I Can't Relax My Embouchure FluteTips 81

So, if you know that your embouchure is too tight, but you can’t relax it. Stand in front of a mirror and do this simple practice exercise for a week straight!
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I Can't Relax My Embouchure FluteTips 81
FluteTips 81 I Can't Relax My Embouchure
NO Solos
NO Etudes
Practice a scale this simple way for 5 minutes a day, 5 times a day, for 7 days.
Then tell me how much more relaxed your embouchure has become!
Have fun!
DoctorFlute
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[@millersenior]

Wow! I've played for years! But I always struggled with my embouchure. I wayched a few videos from various people...but yours was the one that gave me the secret sauce! RELAX the lips! Boom! It made playing the flute FUN! I kept saying to myself that it has to be easier than what I was doing? Thank you for sharing. I have to play in a band in a week. And my fear is gone! God Bless, jeff

[@DoctorFlute]

Hi Jeff, Exciting! I love hearing this type of story. This is exactly why I do these videos. I think the mystery needs to be taken out of flute playing. Just doing these little things makes such a big difference. Happy flute playing!

[@DocRocket144]

I very much enjoy your lessons, Angela. You are as articulate with your words as you are with your flute! I am an old "beginner" not having played for 20 years or more. At present I am at the point of such frustration with my embouchure that I am ready to put the flute away and buy a kazoo. I will practice this lesson with the hope of better results. If not perhaps you know a good kazoo teacher. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and insights.

[@DoctorFlute]

You are too funny! Don't give up. What is the main issue you think you are having with your embouchure? In other words what is it not doing that you want it to?

[@DocRocket144]

@@DoctorFlute WOW! Thank you Angela for taking the time to answer my post. Mostly my problem revolves around inconsistency. My practice always starts with 10 minutes of trying to find a clear and resonant tone. Occasionally I get a beautiful tone but will lose it within 5 or 10 minutes. Other times I can't find it at all. I always use a mirror and although it looks as though my embouchure is the same and the flute is in the proper position the sound is thin and/or airy. I had one practice session a week or so ago where I had a wonderful tone. I thought of you teaching how the embouchure needs to be relaxed. At that time it was. Then I thought to myself; Oh she means REALLY relaxed. LOL! Anyway, it is the first thing I think of when beginning my practice. I have yet to figure out what I'm doing wrong. Thus my frustration. Btw, my apologies for the length of this epistle. Thanks again, Angela! I am grateful for your kindness.

[@DoctorFlute]

I am always happy to talk to my peeps! Lets talk breathing. Do you think you are breathing correctly? Breathing is the basis for all tone production. Do you feel like you have support? I would also start experimenting with the angle with which you are blowing across the tone hole. I am confident that you will be able to find your tone quality. It just might take more time.

[@epipia1996]

Thank you so much for this video! I've begun the long process of correcting my embouchure after playing tightly for way too many years 😅. Quick question though-- how much tightness is expected in the second and third octave? I've gotten my low notes very loose and they come out beautifully(thank you again!!) but I notice my embouchure does tighten incrementally as I go up. Should I aim for my middle register be completely loose as well or is it somewhat normal for it to be tighter than the low register? How about the third octave?

[@DoctorFlute]

I am glad your low register is responding! Great questions for the upper two octaves. Your embouchure has to firm up to some extent. There is no way you can play up there without that firmness. The problem is most people play with way too much tightness. When I teach my students I don't bring up firming up the sides of the embouchure at all. I emphasize that they need to have a lot of support. That pressure building allows the embouchure in the upper register to be so much more relaxed. I think that if you think about having enough support then your embouchure will automatically do what it needs to do. Try that and let me know how its going.

[@marccroteau4717]

Thank you, Dr. McBrearty.

[@ebruaktel2211]

Is it OK to feel tightness after playing third octaves for half an hour? As our embouchure does not look as normal as it looks in the low register. It looks tighter. After playing a new piece having a lot of third octave notes I sometimes feel tight embouchure.

[@DoctorFlute]

Yes, that it totally normal. I would take a break after 15 minutes. No matter how loose you try to be after 30 minutes of straight 3rd octave notes anyone would be tight.

[@ebruaktel2211]

@@DoctorFlute Thanks. I would think I was doing somthing wrong

[@gracehuang1830]

Thank you. I will definitely try this.

