by Dr. Angela McBrearty | Dec 21, 2017 | Breathing, FluteTips, Performing
I’ve heard competition judges at the NFA convention discuss with the audience how competitors need to learn how to take quieter breaths. Their estimation of the competitor went down simply because the breath was too loud and distracting. It especially took away from...
by Dr. Angela McBrearty | Dec 14, 2017 | FluteTips, Practice, Technique
If you’re not doing a steady diet of practicing your technique for a good part of your practice time, you need to start now. You need to add as much variety as you can in your technical practice, such as: Taffanel one, Taffanel two, four, and five. I like to...
by Dr. Angela McBrearty | Dec 7, 2017 | FluteTips, Practice, Tonguing
Here’s a tip is on how tonguing in your low register can benefit your high register. If you do a lot of exercises, tonguing, slowly and carefully in your low register, you’ll be amazed at how much that can help your high register. Everything above it benefits...
by Dr. Angela McBrearty | Nov 30, 2017 | Embouchure, FluteTips, Tone
Embouchure placement is not a sure thing. If you have grown up, and you’ve taken lessons, and you’ve played for a long time, yet you’re still not happy with the sound that you’re getting, think about your embouchure and its relationship to your...
by Dr. Angela McBrearty | Nov 22, 2017 | Finger Placements, FluteTips
Do you keep your fingers on the flute when you play? Are you letting gravity pull them down? If not, you should be. Your fingers need to be staying on the keys when you play. They move much better. They’re more efficient. They’re faster. And they’re...
by Dr. Angela McBrearty | Nov 16, 2017 | Finger Placements, FluteTips
How do you position your B thumb? It’s important that when you are playing flute that your fingers are as natural and as relaxed as possible. This goes for your B thumb too. I see so many students that play with the tip of their thumb. I used to play with my...
