Perhaps you\u2019re very confident in your intonation. Then again, perhaps you\u2019re not. If you\u2019re in the latter group, you\u2019re not alone \u2013 in fact you\u2019re in the majority.<\/p>\n
Rule number one: intonation counts. If you\u2019re just playing without giving any thought to intonation, you\u2019re almost certainly playing out of tune at least part of the time.<\/p>\n
Rule number two: even if you\u2019re completely obsessed with intonation, you probably won\u2019t be perfectly in tune on every single note.<\/p>\n
Intonation can be a scary concept for flutists. Unlike string players, it\u2019s not something we\u2019ve normally been taught since day one \u2013 so not as well ingrained in our psyches. Yet the high range of the flute (and even more the piccolo) lends itself to sounding particularly horrific when played out of tune (click here for a great article explaining why this is so)<\/a>. And the answers appear to be less straight forward than for questions about correct notes, dynamics, rhythms, and so forth \u2013 intonation reaches into a less concretely tangible realm \u2013 it appears that either you understand it or you don\u2019t and if you don\u2019t there seems<\/strong><\/span> to be no way in \u2013 and maybe your teacher didn\u2019t really explain it in a way that you understood, so there you are out in limbo land.<\/p>\n The fact that flutists can pretty much get by with just putting down the right fingers without being terribly out of tune is great in some ways, but unfortunately, \u201cpretty much getting by\u201d isn\u2019t actually playing truly in tune. Fortunately however, the majority of intonation problems are predictable and therefore possible to find and eliminate. It\u2019s beyond the scope here to cover ALL possible issues for EVERY flutist and EVERY flute, but with a few tips you may be able to get rid of most of your intonation problems in time for the audition, as well as allaying some of the fear and trepidation you experience in hearing the word \u201cintonation.\u201d So never fear! Follow as many of these tips as you are able to apply, and you\u2019ll be a notch ahead of where you were, as well as being better set up to avoid intonation issues in the future, and build on your success.<\/p>\n A few common intonation issues:<\/p>\n 1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 high range tends to be sharp, low range tends to be flat. This is an overgeneralization, but something to watch for.<\/p>\n 2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 forte tends to be sharp; piano tends to be flat.<\/p>\n 3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 flutist go flat at the ends of phrases and\/or when running out of air<\/p>\n 4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 some notes are inherently sharp and some inherently flat, and this varies from one flute and one player to another. I\u2019ve just done an internet search, compared with a few books I own as well as my own experience with my own and my students\u2019 and colleagues\u2019 experiences, and am finding that, beyond general agreement that the low range is often flat and the high range often sharp, specific note details appear to be a highly variable matter of opinion among the experts. IF you are confident with steps 1 \u2013 4 and still have time before the audition, then start getting to know your flute better \u2013 notice which notes tend to be flat, and which tend to be sharp FOR YOU – on YOUR flute.<\/p>\n What to do about the above likely issues (please bear in mind that every suggestion listed below is in the “everything is relative” category – you may interpret this in an entirely different way than is intended – I’m hoping to break this down in the future – meantime please do check with a tuner AND your teacher to confirm that you’re on the right track):<\/p>\n 1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 if sharp, aim down with upper lip, if flat blow more across with lower lip<\/p>\n 2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 if sharp, part the teeth further \u2013 open wider \u2013 and aim down (maybe try sticking 2 fingers between your teeth to get the feeling of how wide you can be); if flat have teeth a little closer together and aim more across<\/p>\n 3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 keep up diaphragm power even when short of breath, especially at ends of phrases. Take full breaths at every opportunity.<\/p>\n 4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 work on consistent posture \u2013 stand tall and relaxed. Slouching will lead to flat playing and less overall control. Inconsistent posture will lead to erratic intonation. Consistent tall and relaxed posture will give you more room for embouchure maneuvers.<\/p>\n 5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In addition to listening carefully to the best of your ability, check with your tuner on any questionable spots\u2013 this will give you the idea of where changes need to happen. Better yet, get \u201cThe Tuning CD\u201d and play with it daily \u2013 including specific sections of your audition piece (click here for Jennifer Cluff\u2019s great suggestions on how to use it)<\/a>. Just a few minutes a day will move you in the right direction (more can wear out your ear to the point of temporary dysfunction – so this will be most effective as a long term project – be patient and persistent!).<\/p>\n 6)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If you\u2019re not able to correct the intonation with embouchure alone, it may be helpful to raise or lower your head for a specific note or section (use this technique only occasionally). The basic idea is that the angle of the air going into the embouchure hole will have a great impact on the pitch. However DO NOT roll the flute itself in or out – this is just a bad habit which will lead you into difficulties too numerous to list here.<\/p>\n 7)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Since the Vermont All State audition is unaccompanied, the relative intonation of your flute to itself is what I\u2019m focused on here. But it would be a good idea to get your flute tuned to your tuner, with A at 440 – which you can do by playing a note with your tuner and pulling the head joint out if sharp, or pushing it in if flat. (Also be aware that the way your head joint is lined up with the body can make a huge difference – so consistent line-up from day to day is important).<\/p>\n Regarding the first two movements of the Bach E flat Sonata specifically, here are just a few things to note (stay tuned – I hope to be posting links to other audition repertoire details for other years):<\/p>\n This is really only a starter. It is difficult to cover the bases in print, so hopefully your teacher can help you fine tune this. For some, reading it in print doesn\u2019t work because you\u2019re not actually making the embouchure shifts accurately \u2013 and if this is the case you\u2019re not alone! Some people need to put a couple of fingers between your teeth to really realize how far apart your teeth need to be in order to really aim down and bring the pitch down. Again, if it doesn\u2019t work, find a teacher who can help, or use a different suggestion on the list and do the best you can.<\/p>\n Your goal is to start where you are and make a few improvements. I would doubt that many, if any, at the Vermont All State audition will have intonation that is truly perfect. But if you can eliminate the most common intonation errors, you will be ahead of the majority.<\/p>\n (Added note: I am hoping\u00a0to put up a series of entries on intonation with greater detail and logically sequenced in bite sized pieces – I will attempt to update with a link here in the future).<\/p>\n Next week: Entry #4 – Falling in love with the music! (links below)<\/p>\n Click here for Bach Eb Major Sonata<\/a><\/p>\n\n