FLUTE-AN INTRODUCTION
The flute is a type of wind instrument. It has a narrow body and is held out to the right of the player. You blow into the hole in the mouthpiece to produce a beautiful, soothing sound. The flute is the type of instrument that is easy to learn with practice and is small and easy to carry. It gives students the opportunity to play an instrument, who might not have otherwise been able to due to financial or time constraints. As with any instrument, our flute teachers must teach you technique as well as actually playing the instrument.
In order to play the flute, our flute teachers will first teach you the technique of embouchure development (placement of lips on the flute). Embouchure development is linked to understanding breath control, another technique taught in flute lessons. All wind instruments require time spent teaching embouchure. If the instrument is not held correctly in the mouth, and your breathing is not controlled, you will not be able to produce the type of sound and notes this instrument is capable of. If air is lost from the placement of your lips on the flute and you cannot inhale or exhale in a controlled manner, the music produced will not be smooth.
Our flute teachers will teach the student correct phrasing of the music and the appropriate place to breathe. Once this is achieved, our flute teachers focus on scales and pieces. It is interesting to note that only a few notes of the flute are in tune. It is therefore important to teach the student to use their lips to get the right pitch and intonation.
In flute lessons, the use of alternate fingerings is taught because the registers are out of tune on the flute. Because if a passage is forte (loud) the student can use alternate fingerings to keep the flute in tune as it is not in tune in the usual register
Lessons in flute include the teaching of the circle of 5ths (music theory) and the Playing of duets. It is a great idea to give the history of each specific piece so that the student will understand what the piece is about. If the student learns where the music came from and how it was created, they can put their own emotions and feelings into their piece.
Overall, the flute can play all types of music such as classical, rock, gospel and pop to name a few. If you learn how to play the flute, other than opening up so many opportunities, it will also be easier for you to play other wind instruments such as the piccolo, clarinet and even the saxophone. It is the type of instrument that is a wonderful first instrument to play and the possibilities down the line are endless!
Flute lessons in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Nassau County & Suffolk County from Kathryn Brickell Music.