How Can I Salvage a Bad Flute Tone Day?
Everyone has bad tone days. I have bad tone days. The great Sir James Galway has bad tone days. The first chair flute in your school band has bad tone days. While it’s easy to want to throw in the towel and stop practicing, we can use bad tone days to learn so much about ourselves! So, let’s learn how to salvage a bad tone day and eventually we will learn how to avoid them altogether, or at least make those days fewer and further between than they are in the beginning.
It’s important to remember, first of all, that when you start noticing bad tone days, it’s because you’re growing. Your ear is becoming more attune to your playing than it used to be, so it’s noticing when you don’t sound the way that your ears feel like they “should.” Would you have noticed a bad tone day when you first started playing? Maybe, but not the same way that you do now. So, be kind to yourself when you have these days. It means you’re growing.
Understanding Bad Tone Days
Bad tone days can be caused by so many factors - physical fatigue, tension, instrument issues, hydration, and even weather conditions can cause our tone to tank. Let’s break down a few of them.
Physical Fatigue
I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it - if you’re tired, you’re not going to be playing at your best. And I’m not talking about being a little sleepy. I’m talking about fatigued, exhausted, lacking of sleep or working too hard - all of these things can make you too tired to play very well. It’s important to read yourself and know when you’re simply too tired to practice. While I’m all about making the most out of a bad tone day, practicing when you’re overly fatigued can teach your body poor muscle memory and habits, so maybe take a rest if you’re feeling past your limit. Physical fatigue can cause your body to not move with as much strength or on the flip side, it can cause you to clench, which brings us to the next big reason.
Embouchure Tension
Tension in and around the embouchure is the number one cause of bad tone days. Clenching our jaw, tightening of your lips, and even tension in the forehead and sinus cavities can all cause our tone to be less resonant, closed off, and airy. Remember that tension in the upper part of the body (head, neck shoulders) is all connected and can all cause issues in your tone production.
Hydration
Like it or not, your hydration can contribute heavily to your tone production. Not only does the wetness of your lips factor into your tone, but also factors into mental clarity, joint lubrication, and overall fatigue. Staying hydrated is important to all factors of good tone production.
Instrument Maintenance Issues
If you’ve made lots of changes and worked hard on your tone but consistently are unable to produce a good tone, it may be worth taking your flute in for a look. Leaky, ripped, or missing pads will certainly contribute to poor tone production. Remember, flutes require regular maintenance (once a year to every 18 months or so) in the form of a Clean, Oil, Adjust (or COA). This will keep your flute in tip top shape and keep you mostly from having to worry about your flute being the issue.
Weather Conditions
Weather conditions play a crucial role in shaping the sound quality of a flute. Drastic changes in temperature and humidity can cause fluctuations in the instrument's body, affecting its tuning and overall tone. High humidity levels may lead to moisture buildup inside the flute, resulting in a muffled and dull sound. On the other hand, extremely dry weather can cause the flute to shrink, leading to air leaks and a thin, brittle tone. Flute players need to be mindful of these weather conditions and take appropriate measures, such as proper storage and maintenance, to ensure optimal sound production regardless of the climate.
Tips for Salvaging a Bad Flute Tone Day
Take a Break
It’s important to give yourself a moment to pause, stretch, and release tension. The moment you notice your tone is off, make a note of where you feel tension in your body and how it feels. Then, when you take your break, actively try to release the tension that you feel. This could be in the jaw, throat, forehead, where the spine meets the skull, and lips. Try meditating, stretching, and massaging tense areas.
Warm-Ups
Warming up is a great way to avoid poor tone days altogether. Spend a decent amount of time working through a dedicated warm-up. If you aren’t sure what warm-ups work best, try these books on for size:
Paula Robison Flute Warmups Book
Reichert 7 Daily Exercises for Flute
Long Tones
Long tones are essential to a great tone quality and to salvage a bad one. You can do these with or without a written explanation, beginning at B-natural on the staff, working your way down in pairs chromatically.
If you’re more inclined to work with a written exercise, I would recommend either De La Sonorite or Trevor Wye Practice Books for the Flute, Book 1: Tone.
Remember to be mindful, working slowly and meticulously to make changes to your tone little by little.
Instrument Maintenance
Be certain that you’re having your flute serviced every 12-18 months with a Clean, Oil, and Adjust. Having this done allows a flute tech to spot any potential issues that may be causing your tone to falter. This could include a pad that’s failing to seat, a ripped pad or missing cork, or even a key that’s sitting a little too high.
Read more about flute maintenance here.
Rest and Hydration
Finally, and most importantly, be certain that you’re coming to your flute at your best. This means a solid 8 hours of sleep every night, plenty of water, and try to practice your flute when your body is at a peak in your circadian rhythm. The last part is a bit more challenging and requires a lot of self-awareness, but knowing when your brain and body are functioning at optimal is important to making sure you’re able to play your best. Trust me, your tone will thank you!
Mental Strategies for Overcoming Frustration
Psychologically speaking, it’s extremely frustrating to know what you WANT your tone to sound like but not be able to produce it the way you hear it in your head. That said, leaving the frustration behind is important. Approaching your practice with curiosity is important. Think of it as a game or even like you’re a detective and it’s your job to discover what could be “off” on this particular day. Making notes about this sort of thing not only encourages the frustration to disappear, but it can help you more easily work through a bad tone day next time it happens!
Be kind to yourself, most importantly. Remember that to err or to struggle is to be human. Even the most incredible flutists have struggled with their tone some days, so being extra kind to yourself is so important on the days that you’re struggling. When you start the negative thought spiral, close your eyes and picture a stop sign. Remember that being unkind to yourself isn’t going to fix the problem, so compliment yourself and return to the place of curiosity.
Seeking Help and Support
There are some incredible places you can seek support online, including the Flute Reboot Facebook group, which can help in providing community through the struggles. You can also reach out to your fellow musicians for guidance or encouragement, but the best thing you can do is to reach out to a qualified teacher for lessons. A good teacher can help guide to towards solutions that are tailored to you, specifically. Tattooed Flute Teacher Flute Studio offers online flute lessons internationally to help students go from uninspired flute playing to being incredible, mindful, and vibrant flutists through one-on-one instruction, workshops, and more. If you’re interested in lessons, click here to learn more.
Finally…
Be kind to yourself during this process. Curiosity will build your musical skills, but kindness and mindfulness will build your mental strength as well. Remember to take frequent breaks, drink lots of water, take care of your body, and pay attention to tension that arises during your practice time. Find a good flute teacher to help you navigate through your weaknesses as a musician and don’t forget to have your flute looked at every so often.
By following these strategies, you can navigate through bad tone days with resilience and continue to grow in your musical journey. Remember, every challenging day is an opportunity for growth and learning in the world of flute playing.
You’ve got this!
