Relaxing Your Tongue Throat & Jaw When You Play Flute FluteTips 118

[@pablonojestaichichikungmed2904]

Muchas gracias desde Buenos Aires!😊

[@DoctorFlute]

Thank you!

[@ClemensVanBrunschot]

Wonderfully clear explanations. This eased my problems a lot!

[@DoctorFlute]

Fantastic! Where were you tight or was it in all 3 places?

[@ClemensVanBrunschot]

@DoctorFlute I was tight in my throat muscles after practicing 10 minutes, especially after using the upper half of the second register and up to g3 (I don't go higher yet). I think I used the wrong technique after having practiced harmonics for a month. Somewhere in the process I started to blow harder and closing the aperture differently than the advised technique. And yes I now tended to push the flute against my lower lip!

[@jonathanroberts7100]

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge, experience, and also your positive attitude.

[@DoctorFlute]

So nice of you to say! I hope that I come across as positive.

[@mariargentina1978]

Thank You!!!! I was needing this video so bad :). I love all Your videos👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@DoctorFlute]

Thanks Maria! I appreciate your support. Let me know if I can help you in any way.

[@mariargentina1978]

@@DoctorFlute thank You very much . I’m focusing on getting a clearer sound and not letting my vocal cords engage when playing, and all Your tips are very helpful! I think my major problem now is that, even when I try to be relaxed while playing, I have pain on my left shoulder... Not my neck, elbows, hands or wrists. Just my left shoulder... What can I do to fix this? And thanks again 😊, greetings from Chile🌹🌹🌹

[@DoctorFlute]

Hi Maria! Without seeing you I can only guess but I think you need to do some self analysis to figure out what might be wrong. My first thought would be you might be holding that shoulder higher then the other when you play or only when you breath. I've seen some players breath in a lop sided fashion. When you stand to play what is your posture? Are you shoulders square? There must be something that you are doing that adds tension only to one side while you play. Maybe use a mirror to see if you can detect where the problem is. Watch when you play, at your posture, at your breathing. You might be able to figure it out. Keep me posted. I'd love to visit Chile some day!

[@flutestudent6655]

Thank you!

[@DoctorFlute]

Hi Flute Student! I'm so glad that this has helped you. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[@ArielZevon]

Thank you SO much. I was wishing there was a video about Jaw tension and my algorithm must have been listening to my inner thoughts…

[@DoctorFlute]

Hi Ariel! Do you think you are playing with tension? I hope that you are able to change from the tension to tension free. It is so much better for you. You will love playing so much more. Keep me posted.

[@ArielZevon]

@@DoctorFlute Yes, tension is a killer! In all areas of life, flute playing is no exception as I am realizing. Your videos around this topic have been extremely helpful, and I am really focusing on releasing tension. As I get loose in one area, it illuminates a new area of tension 🤪

[@DoctorFlute]

As long as you keep relaxing one at a time you'll get it!

[@nyatan]

Thank you very much for your video. I'm start playing bamboo flute recently and I find that tension prevents me from enjoy the instrument (tired face muscle caused uneven long sound). I know that tension is the root of the problem as I'm a swimmer and runner and I know that it's more efficient in sport if we can release tension. However, I need muscle to control the embouchure size, especially in second and third register and the problem keeps coming. Luckily I've come across your sharing today. I hope you can share more on the right amount of embouchure tension/main muscle and the way to control it better. Thank you very much.

[@DoctorFlute]

I am so glad this has helped you. Yes, I'll be doing more videos on on tension.

[@johnnasvenneling5045]

I tried craniosacral therapie and that has helped me release deep tension. It is really nice and calming method to release tension. But I think it is good to take a few hours brake from playing after a session because a lot of tension is still getting loose.

[@DoctorFlute]

That sounds fantastic. There are definitely people that need this type of therapy. I would love to try it myself just to see what it does. Do you notice a big difference when you begin playing again?