[@DoctorFlute]

Hi Grace, Let me know how it goes. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

[@julierocketqueen6257]

This video and this technique is a lifesaver!!!! I have been playing less than 2 years but only recently found out my embouchure is too tight for me to play dynamics the way I want to. I have reeeeeeeeeeally been struggling with relaxing my embouchure and desperately looking on KZbin for help. Thank you so much for these tips. It’s helping me so much already and I think I can get where I want to be now. I always appreciate your content! ❤

[@DoctorFlute]

Thanks Julie! I am really glad that you are finding some help through my videos. It is no fun to play with a tight embouchure. You can do so much more when you relax it. I'm glad it's working.

[@jofftalbot1348]

This has been super useful, thank you so much. Just today received my Carbony D Irish flute and having mini revelations. Thanks again for helping 👍🏽

[@DoctorFlute]

Glad it was helpful! Sounds like a cool flute!

[@amandasteven1400]

not really 'changing' my embouchure as much as trying to find it, Ha. although jst a beginner on the Irish wooden flute it seems logical these tips would apply... and moving away from my lips between notes like this has helped immensely! we dont have the luxury (if u wanna call it that) of a lip-plate, so the mirror bails me out! umm.. i noticed an almost imperceptible movement of the head at (2:37) where she appears to be looking for the "sweet spot" on her lower lip... or some such thing? i see other players do this as well and wonder if this is the case... or not? as i'am jst starting my flute journey and beating my head against the wall, any info would be appreciated. the one nice thing about beating ur head against the wall? it feels so good when u stop :)

[@DoctorFlute]

Hi Amanda, you sound like you are on a great path. Yes the movement of the head is looking for the sweet spot. We all have different shaped mouths and embouchures so you might need a slightly different angle then I do. When you find the correct angle you can tell. Although sometimes a better sound might happen but the tone is too flat so be careful of that as well. Make sure you know how to breath correctly as that is a major part of getting the correct tone with a relaxed embouchure.

[@mangogrower5426]

Your method for learning to relax my embouchure is spot-on. I will definitely practice this in small increments several times a day. Thank you 🙏. Michael

[@DoctorFlute]

Fantastic! Keep me posted on your progress!

[@leoguan87251]

Thank you so much! I have been seeing a clear improvement in my embouchure, at least in the lower register. As I move into the higher registers, I find that I sometimes puff up my cheeks a little bit to keep my embouchure relaxed. Am I doing something wrong or is this okay, as long as my embouchure remains relaxed?

[@DoctorFlute]

Hi Leo, that's a great question. Air in the cheeks is a useful tool. I play with air in the cheeks from time to time usually to help bring the pitch down or to help when I need to play loudly. I don't play with air in the cheeks on a regular basis. That isn't to say you are wrong. At present if it is helping to keep your embouchure loose sure keep doing it. I think over time you might be able to eliminate the puffy cheeks as you grow more used to the way your embouchure is feeling. It is more important that you like the sound you are getting. At some point try less air in the cheeks and see if can get the same sound. I think it will be a process but you should be able to eliminate the air with time.

[@geraldinepowell5676]

It's a while since you made this video but I am so grateful. I was about to give up on the flute after 6 months because the harder I tried the worse I got. Now I'm going to start that week of practice x4 per day and see what might happen. Thank-you!

[@DoctorFlute]

I am so excited for you Geraldine! I hope this works. Keep me posted on your progress.

[@parttime.loverr]

Ive been searching all over youtube and you where the one that actually gave good tips! I will be using this video to improve. Thank you so much?

[@parttime.loverr]

!*

[@DoctorFlute]

Why thank-you! I appreciate your support. Let me know if there is anything specific you are working on that I can help you with.

[@xanderstuivenberg]

Hi Angela! This video did the trick for me, using my 'normal' face position as my embouchure... I used to hold the corners of my lips sideways or downwards to get 'grip' of some sort and I didn't think completely relaxing my lips would actually be an option for playing the flute. Thank you so much! My tone is getting better each time I watch one of your videos :) I do have a question though: I use a tuner when I practice and noticed that my low register is in tune (sometimes a bit sharp) but my middle register tends to be flat. I tried to roll out my flute a bit but it's not always working. Especially notes like D# and F# would be flat. Do you have any suggestions? Would love to hear back from you. Best regards, Xander

[@DoctorFlute]

Hi Xavier! How exciting it is when we feel we can make genuine tonal progress. Fantastic! I know exactly what you mean about the intonation issues. First I would suggest if you are working on changing your embouchure that you don't worry about intonation. Sometimes it is too much to globally change your embouchure and work on intonation. But if your embouchure is coming along then the key is all about air direction. Keep your embouchure in the best position for the best tone but blow the air up or down depending on the intonation issue. Generally you don't want to be pulling the head joint in and out. Once it is tuned the tuning comes from air direction and your embouchure. Did I answer your question?

