3 Ways to Improve Your Flute Tone

First and foremost…

Congrats! I’m so proud of you for showing up today. Just the fact that you’re here means that you’re thinking about your tone and wondering what you can do to improve it, which is step one to making those improvements and WOWing the people around you. So, do you want to impress your TikTok followers with your incredible, beautiful, clear, stunning flute tone? Let’s get going!

It starts in the embouchure

So, the best flute tone begins in the embouchure. It begins with hydrated lips, relaxed facial muscles, and SPACE SPACE SPACE in the jaw.

Think about the way that your jaw looks when you yawn - your back teeth are parted, your jaw is hinged open naturally, and your throat is open. It’s almost like you’re saying “oooooh” to a beautiful painting or a decadent dessert you’re about to eat. You need to create all that space in your mouth in order to resonate beautifully.

Relax the corners of your lips. The worst thing we can do is try to “smile” because smiling leads to tight lips - we want to be neutral. Glue the wet part of your lips together, let the air build up behind the lips, and then allow it to break through. Keep the corners of the lips relaxed down.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Keep water nearby. Dry lips lead to airy tone! So, make sure you’re taking water breaks and hydrating as much as you can.

Breath Support and Control

An unsupported tone is like a shower with low water pressure - disappointing, right? So, let’s fix that! Learning to use your diaphragm to push the air in a controlled manner and being able to use ALL the air in your lungs will make a huge difference in your playing.

First, let’s learn about breathing deeply and filling the lungs. Take a book or your flute case - something not terribly heavy, and lay on your back (preferably somewhere flat like the floor or a bench). Place the object on your abdomen. Now, breathe in and out, aiming to move the object on your belly up and down. This is teaching you to breathe deep. Remember to create space in your mouth and breathe in like you’re yawning.

Next, let’s learn how to increase our lung capacity and control our out-breath. Now, sit straight with your feet flat on the floor. Breathe in to the count of 5, as deeply as you can. Hold the air in your lungs to the count of 5. Breathe out to the count of 5, making sure you don’t empty your lungs until the last count. Now, we can increase that number to 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and so on.

Exercises like this will help you learn to breathe deeply while also controlling your air, building your tone out to be clearer and stronger with more support.

Regular Maintenance of the Flute

Okay so this part is important, because flute maintenance is often the most overlooked aspect of tone production. You should have your flute serviced YEARLY, especially if you play a lot. Having your keys adjusted and checked out for leaks is one of the best things you can do for yourself because your tone simply will not speak properly if you have leaks in your keys!

So, get your flute checked, friends, because your frustrations may not be your fault at all!

Conclusion

• Be prepared to play with your embouchure and find the sweet spot of space and suppleness to create a beatiful sound.

• Stay hydrated!

• Work on breathing exercises to improve your lung capacity and breath control.

• Regularly maintain your flute, at least yearly.

Want to study with me? Click the link at the bottom of the page to book a FREE consultation about lessons in San Diego or online.