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I have collected a bunch of questions from a body of information called a FAQ.  FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions.  This section is VERY long but there are wonderful questions and answers.  Some you may already know the answers  (you can test yourself), and some will be completely new.  Look at it as a "learning experience".  If you're REALLY pressed for time (and who isn't) you can scan the questions quickly as they are all in RED.
 
FLUTE Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ) Version 2.0 Revision Date - 9/9/97

2.1.2 What is the Alexander Technique?
(From Ann Irwin)

The Alexander Technique is a method of learning body awareness which allows you to avoid unnecessary stress, tension and movement that could ultimately lead to injury or apparent health problems.

History: The Alexander Technique was developed in the late 19th century by F. Mattias Alexander, an Australian actor who specialized in recitations. He began to develop vocal problems during his performances. In order to discover the cause, he worked in front of mirrors where he discovered he was making counter-productive motions with his head & neck. Over time, he worked to become conscious of what he was doing & and inhibit the misuse before it happened and thus eliminate the vocal failures.

The Technique: The principle behind the Alexander Technique is to learn awareness of one's body & movement, thereby learning to avoid misuse (counter-productive movement or excess/misplaced tension in the body). It is increasingly being practiced by musicians, dancers, actors, and athletes to improve performance and prevent/treat injuries. While there are reference books & videos available, it really needs to be taught by a qualified teacher who can assess the needs of the individual student. Besides being of value in dealing with injuries, flute players can also benefit from improved technique (finger dexterity, tonguing, etc.) as well as endurance.

2.1.3 What are alternate fingerings?
(from Larry Krantz)

Alternate fingerings are those fingering choices that go beyond the standard simple fingerings that are the first learned by beginning players. They are most useful for executing whole and half step trills, tremolos, quarter-tones, quarter-tone trills, and multiphonics (more than one pitch happening at the same time). A good resource for fingerings is 'A Modern Guide To Fingerings For The Flute' by James J. Pellerite published by Zalo Publications, P.O. Box 669, Bloomington, Indiana, 47402, USA.

2.1.4 How can I improve my articulation?
(from Larry Krantz)

Many years ago when I asked this very question of Geoffrey Gilbert, he responded with the statement that if I wish to improve my articulation I must first improve my tone. The most fundamental requirement for clear articulation is to have a well controlled and even flow of air upon which the tongue may operate. Once a clean controlled and harmonically rich tone is produced then the tongue can be added with minimum distortion to the tone. There are many schools of thought regarding where to best place the tongue in the mouth but the best advice I ever heard was from James Galway, who said that one should learn a multitude of different tongue strokes and then use them in appropriate places according to the demands of the piece.

Nothing can replace the careful guidance of a good teacher when attempting to improve any skill. In my opinion, clean and clear articulation is an extremely important ingredient in flute playing that should be guided by a qualified and experienced teacher.

2.1.5 What is a bass flute?
(From Grant D. Green’s homepage at http://www.crl.com/~gdgreen/flutes.html)

Bass flutes are available from a number of makers, including Gemeinhardt and Emerson. The modern bass flute in C (not to be confused with the Renaissance or Baroque-era bass flute pitched in G - the counterpart of the modern alto flute) is usually made with a "J"-shaped head joint, which brings the embouchure hole within reach.

The contrabass (with the "T"-shaped head joint) is actually a Pinschophone (named after the flautist who designed and/or commissioned its construction): it is actually a bass flute with an extension down to low G, but is also sometimes called a contrabass flute. The octobass is truly a contrabass, pitched an octave below the bass flute, two octaves below the standard C orchestral flute.

2.1.6 What are Bo-Pep's?
(From Fran Kesselman)

This bo-pep, or finger rest, eliminates cramping of the left-index finger, eliminates twisting of the left wrist, and lessens the need for left hand pressure and improves technique, (as quoted on the box!). Any music store should have it. My daughter uses it whenever she feels she needs it and it makes a big difference. It is black and made of plastic and slips on the flute.

2.1.8 Flute Books & Publications.

The following books and publications are mentioned frequently on FLUTE. A more complete list is available on Larry Krantz's web page at HTTP://users.uniserve.com/~lwk/welcome.htm
 

The Trevor Wye Very First Flute Book
Everything you need to know about the flute and how to play it!
Trevor Wye (Novello, 1995)
Both informative and entertaining - perfectly suited for young students and old alike.

The Flute Book
Nancy Toff (Oxford Press, 1996)
An important and informative book in a new edition. A must for all flutists.