[@xanderstuivenberg]

@@DoctorFlute thank you so much for the extensive response! And you're right. I'm still working on my embouchure so I need to take one step at a time 😄 good to know I shouldn't roll in/out my head joint so I won't make a habit of that. I'll keep in mind that I should work on the air direction once my embouchure is stable. Great content, keep it up!

[@DoctorFlute]

Thanks Xander!

[@betulkocyigit6137]

l strugled many times to find out why etudes sound so flufy and have much air going up the air when l am playing.then l record myself with mobile phone and watch it back many times.yes l did same mistake l cant relax my tight embochure during etudes

[@DoctorFlute]

Have you been able to work on loosening that embouchure now?

[@betulkocyigit6137]

@@DoctorFlute thanks for your brilliant videos l still work on it .it is taking time and effort changing bad playing habbits.but it really works.

[@DoctorFlute]

Great! Keep working, you will love the results!

[@adityakulkarni2006]

ive tried a relaxed embouchure on the indian wooden flute (bansuri). since playing on the indian bamboo requires enourmous amount of pressure for playing higher octaves how do i maintain the relaxed embouchure ? or is it that it is completely different to play bansuri than the western flute ? plz guide

[@DoctorFlute]

Hi Aditya, In the lower registers does a relaxed embouchure work? In the silver flute you maintain the relaxed embouchure by using a lot of pressure from your abdomen. Can you do that with the basuri?

[@adityakulkarni2006]

@@DoctorFlute yes quite comfortably in the lower register though with a big aperture.

[@adityakulkarni2006]

@@DoctorFlute I can try with increased abdominal pressure. Are there any breathing exercises to increase pressure in the abdomen? Thanks

[@DoctorFlute]

I have my students practice breathing from the abdomen and then tightening the muscles to create pressure (support). Then they practice slowly letting the air out by using a slow hiss (much like a squeezed balloon) to let the air out.

[@胡安琪-w3c]

oooo gonna try it this week ahahaha see if it can relax my embouchure... i was also trying to open my jaws more frm the advice u gv in one of ur video, but im always scared of my embouchure anyhow going off, so my lips become tenser lolll maybe can combine this prac with the open jaw thingy and see how it works

[@DoctorFlute]

I think combining both will definitely help. Sometimes when you change your embouchure you do take a step backward. The new embouchure has to adjust to working a different way. Don't be afraid! Do it! I'm here to help so if you are having difficulties let me know and perhaps I can give some more advice.

[@胡安琪-w3c]

@@DoctorFlute awwww thank you hahahha, working on it now✊

[@胡安琪-w3c]

@@DoctorFlute yayyyyyyy i think im reaching the sound i want! i think the main takeaway for me is to let ur lips go, dont care too much! think of the lips tension as the normal relaxed way when i talk and do the prac in ur vid! openning jaws is also vry vry helpful hahaha, now im getting a bigger sound! the only thing i nd to do now is to refine my tone and memorise this feeling when im playing.

[@DoctorFlute]

Fantastic! Getting that big sound is great! Refining the sound often has to do with breathing and making sure that you now control how much air comes out of the larger embouchure. Keep me posted!

[@lindaanderson6623]

Thank you. I’m going to try this.

[@DoctorFlute]

Hi Linda, how is it going?

[@pnkcloud]

Thank you 🙏

[@DoctorFlute]

You’re welcome! Do you have embouchure issues?

[@marcoatmac]

thank you

[@DoctorFlute]

Great! Do you have a tight embouchure?

[@marcoatmac]

@@DoctorFlute Not really, but I'm just getting started. I have an embouchure with a normal face, neutral. The problem is when I release the left thumb key the flute slips. I have to train :D

[@DoctorFlute]

Hi Marco, are you sure that you are holding the flute properly in the left hand? I have a video on the left hand position if you want to check it out.

[@marcoatmac]

@@DoctorFlute I sign up to your course for beginner :D

[@DoctorFlute]

Fantastic! Don't be afraid to contact me with any questions you may have.