How I fixed my student's high notes in 10 minutes
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- čas přidán 28. 08. 2024
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In this video, I'm teaching you how to fix HIGH NOTES in 4 STEPS.
I used it on my little student Molly last week, and she nailed her high notes in 10 minutes.
Right after her lesson, I recorded what I did for you here, so you can apply it to your own high notes if needed.
Jane xx
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I was struggling for 2 hours on my flute until I saw this and that was that!
Many many thanks!
That's FANTASTIC to hear Rohan! Well done!
The entire video I kept thinking “it can’t be that simple”. But then I tried again, using the third tip, and it actually worked! Thanks for the help!
Glad it helped you Ultraviolet!
Really? 🤔 I'll try again in a bit.
I've even tried watching the James Galway masterclass videos. Each time I try and change the shape of my mouth, or move my jaw forward slightly, I suddenly can't play.
Then I have to look at my reflection in the oven (I practice in the kitchen), to get it back again.
Low C to the next C and D are ok (I think). But I can't go higher.
Hey there, I just saw your comment! I'd suggest you try the mini course to improve your tone www.flute.schoo/free and then after that do the mini course to make high notes easy www.flute.school/highnotes - do them in that order because you'll need the good embouchure from the first mini-course to do the second one properly. Good luck!
@@JaneFluteSchool Ok thanks. I might have done the first one already. But I'll start again from the beginning.
Thank you Jane, I like what you do, I haven't been playing for an eternity, really (I'm almost old now!)...A long time ago I got frustrated, because I couldn't get out those high notes, because my playing sounded 'flat' and I felt stuck. I just took up playing again and I feel like your way of teaching is so amazing. I just really want to succeed and play, I mean really play the flute. Thanks for what you do :)!
You're so welcome Sofie! I love your approach to learning - you are definitely going to get to where you want to go with flute because you've got totally the right attitude! I'm glad the videos are helpful for you. And yes, I'm almost old too :) :) :) And wiser of course ;)
@@JaneFluteSchool 🙏🙏💓
Thanks so much for this! I'm a sax player doubling on both clarinet and flute, and I must admit, high notes have always been a very week point of mine. Airy sound, inconsistent response and in general just not able to sustain it for long enough. With COVID and everything else kicking off I made learning to double on the flute a lockdown project of mine. I've kind of been self teaching for the past two years, as well as using your fantastic resources.
Glad the videos have been helpful Marcus! Good luck with your flute playing this year - you'll no doubt learn quickly, being a sax/clari player!
Nice, I play sax as well and im going to be learning flute and trombone at the same time, 2 hours and i got a Bb major scale on the flute with decent tone
@@deathedell215ok this is important specifically for doublers like us cuz reed embouchure actively fatigues the lower lip which lowers its dexterity when making embouchure changes on the flute.
You probably notice that playing flute after an hour of playing another instrument results in an airy sound and inability to access anything above the first register.
The only way to combat this is to practice the flute OFTEN. And especially before and after playing your other instruments. Flute is honesty the one instrument that always deteriorates the second you switch to another instrument so we need to make sure to play it as often or more as other instruments to maintain tone quality.
@Jwellsuhhuh you know he said that 9 months ago when you posted that
@@endersand5211 9 months later doesn't automatically mean that the comment is no longer relevant. The fact that you saw my reply already means that my comment wasn't for nothing.
I would just like to say thank you so very much. My daughter has been playing for 5 years and playing high notes without getting louder is the one thing she has tried to master for years. Her teachers have always taught the way of flattening lips and pulling tight and that just did not work for her and ruined her tone. She has been trying your way for two days and while it is in no way coming easily….there is a difference…she finally played a high c scale without getting louder. She is very shy but asked if I could thank you for this information. I wish she could learn I person from a teacher like you. She loves flute and she practices so very hard.
Hi Natalie,
Wow that's so lovely to hear! Please tell your daughter to keep working on her embouchure and I'm sure she'll be getting those lovely high notes in no time! 😊
I'm not sure how old your daughter is, but if she's been playing for 5 years already and seems like a diligent student, she might be interested in The Flute Academy. There is a whole module on how to apply the high note technique correctly. You can find out more information here in case you're interested. www.flute.school/academy
This video was very helpful. Thank you very much for helping all of the flute beginners! you're amazing!
