Doctor Flute Blog
Musings on the Flute
Does My Flute Need to Be Straight Out?
The answer to that question easily is no. I can always tell when my private high school students are in marching band season because they come into flute lessons, and they are ramrod straight both with their own posture and with the flute. Their elbows are out, and...
Does Flute Tubing Thickness Matter?
Do you know that flutes come in different tube thicknesses? They do! Most flutes will come with the standard thickness of 0.16”. But when choosing a flute, it’s helpful to understand how tubing thickness can totally change the way you sound. A lot of flutists don’t...
5 Things That You Do That Can Ruin Your Flute Tone
Do you want a good sound? Who doesn’t! However, it is often difficult to figure out how to get that great sound. There could be things that you are doing right now that inhibit your ability to get a great tone. In this blog I will teach you 5 things that you...
30-Minute Practice Session Using Mozart Concerto in G
You are busy. You don't have all the time in the world to practice - especially if you're working a full-time job, and perhaps it's not even in music. But you still want to improve, you want to get better. You come home and you have dinner to get, or kids to cart here...
Is a Side Embouchure Okay?
Is a side embouchure okay? Meaning, when you look in the mirror is the embouchure hole centered between your lips? Or is the embouchure hole moved to one side or another? The bottom line to that question is: Yes, it is okay! Our lips are formed differently...
How to Form a Great Flute Embouchure
How to form the right flute embouchure for you is a question that you need to answer! A great embouchure is the way that you can sound your best. It is the only way to get a good tone. We can work on technique and get our fingers to move as fast as they can move. But...
Is it Time to Upgrade Your Flute?
Have you thought about upgrading your flute? If so, this is an exciting time! But are you asking yourself whether it is necessary? Are you unsure as to whether you should invest in the step-up instrument? So, you have been playing flute for a while, and you've...
Controlled Air Stream
Do you feel like you control you air? Are you in total control of how it comes out of your embouchure and hits the strike edge? A controlled airstream is something that allows you to weave a story. It allows you to have mystery and dynamic resonance. It allows you to...
Faster Air vs Blowing Harder
What really is faster air? Isn’t blowing hard the same thing? The answer to that is a resounding maybe! Or perhaps a weak it depends. Should they be the same thing? I can definitively say no they should not be the same thing. But sometimes they are the same, based on...