Practice harmonics! They’re a fantastic addition to your tonal practice. They’ll add resonance to your tone, and open up your sound, adding the colors and the resonance that a tone needs.
What are Harmonics?
If you haven’t practiced harmonics before here is what they are: if you play a low C, and then, without changing your fingers and using only your lip and change of air direction you can get a number of other pitches that above it.
The first note above is the octave, then the 5th above, next the octave, then the third, fifth, seventh and octave. On other instruments particularly the trombone there are many harmonics (or partials as they are sometimes known as) that can be played from a single fingering or position.
When practicing harmonics, there are a number of ways to play them that help develop embouchure and sound through resonance and lip control. The first thing you want to do is to play through the harmonics and get an understanding of how they work and which notes you can play. Some are easier then others to respond.
Once you know what to do, the first exercise is to move between two harmonics. Begin with the first two which are octaves. Slur back and forth between them using your lip to move.
Do not tongue!
For the most part you won’t articulate. With as little air as you can, slur between the two. You will begin to feel how the lip is working. Next move up and slur between the octave and the fifth and so on, for as far as you can go.
When you’ve experimented with that exercise and you’re feeling good about how you get harmonics, then the next step that I suggest to my students is to practice Reveille. You know, the trumpet Reveille. Play Reveille slowly (not as fast as a trumpet does).
Only Use Your Lip!
Always use your lip to get these harmonics. It is very easy to over blow and make them come out. It’s much trickier to hold in that air, and make these notes respond because you use your lip to change the air direction.
Another tempting aspect is to tongue the ones that don’t want to come out. Don’t do it! It is a way of cheating the exercise. It is more difficult to use your lip and easier to get it when you tongue. But you will not reap the benefits if you tongue.
When you play Reveille ask yourself these questions:
- Can I play with a fuller sound?
- Is the sound I’m getting clear without tension?
- Are these notes in tune?
Now Add This Exercise
Now it is time to add another harmonic exercise – matching pitch. What that means is to begin with the usual low C, playing up to the 5th with a fantastic resonant harmonic sound. When you feel that the sound is full, round and resonant, then change the fingering to the actual fingering while keeping that round, full sound.
Next, move up a half step to C# and slur to the G#.
Then D. And so on.
In each one you try to make more full and just filled with resonance.
That’s how you practice harmonics. They’re great. They do a tone a lot of good.
Have fun!
DoctorFlute
Watch me demonstrate this: FluteTips 37 Practice Harmonics to Improve Your Tone
FluteTips 68 Harmonics Matching Pitch Exercise