You're very welcome! 😊
thank you so much! i have never reached a high f before on the flute in my 2 years of playing and as soon as i watched this, i got it!
Ashely that is amazing to hear!! Well done! Jane
Having to not only maintain my embouchure, but adapt it to the register I'm playing in makes me see just how difficult the flute really is to learn. Gotta be patient and keep at it.
Thanks for the tips!
One step at a time! You've got this! 😊
thank you, Jane, for your wonderful way of explaining things! Keep up the good work - you are fantastic!
You're pretty fantastic yourself! Thanks for the nice comments :)
This was really helpful. I am an intermediate, but I haven't played in almost 20 years.
Hey Cynthia - that's great you've come back to the flute after 20 years!
I'm so impressed with your lessons. They're pretty much straightforward. In fact, I must admit that it is challenging to play wind instruments when having respiratory and cardiac conditions, but your videos have helped me succeed. Do you have a video on flute vibrato, and how to avoid your lips/mouth from drying up so fast when practicing? I must play oceans by hillsong in my brothers wedding, but due to how long each line is, its kinda competitive for me to produce enough air as well when my lips/face get tired.
Hi Raquel,
So glad to hear you're enjoying the free videos! If you'd like to learn more from me, you've very welcome to join The Flute Academy. Here's the link in case you're interested. www.flute.school/academy
There are lessons inside The Flute Academy on vibrato.
That's awesome you're going to perform at your brother's wedding soon! To help stop dry lips, I always put on a bit of lip balm before I play. 😀
i actually use a dizi flute and it works perfectly thank you!
That's excellent to hear! I've heard other Dizi players say the same thing :) That's because the embouchure on both the flutes is very very similar. So lots of what I teach will apply to other types of flutes too.
I am going to try this tomorrow!
Thanks so much Jane ive always struggled with my high notes and this really got them to come out well!!
That's awesome to hear! 😊
GIRL U SAVED MY LIFE I LOVE U
Oh wow. Glad to hear Rory!
Thank you, my high notes are coming out a lot better
@Van Arlo um ok...
Hi Zoey - that's so great your high notes are coming out better - that's awesome!
It seems there are so many things that have to come together. I have only been playing two months, and was really struggling with the mid register notes breaking down. I kept trying to get a smaller embouchure hole, but was still struggling. In my case the problem turned out to be the flute was too high on my lip. I have a very thick lower lip, so initially the higher position made it easier to get a sound. But it was also pushing my lip too flat, making an airy sound and preventing the "spaghetti hole" embouchure for higher notes. Now I have corrected my flute position the 2nd and even 3rd octaves are happening for me! I am so excited!
Yay that's awesome to hear your high notes have improved! Yes, definitely a lot of factors you have to think about when learning an instrument, especially in the first few months! All the best for your flute journey! 😀
Very good Jane. You made it easy to understand. I will put it in to practice. Thanking you.
Oh that's great to hear Flute64! Love your name by the way!
I bought a flute several years ago to teach myself how to play. I always found that I sounded great, as long as I kept it below the top line F. I'll try some of this to see if it helps, cause I'd really like to enjoy playing more than I do. Those extra notes will help.
Hi Brad, Glad my video helped you! If you're interested in learning further with me, check out my free mini course on tone. 😊www.flute.school/free
Thanks this video helped me so so much
That's awesome to hear Allan!
golly it worked. thanks a bunch
You're so welcome Arshiya!
Thank you so much i was finally able to do it !
You're welcome!! And that is so good to hear Kathy!
I've been playing piccolo for my high school band so I haven't touched a flute in so long. I can get most of my notes out except for the third octave C, D flat and D
Hey there Tatertot! I'm sorry to have missed your comment, until now! Good on you for playing picc in your high school band. That's impressive!
@@JaneFluteSchool yeah, I don't even try picc anymore. I couldn't get much. not enough keys?!?
OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I have solo fest all county coming up and this helped a lot! New subscriber!!
Glad to hear my tips helped! 😊
Cheers Jane. Thanks for your very valuable, much appreciated guidance. Together we will get there, ' trust me'👌😉
Thank you for your kind comments! 😊
Oh! That was super simple. Thank you. Pout muscles, yeah. I can do second octave, but still like a wild bird in the 3rd, and still working to get accuracy in the harmonic tower stacked above each finger position. Pout muscles, that helped me pop out the 4th line above staff G real quick! I have the Trevor Wye book Tone. I'm still working on the first two pages. Exercise 1, overtones; like I said, still a bit of a wild bird in the highest squeaks. First two octaves solid enough I'm working on tone there. Thanks again.
I'm only 3 days in on the focused practice. I stop when my face feels tired. Pick it up again 20 minutes or half our or tomorrow later. Each day, little bit better. At first I only knew there was one octave above bottom, on bamboo for 24 years before I took up the metal ones with keys. Just yesterday following the map in the book I hit the 7th harmonic up, which was a minor tone. I had no idea there were more than 5 until I saw the map in the book, and then didn't know there was a 7th. The discovery of not moving flute but making the lip gap smaller did it, but I'm still getting the accuracy to hit the one I want and not surprise myself with a squeak I didn't expect, or get the 4th harmonic when I want the 2nd. Woodshed! I'm digging the nuance in the lip discipline. It's a matter of practice so the muscles can do it without strain. Only jam I never tested my limits. This is great.
That's so awesome to hear you're hitting the high notes and that you used to play a bamboo flute for 24 years! 😀
Your tip is the best I heard ..I was beating myself to death
Well that is awesome to hear! So glad the tip helped!
Great lesson thanks. I'm having a little issue in holding my right hand for the balance.
Hey there Mr Alvatroz. Just make sure your right hand thumb is not too far forward under the flute. So, not sticking out too much. That will definitely make the flute feel off balance!
OMG MY HIGH B FLAT AND INSTANTLY SOUNDED BETTER AFTER PLAYING SOFTER. Why did I think I need so much air!!! MASSIVE THANK YOU. Im the only flute in my High School Band, so I have to play very good or else irregularities will be heard.
That's wonderful to hear! I'm so happy for you that the video helped your high Bb. Good on you for being a good student!!
I am trying to do higher notes by myself for more than a year. trying everything, but they don't come out. my lower notes are great, but it's too difficult. I am a clarinet player
Hi Opal - that sounds frustrating :( I can tell you that every clarinet playing that I've EVER seen play the flute has too tight (too smilie) an embouchure, especially for their high notes. This could be your issue. If so, try relaxing your mouth more, and thinking (very) slightly pouty for your higher notes. Good luck!
Omg same!
Do lip thickness matters?
Hi Yo! Everyone has differently shaped and sized lips, so there is a little variation in where you need to place your lip on the flute, but the concept for high notes like in this video is the same for everyone. Thanks for asking! Jane
This helps a lot mann
Glad to hear it helped! 😊
I love transcribing Jobim songs to memory. If it's really tricky I might need to write it out first.
Ooh nice! 😊
I finally got double high C# and I thought it was hard to get all this time. Double high D is not as easy as the C# though. I got it a few times but it's not locked in yet.
That's awesome! 😊
Ok, thanks, very useful tricks.
You're welcome Taketi!
Thank you so much this was so helpful I was able to hit my high C so much easier because of this ps: I have a Christmas concert in two days so I really needed this
Philip that's great to hear that it helped you in time for your concert!
Hello jane i got a teacher that says me frown when you play low notes and smile on high notes but when i do smile i feel tone gets bad and sharp also i told her when i play high notes i bring my jaw and corners of my lips forward but she didnot agree and told, when you bring corners forward u blow out of flute also the lips apeture gets like circle so more air comes out that is not good for high note. please tell me which method is correct also how you make apeture tiny? Did you do it by pulling and tensing the corner of lips or by closing mouth and bringing jaw forward?
