Flute Problem! My tone sounds terrible, how can I improve it?

Question

Whenever we play in class, I can play all the songs well, but i still sound bad. I don't know if it's my tone, but the sound that comes out of my flute seemed so forced and rocky, while everyone else's sound so nice and natural....

Is there a way that I improve the sound that comes out of my flute? I'm tired of sounding like it takes all my energy just to play.

Thanks to anyone that answers!

Answer 1

Your armature, or the positioning of your lips and the size of the opening thru which you are blowing may need some fine tuning. I usually hold the round opening of the head to my pursed lips, then roll it outward and down while making sure the structure surrounding the hole in the headpiece of my flute remains in solid (you don't need to squish your lower lip but keep it firmly there) contact with my lower lip until the hole is lying straight up while you keep blowing a constant stream across it I repeat, across it -not into it. Blowing into a flute wastes a lot of wind and sounds lousy...it's not a trumpet or clarinet.

Take the headpiece by itself and first practice getting a nice C tone without souding windy, then slowly reduce the size of the hole in your lips without reducing the quality of the tone. My band instructor spent two weeks with everyone just getting the fundamentals of creating a wholesome, easy and consistent tone. Takes time but it should be worth it.

Converely...just in case it's not your fault...

Is your flute in good shape? The keys adjusted nice and tight where they 'pop' when you press and release the keys? Are the pads worn or dry? Is your headpiece set properly with the endcork in the right place? How good an instructor is your band teacher? Can he play every instrument easily and well like mine could? It may not be you or your flute at all.

Sorry, I made 1s and 2s at state competitions despite being moderately deaf.

Answer 2

I had the same problem. First of all you should make sure that you clean your flute regularly. Try taking rubbing alcohol (but nothing else or it will stain your flute) and dip a Q-tip in it, polish your flute with rubbing alcohol (don't do it to much though ) be careful to not break any of the little pieces (there are LOTS of them!). Then you should try toning your flute, pull the head joint out. First try pulling out just a little bit than more playing B flat each time. See which amount sounds better. Every time you play pull it out that amount to make your flute sound like an angels chorus!!

Good Luck, and PLEASE don't use ANYTHING other than rubbing alcohol when cleaning your flute(My friend used nail polish remover and her flute started peeling, and now she has a lot of brown patches on her flute) don't be scared of the rubbing alcohol it wont do anything to your flute but make it shine!!

Answer 3

First of all, when you practice at home, begin by setting up in a quiet area (or as far away from distractions as you can get). Make sure you are relaxed before you start blowing, since tension can make your neck stiffen up and closes down your air stream, giving a forced and pinched sound. Fake a yawn and feel your throat open up; you should feel very open when you play for the best tone.

You might also take a moment to do some breathing exercises to prep your lungs. In my flute choir, we stand up and everyone slowly blows out every bit of air that we can, until you can't blow out anymore. Then, you take a deep cleansing breath in.

When you sit, sit on the edge of the chair and sit straight. When you breathe in, your lower stomach should "pooch" out, since you are filling your abdomen with air. Your shoulders shouldn't move, since you bring in air to your lungs and they open downward.

Playing whole notes to start your practicing will help you figure out what gives you the best tone, so even though it is really boring, think of how beautiful your sound will be!

Good luck, and I hope to hear about your fabulous tone shortly!

Answer 4

My flute sounded just like that yesterday.I`ve clean it and now it`s okay.But,your problem isn`t about cleaning,I think.Just relax and try making a tone without flute(just `blow` like with the candel).Than do it with flute.Relax your lips and imagine a spot in front of you and try to hit it with your breath.It`s all about practise!I play flute 3 yrs.,and my tone wasn`t great at the start.How long do you play it?It is probably not for a long time?And ofcourse you must exercise,so you`ll have strong diafragma(I`m not English,so I don`t know do you guys say diafragma too).

Answer 5

I think you are blowing to hard. I played flute when I was in high school, and you just have to barely blow in order to get a nice clean sound. You may also just need to do a good old fashioned cleaning of it. Good luck!
: )

Answer 6

I play flute, and my teacher tells me to practive at least 15 minutes a day, up and down the scale, high and low notes. I had this same problem, and it might help if you clean the headjoint, let it dry afterward, or maybe you need to blow softer or stronger.


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