The technique of the crescendo and diminuendo is about much more than what I ever thought it was. I used to think that it was just blowing harder or blowing less. Or pinching to a teeny tiny embouchure to play soft especially in the high register.
That’s not it at all.
It is true that if you increase your air speed you are going to get louder and decreasing the air speed will get you softer. But we still need something more to help keep the pitch where it needs to be and keep the tone in a good place.
That little something extra is jaw movement.
The technique of it is that, when I want to crescendo, I want to open my jaw slowly which opens the mouth cavity and allows more sound to come through.
The opposite will happen when I want to diminuendo – begin slowly closing the jaw. Don’t squeeze the embouchure or lessen the air speed which will make the tone flat and perhaps drop it down the octave.
Using the jaw will help you to not pinch the p’s and not overblow f’s.
To practice this technique, begin with your long tones. Take any note and begin with a smaller embouchure (not pinched). The teeth are closer together.
Now when the crescendo begins start lowering the jaw.
This will open up the embouchure and increase the mouth cavity. This allows for more sound to come out. The air speed will increase as well. But I’m not going to worry about that too much.
Sometimes when we think about that, we will overblow. Which is what this technique is trying to prevent.
Somewhere in the middle of this crescendo, the jaw pauses in its lowering. This momentary pause gives the illusion that you are still increasing in volume, while in fact you are conserving air. It’s just for a second or two before you complete the rest of the cresc.
As I get to the forte, I want to have a lot of sound. To help with the f, put air in your checks. You can try putting air into either cheek, put air into your upper lip, all of it, just one of it. Try and see what helps you the most.
I find that adding air to the right side gives me what I need.
Practice your cresc. and dim. using jaw movement and air in your cheeks. Keep your air the same, and your pitch up with a beautiful sound.
Have fun practicing your crescendo and diminuendo.
Doctor Flute
Watch me demonstrate this: FluteTips 31 Learning How to Crescendo and Diminuendo
See Also:
FluteTips 36 Embouchure Flexibility