2.1.9 Tips on breathing.

Julie A. wrote:
Former teachers have always told me that I should move only my diaphragm to breathe, that my shoulders shouldn't move at all. My comments have always been, *Yeah, but, I feel I'm taking a deeper breath when I move my shoulders just a bit, but not enough to be actually shrugging and restricting the air stream*.>

While I would not prefer to mention the diaphragm in a discussion of breathing, I would not suggest that it is a good idea to move your shoulders when you breathe. I am fighting the habit myself of raising my shoulders and tilting my head to the right, and this perpetuates tension and reduces my air and the quality of my sound. What is working best for me is to stand straight, my head erect or slightly tilted to the left, lift my rib cage while I draw a breath without either hunching forward or forcing my back to curve in, and keep my shoulders down.

2.1.12 Embouchure.
(from Larry Krantz)

Embouchure refers to the formation of the lips and surrounding muscles in order to produce a tone on any wind instrument. Formation of the lips, jaw, chin, and throat is extremely important when forming a correct flute embouchure to guide air into the flute. Although there are as many approaches to flute embouchure as there are flute players, there are some basic principles that seem to work for most players. The air should be able to strike the inside of the lip plate with little or no obstruction. Tension or tightness in the lips should be at a minimum so as to allow for flexibility of the lips in order to control the angle of the air stream. The jaw should be allowed to fall back and slightly down (teeth apart) so as to allow the air stream to be aimed down into the head joint while the head remains up. The throat should remain open as much as possible to create a large cavity that will help the sound to resonate more. Development of a truly sophisticated and functional flute embouchure can take years and much attention should be devoted to this study through the use of long tone exercises.

2.1.15 Flutist or flautist?
(From David Dahl)

Whether to call oneself a flutist, flautist, or something else is a matter for personal preference. Flautist appears to be most popular in the U.K. and members of the British Commonwealth, while flutist is more common in other English-speaking countries such as the U.S.

(From Dr M K C MacMahon, Dept of English Language, University of Glasgow, Glasgow Scotland/UK)

British English didn't start to use the word 'flautist' until 1860. Before that, the word was 'flutist', or 'fluter' (with the feminine version 'fluteress'), or 'flutenist'. Something must have caused the change-over from 'flutist' to 'flautist': perhaps folk thought it sounded 'better' (ie classier), since the word had an Italian origin. I wouldn't be surprised if Rudall Carte had a hand in it. In American English, the only word seems to have been, and is, 'flutist'. According to Galpin, transverse flutes appeared in Britain round about 1500. But in Old English (ie about 1000 years ago), a flutist, who presumably was a recorder-player, not a transverse-flute player, was called a 'pipere' (pronounced 'peepere'), a 'hwistlere' (ie a whistler), or a 'hreodpipere' (ie a reed-piper; it sounds like an oboeist, not a flutist in our sense). The word in Old English for the sound of a recorder/flute was 'pipdream'. It didn't mean pipe-dream, but 'pipe-joy' or 'pipe-music'.

2.1.16 What is the difference between a student flute and a professional flute?
(from Larry Krantz) I have often wondered about those terms myself. I suppose that a flippant answer would be that if you earn some money with a flute then it is a professional flute and if you don't then it's a student flute. Since I rarely get paid for practicing then I must be practicing on a student Powell.

To be just a little more serious, flutes which are referred to as student models are generally made out of a nickel alloy, are silver plated, generally have an offset G, usually have plateau keys, rarely have extra keys, and rarely have a B foot. I honestly don't know where the line might be drawn to determine when a few added features will cause the instrument to become identified with the other category. Many very expensive and wonderful flutes played by the best professionals have plateau keys, offset G, few if any extra keys, C foot only, and are made out of any type of material that you can think of. The most common material being wood, silver, gold, and platinum. I think I would be correct in saying that the best (professional if you like) flutes are hand made with great care to detail by makers who spend a life time perfecting their craft. Other flutes come off the assembly line and quality control varies from instrument to instrument.

2.1.19 How to choose a flute.
(From M. D. Greene) Buying a flute is in my opinion at least as stressful and complex as buying a used car... perhaps more so.

If you're lucky, you can go to a large, well-stocked store which sells many different brands and types of flute, and try them until you find your perfect new instrument. If you're even luckier, you will have a patient and highly trained flute teacher to go with you and give advice.

If, however, you are so unfortunate as not to enjoy these advantages (as I lacked, when buying my flute) then you must be much more attentive and much more patient. If you can obtain Nancy Toff's _The Flute Book_ there is an excellent section on how to buy a flute. It is basically a "weeding out" process, in which you first settle on what basic type of flute you want, pick some well-known brand names, and then have some of each sent to you. Play them, and return the ones you don't like, even if that means returning them all. Take notes on why you did or didn't like each one.

