yea, Berklee! [DISCLAIMER, everyone - I'm a string multi-instrumentalist, not a flutist. But I do play viola with April in the Hat Trick trio]: Hey, I RECOGNIZE that chromatic scale from your warm-ups!! April, these videos are so good. They're helpful beyond the flute community. I have a few questions on this video (knowing that answers might be best addressed by you doing a "Viewers' Comments / Ask April" Q & A video sometime : 1) Breath support is also important for singing. What is different about breath support for flute vis a vis breath support for singing, or is there any difference? 2) Thinking of singing (and I know this relates to brass and winds). . . some notes / ranges appear to require more air or more support. I believe you that if we have excellent support, that support is uniform across the entire range of our instrument, without extra compensations. You beautifully demonstrated this with your "sighing support" chromatic scales. Do you have any advice on how you practiced in order to improve your support with those more difficult notes and registers? 3) Those of us who have (or who grew up with) respiratory problems or who have long, large lungs may have a harder time accessing that sensation of having the lungs so full that air naturally must be expelled. OR thinking about it another way- when folks are in great aerobic shape (or who train in the Rockies), that urgency diminishes because of a good VO2 max. I still need to think about this. . . interestingly enough, I've approached breathing therapeutically from the opposite end: I've learned (and taught) people how if you empty your lungs as much as you can, the inhale happens effortlessly as a natural reflex, and from the diaphragm / lower abdomen. We don't have to actively inhale; it just happens as our body seeks to equalize air pressure from the vacuum.. . . and actually maybe I have my own answer now. . . if I fill my lungs enough, then just let go, without supporting at as you demonstrated, the air comes out in a drastic sigh. . . OK, I think I'm beginning to get this. . . Really GREAT video and demonstration. I should review it. . .
And no, if you do follow up with an "Ask April" series, please do not read that entire message all at once and make fun of me!! 😅
Your body breathing normally: yeah this is fine we do this all the time
Your body breathing into a flute: WUT THE HECKK IS THIS
So many great ideas in this video! Thank you! I too practice T&G 5 often, and I love your idea of starting at the top. You mention two other ways you play it as well. Will you share those? I also love the idea of the exercise ball as a chair while playing. Going to try that today! In terms of audience demographic, I’m a flutist who studied seriously through high school but almost completely gave up playing during my career as a software engineer. Now after 35 years I have picked it back up. Kicking myself for not having kept playing, but I am playing pretty well now and enjoying my progress. Still a ways to go. I understand as a mature player how important the basics are to practice where as a kid I blew those off a lot. And I’m enjoying all the technology available to help me learn, like your videos!
Thank you! Makes sense that one of the ways to practice it is how it’s written... 😁
April Clayton I finally got a chance to tune in. Loved it!
Same for me
Watching from Phoenix, AZ. I study with Christina Steffen at Mesa Community College.
I’d love to have a future Flute Tube video on your breathing exercises!
Yes! I was lucky to be a master class participant during your visit! I’ll look forward to the breathing exercises video! I’ve loved Flute Tube so far!
Great! The elusive word "support" explained. I truly understand so much better now! THANK you!!
Great explanations and illustrations of "breath support"!!!! I'm watching you from Middletown, RI!!! I haven't played in a concert since March 8, 2020.....your videos have helped me with my motivation to play and to practice.....You really do make flute playing fun! Even the "boring" parts!! hahaha. Many thanks!
Hi I'm watching and learning from you and I live in Birmingham, England! Thankyou for your videos, they're so helpful and also really entertaining! 😊
Small world
Are there any good teachers in Birmingham? Most of the ones on the lists that I saw, were quite young, which isn't what I'm looking for. 🤔
I love your stories! I’m a past student of yours (BYU 2013) living in Houston, TX, and am currently a busy stay-at-home-mom of 3 little ones who are all beginning their musical lives! I play a few gigs here and there, and am mainly teaching. Catching up on the other videos now. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi April, I always watched your flute tube videos from the first episode last year and I was pregnant at that time. now my baby boy is 8 months old, I have decided to play the flute again, your videos are my flute saviour that I learn from. I am currently preparing flute grade 8 exam .
your flute tube is the best!!!!!
Maggy from South Africa
I'm so glad to hear Flute Tube is useful for you! Best wishes with everything and nice to "meet" you!
This video goes over a couple epiphanies that I’ve had this semester! The sigh and weight behind the air is something that really changed my playing!! I’m still working on developing support, but this has been so beneficial! The descending chromatic scale has been really helpful for developing this support!
This inspired me to go back to the basics and focus on putting weight behind my air :)
Focusing on the core engagement and letting the rest follow has been huge for me! It helps me keep everything loose, especially my throat. Looking to engage the support rather than avoid the throat tightening is so much more effective and efficient.