Hi Reza - they are very good questions. I'm glad you asked! I have heard flute teachers say you should push the jaw forward, but I believe this is very wrong for 2 reasons. 1. Our jaw is not made to move forward and backward like this and you'll end up hurting yourself long term, and 2. it doesn't help high/low notes anyway!
For high notes, as you discovered, if you pull the corners of your mouth back (ie smile a little), you will be sharp and find the high notes difficult, so this is obviously not helpful to your playing! If you pout a little for higher notes, this will give you the best control, sound and tuning. If your mouth is like a circle, and you feel too much air coming out, then it is TOO much pouting! The movement forward of the corners of your lips is very very tiny, and it gives you amazing control over your high notes and will not make the hole in your mouth bigger.
Good luck with your playing!
Jane
@@JaneFluteSchool thank you very much it was really helpful i like the way you teach the flute .please tell me about dynamics and intonation. how you play flute softly and keep yourself in tune specially in high notes?i have heard thaf we need less volume of air at the same support speed to play flute softly and to keep in tune we need the air to be directed a little up?what do you think about it?how do you play flute softly and tune?do you use the same method of slight pouting to make a little aperture and redirecting air upper while soft olaying?
@@JaneFluteSchool another confusing matter about bringing jaw forwards is that we all know flute tendency is to be flat in low notes and sharp with those high notes so if i bring my jaw forward more i will cause the high note to be more and more sharper. Jane while you play high notes you bring the corner of lips a little forward with a slight pouting so it doesnot effect angle of air stream toward up?
Hi Reza, I'm so glad you find the tips helpful. My best advice to help with your dynamics and intonation, is to really concentrate on getting your tone extra focused and clear. It's the start of being able to control your dynamics and intonation!
Great, thanks
You are so welcome Lois! PS Apologies for taking a whole month to say you're welcome :)
I realize that my middle D natural sounds off and I have a band concert in December, I’m unsure if it’s the flute or me, All my other notes are perfectly fine with the tone but the tone for D just sounds off, it’s not airy it just sounds off, I triple checked the fingerings and I believe I’m doing it correctly
Try pressing down a bit harder, if the sound comes out clearer, you might have a leaky key somewhere on your flute.
I hope your band concert in December goes well! 😀
great video. Keep going! =)
Thanks Edilson - glad you find it helpful! Jane
I don't know how I feel after discovering that these flute tutorials... also work for my chinese bamboo flute (dizi) 🙃 I mean~ I'm very glad, but also surprised at how effective these tips were even for another instrument xD
That's awesome to hear Suldra you're using my flute tips on your bamboo flute with great success! 😊
Thank you!
You're very welcome! 😀
Woww thank you so much this really helped me 💜💜
You're so welcome Sherry! Glad it helped.
Thank you!!! 👍👍👍❤
You are so welcome Alice!
so I am having difficulty with my foot notes, I know its me, But my noites either come out all the same, or squeclhy and breathy or soundless, (SO i mean my right hand notes.)
Hi there Ryuko! If it's the low notes that you're having trouble with, you might want to check out the video I made here about having trouble with low C: www.flute.school/blog/low-c-flute
If your notes that use the right hand are all coming out the same despite changing your fingerings, it sounds like there's something wrong with your flute! Some problems like this are an easy fix - you just need to take it to a flute repairer for them to work their magic!
Best of luck, Jane :)
@@JaneFluteSchool actually got those ones down pat, the right hand scales I am having trouble with, turns out it was my flute holding, needed to have the flute come to me, not the otherway around, one of your other videos showed me that.
Im still squelchy on my high notes, but PMP (Practice Makes Perfect) I am making a video journey of my flute learning, its very interesting to see my progress.
Hole smaller blow softer move sude lip fowerd and pout.
