Doctor Flute Blog
Musings on the Flute
Tongue Ram Extended Flute Technique
A tongue ram is an interesting technique. And it does sound pretty cool when you do it. I've been working on the Tongue Ram for a piece that I played at the National Flute Convention in Orlando, Florida (#NFAFlute2018) called On a Poem, Harvard Square by Miho Nonaka...
Everything I learned about music I learned in an Etude!
That’s no joke. When my teacher had finally and fully impressed upon me the importance of etudes in my development as a flutist, I decided to treat them like solos. I worked hard and quickly began to learn much more about music, including concentration, phrasing,...
Every Trill Has its Own Finger
How do you use your right hand trill keys? What is your procedure when you encounter the need for these keys? When I was growing up in elementary school I used any finger willy-nilly. Hey whatever worked was good enough. Then I began using only my right hand middle...
Building Your Technique by Practicing Moyse Scales
If you don't have the Moyse book Daily Exercises you need it. It has the same size and shape of Taffanel and Gaubert: short and wide. I didn't discover this book until later in my college life. Someone had left it in a practice room so read through it. Wow! I...
Pizzicato Tonguing Simplified
Pizzicato Tonguing is really just tonguing without sound with your tongue making the sound in between your lips. It's indicated in music like what you see on the left. This is from a piece of music I just performed at the NFA convention a couple weeks ago called On a...
How to Attach a LefreQue to Your Flute
When you attach a LefreQue sound bridge to a flute, the flute should be held securely either on your lap or in a flute stand. My preference is to put the flute in a stand. (That’s how I demonstrated it in the 2 videos linked below.) The LefreQue consists of 2 metal...
To LefreQue or NOT to LefreQue That is the Question
To LefreQue or Not to LefreQue. That is the Question. Pronounced “le freak” by founder Hans Kuijt, LefreQue sound bridges claim to enhance the sound characteristics of wind instruments as follows: Purer overtones Better tuning Easier playing Better slurring Surround...
Practicing Triple Tonguing in Reverse
Do any of you have trouble getting a triple tongued passage steady and even on all syllables? It’s quite an interesting conundrum that using the TKT KTK form of triple tonguing can be unsteady or uneven. However, using TK TK for double tonguing can be totally even....
Low Register Tonguing Taffanel and Gaubert 8
If you have watched my flute tips or read my blog you will know that I like to practice low register short tones. They are invaluable to improving your tone in the low register and, dare I say, even better then long tones! I'm sure that I've learned more about my low...