Krysia Tripp

July 19, 2024

• Breathing

  • First idea needed for flute

  • Diaphragmatic breathing (from feet up)

• Pulse

  • Tap foot

  • Use metronome only after external pulse is solid

• Gear

  • Bo-Pep: Finger saddle (left hand) - can scrape up the flute!

  • Bo-Pep: Thumb port (right hand) - - can scrape up the flute!

  • Pneumo pro (yellow and red gears)

  • Cotton hanky, cut in half - silk is better and won't get stuck!

  • Microfiber cloth for the outside....do not place inside case

    • Tie hanky and microfiber on handle rather than keeping in case

• Books/resources

  • AMA Flute 2000 - great pictures, book is ok

  • FluteWorld - great website

  • Jennifer Cluff (Canada) - great website resource

  • Beginner books

    • Breeze-Easy

    • A Tune A Day

    • Rubank

    • Tone by Trevor Wye (British flute player)

    • Flute Scale Book

    • Forty Little Pieces

    • Flute Student Series  (1,2,3)

    • Rubank Select Duets Yellow Cover

    • Rubank Trios

    • IMSLP

• Putting flute together

  • Hold flute from the barrel and the headjoint, twist together

  • Headjoint tone hole lines up with first key

  • Put the foot joint on in one motion rather than wiggling

• Embouchure

  • Centered 

  • Corners down (not pulled back)

  • Fleshy part of the 

• Seating

  • Turn chair to the right

• Initial sounds / articulation

  • "Too" or "ta" for single

  • Double tonguing = Ta-ka and doo-goo 

  • Triple tongue -  ta-ka-ta ta-ka-ta

  • B natural, B-A-G

    • Aim air a little more down to build core to the tone

  • Low notes = not covering as much as the hole, slow air (garden hose) and bottom chin forward

  • High notes = covering more of the embouchure holes, faster air (laser)

  • Slur exercises (F, G, A, Bb, C)

• Fingering Mistakes

  • Middle D - raise left index

  • Middle Eb - raise left index

  • F3 is always right ring finger (unless using alternate)

• Pitch tendency & Extra Fingerings

  • Low register, below G = flat (need to roll out)

  • Upper register = sharp (need to roll in a bit, aim down)

  • C# add two fingers

  • E natural is...check out Jennifer Cluff for complete list

• Playing soft

  • Make sure the airstream is executed very well

  • Harmonic series exercises

  • Have students play scales mf, p, and, f

  • Play loud, then really soft 

    • Laser beam air supported, just

    • For higher register, to play softly, apperture is smaller and aim air up

• Vibrato

  • Start with straight tone

  • Teach after students can play low C to high G

  • Sizzle and pant 

  • Pulse a note on eighth notes; then speed up

  • Combination of diaphragm and throat

  • Play "Mary Had A Little Lamb" B-A-G

• Players

  • John Pierre Rampal

  • James Galway

  • *Emmanuel Pahud*

  • Tim Hutchins (Montreal)

  • Jasmine Choi

• Getting kids to practice!

  • Taylor Swift or other pop tunes

• Tuning

  • Korg TM-50

• Cleaning

  • Alcohol swabs for headjoint

  • Cotton flute cleaning rod

• Upgrading flute

  • Yamaha, Zuomu (stay away from Gemeinhardt)

  • Open holes

  • B foot 

  • Solid silver headjoint/ body, plated keys

  • Stay away from inline flutes!

• Piccolo

  • Piper, Yamaha

  • Beginners are made out of plastic