Caution: flutes vary even within the same model and manufacturer...if you find one that is good, it's best to stick with it rather than hoping for a "miracle flute".

Before beginning the process decide how far you wish to progress on the flute. In my case I know full well that I will never be anything like a Galway or Rampal -- which by the way does wonders for my ego -- so I immediately eliminated the upper-end flutes made of such precious metals as gold, Aurumite or platinum. I also had had bad experiences with the low grade student flutes, so out they went too. That leaves the middle grade flutes by reputable manufacturers.

You must decide if you want a B or C foot; open hole or plateau; offset G or inline; split E mechanism or not; pointed French arms or not. These are personal preferences and depend on your style of play. Once you've settled that, each manufacturer will have several models you can choose from.

Hint: practicing diligently and loving your instrument is far more important, and affects the sound, more than any option.

In general, the more silver in a flute the better. Models begin with all silver plate, then move up through: solid silver head; solid silver body and head; solid silver body, head and keys. Whether the springs are gold or not is another personal preference. I can tell you from my own experience, that flutes which look identical can easily be extremely different in price; further, that this price difference is usually justified, believe it or not. The minute differences in headjoint manufacture and design, particularly, make huge differences in the sound. I am naturally skeptical (and a tightwad) and I had to be convinced of this; but now, I believe it.

When playing, check for leaks at the pads. Check the mechanism, key by key, for free and fast motion. Check for clicks, pops and other noises. Make sure that the head joint and foot fit the body, smoothly and securely but not overly tight. Check for bent keys such as the g# key which sticks out and can be damaged easily. Take a piece of music you know well and play it on each test flute. One will feel more fluent and easier to play than the other. Try to overblow the flute into the second and then the third octave; a good one will overblow easily, without "screaming" in the third octave. Further, it won't be excessively sharp in the third, nor flat in the first octave (use an electronic tuner). See if the flute can be made to play fortissimo in the low notes and pianissimo in the high ones. Try to do fast octave or double-octave leaps, allegro, without missing notes.

Hint: if you find a flute which does *all* this perfectly, take it to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington and tell them, they'll want to buy it from you and put in on display!

Good luck with your search, and remember that patience is a virtue. Keep saying that to yourself, as you receive those expensive silver tubes in the mail and send them back... patience... patience.... patience... ;-)

2.1.22 What material makes the best flute?
(From David Dahl)

There is no easy or obvious answer to the question, "What material makes the best flute?". Every practical material, including silver, gold, platinum, wood, and even glass, has its proponents. Some say that material makes little or no contribution to the sound of a flute, since it is the vibrating air column in the flute that creates the sound. Others are sure that material does play an important part. Contributing to the disagreement is the difficulty of comparing instruments. Even two flutes of the same model can sound and "feel" different, so one can not be sure how much material affects the equation. At the border between objective and subjective tests, scientific measurements are not conclusive.

It is safe to say that workmanship is a critical factor in the quality of a flute. The cheaper flutes usually contain less silver (or none) and the workmanship is less. Solid silver flutes generally benefit from more careful manufacture. At the highest levels of craftsmanship, silver, gold, and platinum flutes all have their partisans. The traditional material, wood, has experienced a rebirth in recent years after a period of decline.

Q. I would like to know how important it is (as far as sound quality) for the instrument to be full silver (as opposed to a silver head- joint, or other options, whatever they are).

Stick around. You'll hear opinions ranging from "material makes no difference at all" to "platinum is the only way to go". If material makes a difference, then it probably makes a bigger difference in the head than elsewhere. My opinion is that material makes some difference, design and workmanship make a bigger difference, and the player makes a much, much bigger difference. All that said, you'll get better design and workmanship in an all-silver flute than in a plated instrument, and it'll last longer.

End of FLUTE FAQ Section 1
 

Section 2

2.1.23 How can I learn to memorize?
(From David Dahl)

Memorization is a skill that improves with practice. There are a couple of things that help me. First of all, I practice playing tunes by ear. There are songs such as hymns and folk tunes that everyone (?) should know, such as Happy Birthday. By playing such tunes without sheet music, you will get to know your flute that much better. One way to start learning how to do this is to practice intervals so as to learn how they sound. You can associate certain intervals with tunes you already know. An interval of a fourth begins the music to "Here comes the bride".

I find it much easier to play musically and to memorize if I "know" the music in my head. This does not mean that I could recite all the notes, but it does mean that I should be able to sing or hum the tune to the extent it is possible. When I get stuck while playing a memorized tune, it is a great help that I can "hear" what the next note should be, for my fingers will often find the right place.