Yes, that is a good summary Sobia! Hope your high notes are sounding nice :)
Day 3 for me, and I still cannot do it. Not consistently anyway. How long is it suppose to take to get a consistent tone on the flute? I cannot even get a consistent tone in the lower register. Usually, that's okayish, but I find myself running out of breath so quickly, cuz I feel I need to blow so much to get a loud enough sound when playing the very low notes. In essence, it means I can hardly play any tune because I am constantly running out of air. Maybe I need to switch to a different instrument... A few years ago I messed about with the clarinet for a few months, and it was a very different experience. After the initial period of figuring out how to get a sound, I could get a nice ,strong consistent sound for the entire lower register and half of the upper register, thus I could concentrate on fingering. But with the flute, I feel I am never gonna get there when I cannot even get a decent sound out of it...
Oh no! Don't feel disheartened! You can do it! 😀
If you haven't already, sign up to my free 3 day mini course on tone to help you achieve the correct embouchure which will help stop you from running out of air too quickly.
Here's the link in case you're interested. www.flute.school/free
Try using a smaller embouchure in the meantime which will reduce the amount of air you have to use to fill your embouchure hole.
@@JaneFluteSchool I have watched the mini course and found it most enlightening! Thanks a lot!!
I just got a flute for christmas and am trying to learn the "correct" way of blowing higher octaves. Is it possible that I just have a flute that is harder to play? Or is it me :( It wasn't really expensive ($300), it's a "Sinclair" flute.
Hi Charmaine-Lee - the most important thing is that your flute is in good mechanical working order. The best idea is to take your flute to someone who can play and get them to check that it works! Then you'll know that it's not you :) Good luck! Jane
Brilliant!
Awesome Brad!
You made it look so easy and here I am still cannot make it past 2nd octave D after all this months : ( doing on my own.
Hi Troa - once you know how to play high notes properly, try and just get a little bit better every time you practise. Then it will be easy for you too :)
Hey I'm also trying on my on, important thing is to keep trying and believe in yourself, we can do it. You'll get it 😊
I wonder: “corners forwards” implies pushing forwards the mandible tinely? Or is that wrong (tires the mandibular muscles, etc.)?
Yes, the corners of your mouth come forward slightly to achieve better high note control. 😊
I'm trying your technique Jane, after bad habits it feels strange...but some good progress in 15mins lol. Perhaps mens lips aren't as dexterous?
Hi Paul - definitely men's lips are dexterous enough. Many of the world's best flute players are men, so you've definitely got some good male examples to learn from! Learning a flexible embouchure is a challenge for everyone, so I don't doubt that you'll be able to eventually be able to do it with ease! Best of luck :) Jane
Nice 👍
underrated channel
Awesome - glad you think so Ruby!
Can dry lips affect tone on higher notes. I find I have to lick the inside of my lips where the air comes out in order to make a decent sound on the higher notes. I don't have this problem with lower notes. My house is dry at the moment which doesn't help. Should I put chapstick on or something as a aid to keep them moist while I play the flute for these high notes? Its really frustrating at times. I don't have pear dropped lips thankfully so this isn't an issue embouchure wise.
Hey there acid! Yes, if you have dry lips, it can certainly affect your sound. Chapstick can help, but I put it on (I normally just need it in winter, if at all) and then wipe it off straight away. Otherwise it gets all over your flute! Hope that helps :)
I can’t seem to play D, E and F they always cracks when I hit them
Hi Kx - yes it's annoying when notes crack! Hopefully this video helped you!
Hi Jane, so my high notes never sound the way they should and actually worse than Molly’s before your correction I think.
Hi Robert,
Keep working on making your embouchure slightly smaller (corners of your mouth come in) and using a consistent airstream for high notes on the flute. Keep practising in front of a mirror and I'm sure your high notes will improve in no time! 😀
@@JaneFluteSchool Thank you Jane, the mirror is a great idea!
When I record myself all i hear is air. It's soon annoying because I'm reaching the omg that air sound is there too. What am i doing wrong?
Oh no! If you're hearing heaps of airy sounds, try to make your embouchure a bit smaller by bringing the corners of your mouth forward. Also use a gentle airstream on the low notes to help reduce the airy sound. 😀
omg this is sOoOoOoO good
Thanks.. I manage it better now but sometimes the sound seems to b come out both, high and low, especially when I stop blowing... Grmpf..