Yes, absolutely! It's nearly impossible to think "relax!!" and then just do it. We nearly always need a new direction for where to put our energy - whether that's support ,as in this case - or thinking "come forward" with our embouchure, rather than just "RELAX!!!" Etc. 😊
I love this video! I played while doing a crunch and immediately felt and heard a difference in my low register. Thanks for making these videos Dr. Clayton! They’ve become the highlight of my week 😂
For those interested, I’m a former student now in New Mexico 😊 I hope I can teach my own kiddos flute when they get a little older.
April Clayton I was! I did a crunch, then wall sit, then squat while doing chromatics.
Today I was informed that I would be conducting my high school flute sectionals on Zoom. There are about 40 students in 4 different bands. Yikes! I had watched a few of your videos a few months ago,(was it really that long ago?) and loved the humor, fun, and meaty content! Thank you for sharing so much of your knowledge, experience and love for teaching all things flute! I am thinking of using the videos in the 25 min. sectional Zoom classes and then letting the students discuss what they learned and play examples. I attended the NFA Virtual Flute Convention for the last 6 weeks, but now I will be the lead teacher to 40 high school flutists and have not worked with these groups in a Zoom format. I think they will be very sad that they will not be seeing their friends and playing live music in band or in our sectional rehearsals. Do you have any suggestions? The band directors were just informed on Fri. about this change and are probably overwhelmed with these changes, so they won't be much help. May I use your videos? I also need to learn how to lead groups on Zoom and use videos, PDF's, etc. and deal with latency issues, if we ever play together...Do you have any suggestions?
I am heidi, from Atlanta I play in a couple semi-professional wind symphonies. I have learned so much from all your CZcams videos CZcams videos. My teacher many moons ago at the University of Maine was Mrs Susan Heath. :-)
Breath support is so important. Thank you for the great video!
Watching and listening!
Enjoying your videos now! Streaming!
this is one of the most helpful videos for me, I have really been noticing in this last year how my breath is not a steady flow of air but is fits and starts. But your explanation of the Sigh has made a huge impact on me and I am going to pull out t&g number five and work on it just the way you said.
Absolute amateur in love with the flute in New Brunswick, Canada. Really appreciate the videos!
I'm glad you love flute, and thanks for leaving this nice comment!
Thank you, April! I am an adult beginner student of Nancy Toone. Love your videos!
That's great! I love Nancy. Nice to meet you virtually, and perhaps we'll meet in person before too long!
Yes! I love the singers hiss. My mom does this all the time with her voice students and so I’m so glad to know it’s applicable with the flute! I have noticed a HUGE change in my playing as I support my air and keep it consistent. @JamieSummercorn worked with me on this my first semester and it has been invaluable.
Why did I think I had already seen this episode? Great stuff!
Thanks, glad if it's useful!
I met a friend in Logan and we’re playing a duet in a church meeting. She was talking about wanting to have better breath support. I was so glad that I could share your videos with her because they’re fantastic. I miss being one of your students at Snow 💜
Thanks for the nice comment! And for referring a flute friend to Flute Tube! I enjoyed being one of your teachers at Snow, and hope you continue to do lots with your flute!
I’m so glad I watched this video! I had always been told in band class to use proper breathe support and use more support… but I never really felt like I understood what that meant. I was told to use breathe support was was never really taught what breathe support was or what it felt like. Now I feel like I have a better grasp of what it is and how to know if I’m using breathe support. I am now excited to focus more on my breathe support and how I can improve!
Glad if it's helpful! That's pretty typical - to hear "SUPPORT!" but nothing specific about exactly what it means.
Such great information. Thank you for sharing!,
Glad it was helpful! 👍
Enjoying your channel!
I'm doing the online BYU camp- so I have a question...do you have any tips for taking breaths more discretely/ not breaking up the music when you have to stop for air?
Okay, I stumbled across this video before going to bed and now, after watching the vid, I want to go down stairs and practice! 😁 Best explanation of support/breathing I've heard that made sense to me and it will be helpful on other instruments as well (sax/clarinet). Thank you so much and I'll probably be late for work tomorrow morning.. 😁👍
I'm so happy to see this comment! Glad if it helped, and thanks for introducing yourself to me! 🙂
Very good to know!
thank you very much! it's excellent explanation
I'm from Germany and I'm a grade 11 Student taking his A-levels next year😁 My teacher is a dutch flutist (I don't want to make her Name public) My Plans are to study flute Performance in Helsinki, Frederiksberg, Stockholm, Oslo, Vienna, Salzburg or Feldkirch😅 What price range would you set for a Flute in a Performance students studies? 🙂
@@AprilClaytonflute Thank you for your detailed answer. I really appreciate it😁 I've currently got a Sankyo Cf-201 RBI which I'm happy with. I think it will take me into music school and at least through the first two Semesters. I'm planning on maybe getting a Gold flute (I want to go to Our army Band as a voluntary to save up some money and to get more professional orchestra experiences before auditioning) but I have to see what the future brings🙂
I just got a $2,750 Trevor James heavy wall Virtuoso.
Previously I played on a 10XE and a pre-owned Armstrong but there isn't much competition where I live.
Hi April!
I love this monkey !!
How about random people on the other side of the world 😏🙈?
Well... This was different. 😅