Another memorization technique that helps me is to break up a tune in to sections, and the sections into sections. Instead of memorizing 8 pages, I memorize 8 bars here, 12 bars there, 10 bars there, and so on. This is far less intimidating. When you take a good look at your sections and compare them, you will always find that many parts are repeated elsewhere with little or no variation. It is a great help for memorization to know what ections are repeated. This effectively makes the music shorter.
 

2.1.25 Which is better, Offset or In-Line G?
(From David Dahl)

This is a controversial topic. Many flutists begin studies on a student flute with an offset G and later move to a "step-up" model with open-hole and in-line keys when the student is older and presumably the hands are bigger. In-line keys are probably used on the vast majority of professional model flutes, although offset models have been getting more attention in recent years as repetitive-stress injuries have become a major issue. There is much discussion as to the acoustic differences, but there does not appear to be a consensus. Therefore the choice is the flutist's. If you find a flute that is comfortable and makes the sounds that you like, do not worry about which is supposed to be the best.

2.1.27 What kind of flute option is best, open or closed-hole?
(From David Dahl)

Most people think that open hole flutes are the only way to go. The main argument is that an open-hole flute enforces a better hand position. They also claim such benefits as more alternate fingerings and "extended" techniques for playing modern music. As a result it is easier to find a good open-hole flute than a good closed-hole model. Most closed-hole flutes available new are entry-level student models. This fact lead many to view all closed-hole flutes as lower quality. In fact if it is important to you to buy a flute that will be easiest to resell, an open-hole flute might be the better choice. It is possible to order a closed-hole flute of the highest quality.

Those of us who are the vocal minority of closed-hole enthusiasts, claim that there is no clear benefit to open-hole flutes. No feature is going to ensure a proper hand position, only good and vigilant instruction and conscientious practice will accomplish that. In fact, some players blame open-hole flutes for poor hand positions and even injuries. Several players have expressed joy at much more relaxed hands when they acquired closed-hole flutes. If closed-hole flutes are more comfortable to you, there are good reasons to stay with a close hole model. If, like many people your hands feel comfortable on an open-hole flute, and you like the feeling, an open-hole flute may be a good choice. The point is that neither option is necessarily a foolish choice.

If you decide that open holes are for you, the conventional wisdom says to just jump in. It should only take a few weeks (or less) to become comfortable playing on a open-hole. It should not be necessary to press very hard on the keys to get a good seal. If you do find that more pressure is needed than seems reasonable, have the flute adjusted by a competent technician. Even new flutes may need adjustment.

It is worth mentioning that the plugs that are available for open-hole flutes are intended as a transition to fully open holes. An open-hole flute is made to sound its best with open holes. An open-hole flute with plugged holes will sound differently than a closed-hole flute.

2.1.29 Performance Anxiety/Stage Fright.
(From Lynn Hutchins)

This is how I resolved the problem:

Step 1: When I practiced I would pretend there were people listening, and if that made me shaky (as it did often, at first) I would stop and do what I call meditational playing. For me, that's playing by ear, whatever comes into my head, as this has always had the effect of calming me down. For you it might mean stopping and playing your favorite piece of music (or try playing outside in the sun, or in the bathroom for a few minutes). Whatever you do, you must interrupt that shaking and replace it with flute playing that you really enjoy to help develop new associations. Then go back to pretending that you're in front of people, and start this step over again until the practice performance no longer induces shaking. Keep at it. It really helps. (Remember, when you perform for real, you don't go over mistakes, so you must do the same for this sort of practicing, trying to keep the rhythm no matter what mistakes you might make).

Step 2: Tape your performance in the safety of your practice room, so that a friend or spouse can listen to it later. This is really just one step away from public performance! The neat thing is, if you don't get it right the first time, you can just tape over it until it's perfect. If you get panicky, stop and practice the piece where you made errors, and try again. Then, when the tape is done, watch as the friend listens to the tape (they don't have to comment on it-the point is for you to watch them as your music plays).

Step 3: Try to find a friend who is willing to sit and listen to a private performance in the safety of your own practice area. If you get shaky, just remember, this is a friend who was willing to take time out to help you (and probably doesn't care WHAT it sounds like).

Step 4: Memorize the piece of music perfectly, but still take the written stuff with you to the performance. You can't be better prepared than that, and being thoroughly prepared will help alleviate much anxiety.

Step 5: Make sure your instrument is in good working order. A poorly working instrument has been known to cause me to panic in the middle of a performance... Just having your flute checked over by a reputable repair person, may help to alleviate some pre-performance anxiety.

