Sometimes when you’ve been practicing a lot or even when you’re in a performance you’ll notice that something isn’t quite right and you realize that a bubble has formed sealing they key and the pad together.
When a bubble forms, it closes a key that you want open causing you to play a wrong note. You may not have even known that it was a bubble causing the problem, because it will eventually clear itself as you play.
It’s irritating nonetheless, especially when you’re performing.
I’ve had that happen. In fact, I was playing not too long ago and I went to trill (using my Ab key) and nothing happened.
“When you eliminate all other factors
The one which remains must be the truth.”
Sherlock Holmes
I knew my flute was not broken, it was not in need of a COA, there was no leakage due to torn pads. But all of a sudden it just stopped sounding like anything. So, I knew that it had to be a bubble.
What is a Bubble?
A bubble is simply breath condensation that gathers in your flute, collects around a key, then as you’re playing, creates a bubble, that in effect closes the key on its own. The easiest thing to do to get rid of a bubble is to blow it out.
What do you do with a bubble during a performance?
If you’re playing in an orchestra and you have a moment you can just take it and blow it out and it will pop out you then continue on as before. However, there’s not much you can do if you’re doing a recital and that happens. You just have to go on! Then at the end of the piece you need to go off stage and swab out your flute. I had that happen I was playing Syrinx and ending on that Db and there was a bubble in my key and it didn’t sound. So, the end of that performance was wrong. It ended the whole piece with a bubble in my Eb key. But that’s the way it is, that’s what happens in live performances and we move on from there.
But if you get a bubble the best thing to do is blow it out. It’s better to do that then to stick paper in it and dampen the paper because you could possibly damage your pad.
So, just give it a blow, like Clarinetists or oboes do when they get a bubble and everything will go back to being what it should be.
Have fun!
Doctor Flute
Watch me blow out a bubble: FluteTips 42 What if You Get a Bubble in Your Key?
Similar Topics:
Stop Flute Bobble with 4 Balance Points
