Making a flute sound pretty

by Jim C
(Castle Rock, CO)

Question: I've been playing the flute for about 4 months...I recorded myself today and I'll admit that my sound is not pretty..."breathier" than I thought it would sound, screechier than I thought, occasional honking...I wasn't impressed.

Here's my question: is this a "lip muscle/embouchure underdevelopment" issue for me so that I can hope/expect it to get better with practice or are flute players "once breathy, always breathy?"

Thanks

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Answer: Your tone will definitely improve with practice. I recommend thinking long term with your practice. You aren't practicing for today, you're practicing for a couple of months down the road. You won't always be "breathy!"

Work on developing a relaxed embouchure and using a fast airstream with lots of air.

Recording yourself is a great way to assess your playing. But keep in mind that unless you have a great sound studio to record in, the recording won't necessarily be the most flattering. You'll get air sounds because you're playing close to the recorder, too.

You can still learn a lot from making recordings, such as intonation and rhythm issues. It's a lot harder to judge your tone quality.

Remember that you'll have good days and bad days, but just keep practicing and you'll achieve your goals.