Yes - that's frustrating I know, but if you are getting both high and low at the same time, instead of just low - it means you're almost there! Keep doing what you're doing and you'll get up to the high one soon.
@@JaneFluteSchool
Thanks.. I am really not sure about my embouchure and I started to believe my lips are genetically defunct to play the flute.. Contradictionally it appears that if I make the hole bigger the tone gets better.. Do you give any online help via zoom or so?
Great lesson mam . I from Nepal. This flute can play bothside ??. Bcoz I m lefty hand. Plz reply me . Thank you mam.
Hi there to you in Nepal! No - the flute (the western flute that I play) only goes to one side. It doesn't matter if you're left handed or right handed. Good luck!
What about people with big lips ? The majority if not all the people that I watch giving tips about embouchure have small lips and I try time and time again but I keep struggling with broken double octave sounds or even to airy. And I'm getting really frustrated about it
Hi,
I have a video about playing the flute with thick lips. Here's the link in case you're interested. 😀www.flute.school/blog/can-you-play-the-flute-with-thick-lips
Good 👍
Thank you! 😊
i can i dont how to just think about it
Keep up the good work! You've got this! 😊
Additionally I lower the jaw a bit for low notes and gradually close it for high notes. That's by trial and error.
I think of it as my embouchure is moving - so my lips, but yes the jaw has to support what the lips are doing. 😀
I'm trying to play the flute myself and I kinda figured you can also cheat by closing some of the lower keys. Is this a legit solution or am I doing something very weird?
Hey Mark - that's a very interesting solution! I've never tried that myself, as it's not a standard thing to do on the flute. The only problem I see would be when you need to change quickly between other notes, it'll make your fingering switches complicated (and slow), but you might have thought of that already!
A am struggling a lot to hit a high (super high) A flat sometimes I can hit it but it never sticks for long and I feel like I’ve tried everything so I’m not sure what to do now
Hey Arielle, it's one of the more "unstable" notes on the flute. Like high F# is also unstable and harder to play with ease. Here's a trick for you. When you play high Ab, add your right hand finger 2 and 3 (that is middle and ring finger). It's a genius fix. :)
@@JaneFluteSchool thank youu I’ll definitely try this 😁
what if my lips are too fat!
well they seem okay i can do it sometimes i find it harder after playing too long maybe its liquid in flute?
@@SufyMusic - condensation in the flute won't affect your high notes particularly. If you can play high notes sometimes, that's an excellent start! Try to figure out what you're doing, and keep doing that! And then become consistent at it. Good luck.
I've used countless videos and I still can't get it :/
Sof F - oh that's not good, that must be frustrating! here's a tip - if the hole in your mouth is too big, it's almost impossible to get high notes. Check that out and see if that's your issue, and you can do this free mini-course that will help further, if you need it: www.flute.school/free Good luck!
I can't even get the third register
Hi YGG, yes the third register is definitely more advance. The best note to start trying the proper way of playing high notes is the E2 (the middle pf the three Es). Good luck with it!
i literally cant do it aaagh
Oh no!
It didn’t help!
Oh no vivian! Go and check out my videos on getting a good sound/embouchure on the flute, and check that you're embouchure is correct. Good luck!
thanks helped me sooooooooo much and this is my moms account so I am going to sub on mine and my moms
ha that's great Radhika! Your mum will start learning about flute playing whether she wants to or not haha! Thanks for subscribing :)
How to hold higher note for a long period
Hi Nagarjuna. If you're running out of air really quickly, it's probably because the size of the hole in your mouth is too big. If you want to do a free mini-course on fixing exactly this, go to www.flute.school/free - hope that helps!
@@JaneFluteSchool thanks for u r reply...i am using india bamboo flute...carnatic flute called VENU...will you teach on this flute
am i the only one who still didn't get it. like i watch so all the vid that teach this but i still cant do it.
🥲🥲
Oh no! Don't give up! You can do it! Keep working on just your head joint if you're still struggling to get a sound out and keep practising in front of a mirror. Keep adjusting your position of your embouchure and where your flute is sitting on your bottom lip until your achieve that sweet spot where the sound will come out correctly! 😀