Step 6: Avoid caffein several hours before a performance. For me, tea only makes the hand shaking thing worse, and sometimes makes me want to throw-up. Be aware that if you normally consume large quantities of coffee or tea, this can trigger a withdrawal headache. I started to drink too much tea recently, which is why I know this.

Step 7: I used to get a headache during performance(stress, not caffein withdrawal). Knowing this, and knowing a headache will distract me, I learned to take couple of ibuprophen an hour before performing. This fortunately, is no longer necessary.

Step 8: Go on stage, and pretend you're in your practice room making another tape. If you make a mistake, focus on the next note(pretend nothing happened). Remember, non-musicians will probably not notice a mistake if you keep the rhythm up, and don't make a stupid face. Also, musicians will sympathize with what you're going through, and be impressed by your poise. Perform in public as often as you can get the chance. The more you perform, the more comfortable you'll feel.

2.1.35 Sightreading tips.
(From David Dahl)

1. Practice sightreading by taking the music at a tempo that will allow you to play without stopping, and don't stop if at all possible. Don't allow yourself to become flustered if you make mistakes. Use a metronome at least sometimes to help maintain a consistent tempo.

2. Before playing, look over the music and mentally note the key, time signature, any changes of key or time signature. It is also helpful to note patterns such as scales and arpeggios.

3. Invent your own exercises to help you move through the music. For example, play the first note(s) of each measure. In difficult passages identify and play only the "important" notes necessary to maintain the movement of the music, such as the first note in each group of four in a run of sixteenth notes.

4. Practice playing simple tunes you know without the music, and in different keys. Learn how the intervals sound like so that when you see a fifth, for example, you know how it should sound.

5. It is much easier to play a tune from a score if you already know how it sounds. Cultivate the skill of hearing the music by looking at the score without playing it. This is also handy when looking through music at a store.

6. Be sure to practice sightreading with music of a variety of styles. Don't avoid music with lots of ledger lines or low notes. Learn to sightread music that includes the entire range of the flute.

Also when you are sightreading a piece, take a moment to look at the key signatures, tempo changes and notate the repeats/ coda's etc.

2.1.37 What are Straubinger pads.
(from Larry Krantz)

Straubinger pads have come up often in the past but it never hurts to get more points of view on a topic. I have been using and recommending these pads for a few years now and have nothing but good things to say about them. To put it very simply, these pads are extremely finely constructed so as to be about as flat and even as a pad can get. They fit extremely precisely in each key cup so as to minimize slipping. When my fist set were installed several years ago, the repair person had to measure each key cup and then send those measurements to Straubinger so that the pads could be built to fit each cup. I don't know if this is still standard procedure. The pads are quite firm so that warping is not a real concern.

Some drawbacks are that the flute tone holes must be extremely level and without pits, and key alignment is extremely touchy with these pads. If one is kind to the flute mechanism when assembling and disassembling the flute then these pads are simply wonderful. When all is right, it takes almost no finger pressure to completely seat the pad. I was so impressed with the Straubinger pad that just one month after having my old Powell #757 done I was back at the shop with my other Powell. After four years both sets of pads have stood the test of time very well. Only a couple of them have been changed due to wear and tear.

want his pads to get a bad name from improper installation.

If you wanted to talk about installing these pads on your flute, you can contact David Straubinger at Straubinger Flutes, 2521 East Southport Road, Indianapolis, Indiana 46227. 317-784-3012

2.1.38 How can I find a flute teacher?
(From Larry Krantz)

As in life, flute teachers do not come with a guarantee or with a manual. They do however come with a set of credentials. I would suggest that one way to assess if a flute teacher is good or not is to take a look at the teacher's track record both as a performer and as a teacher. If you like what you see and hear then possibly the teacher will be the one for you. It has been my experience that any good teacher requires a good student to do the job effectively. No single teacher can have the answers to all questions.

Geoffrey Gilbert once said that his students should pay close attention to everything that he said, give each and every idea a fair try, and then discard the 90% that doesn't work for the student and retain the extremely useful 10% that does work. My private lesson studies have included extensive work with at least a dozen teachers and I can honestly say that some were of more benefit than others but not one was bad for me. Each teacher had something to offer and it was my responsibility as a student to discover what that was.

Like you, I would love to find a clear and easy way to identify who are the good and bad teachers but since playing any instrument is such a personal thing there are as many ways of playing and teaching as there are players. A personal chemistry exists between each student and each teacher that can not be duplicated. When the chemistry is right and the teacher has a great track record then the end result is most likely going to be good.

End of FLUTE FAQ - Section 2