Flute Music

How a Flute is Made from Start to Finish?

2008-07-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

You could watch from the video below to know haow a flute is made:

How to Clean Flute?

2008-07-03T21:32:00.000-07:00

How to Clean and Maintain Your Flute

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

The flute is a beautiful instrument, with a wonderful sound. However, if it is not properly cleaned, it won't sound that way for long! Always clean your flute properly, so that the sound and shine will last.

Steps

Learn to assemble your flute properly.
- Make sure that the mating surfaces are free of debris and grit.
- Line up the joints so that they are straight and gently push them together with a twisting motion. Never force.
- It seems to go in and out of vogue to lubricate the joints. Don't lubricate them if you don't have to. If they are very tight, consult a shop for appropriate lubricant, use it sparingly, and clean it off and refresh it frequently, since it can collect debris.
- If you will march with this flute, make sure that the joints are snug enough to prevent parts from flying off when the instrument is snapped up or down, and definitely think twice about joint lubrication. Marching is hard on instruments, so it makes sense to march with a spare instrument if you have one, especially if there is any chance of rain.
- Generally, the embouchure hole (the hole in the mouthpiece) should be aligned so that it is centered on the top row of keys. Remember that rolling the flute or the head joint out raises the pitch, or makes it go sharp, and that rolling the flute or head joint in lowers the pitch, or makes it go flat.
- Turn the foot joint so that rod aligns with the edge of the top keys on the body, or slightly behind them. Remember that key under the pinky of the right hand is depressed for most notes. Be sure it is properly aligned.
- The flute may be tuned to its tuning pitch, an A. A full ensemble of different instruments may tune to an F, so try to hear the perfect third as you play your A. A skilled musician will be able to tell if your flute is sharp (too high) or flat (too low) by listenng to an A on a flute, but in general use an electric tuner. Pulling the head joint out lowers the pitch; pushing in raises it. A good player will also adjust the pitch of individual notes while playing with a combination of rolling, fingering, embouchure (the shape of the mouth and lips), and breath control.
Warm up the flute by playing or blowing warm air through it before tuning. The pitch will change somewhat with the temperature. If the flute cools off between playing passages, you can warm it up by closing the keys and softly blowing warm air straight into, not across, the hole.
After each and every playing session, take your flute apart, so that the three pieces are separated.
Thread a soft cloth through the needle-like slot in the end of your tuning rod and flip the cloth over the cleaning rod so that there is none of the rod showing at the top, otherwise, you will scratch the inside of your precious flute. Remove the moisture by gently sliding the cleaning rod through each of the sections. Go up and down all around the inside.
Return the rod and cloth to the flute case, and remove a soft chamois cloth. Carefully polish the flute with the cloth until it shines like a mirror. Be careful not to bend any keys or rub pads.
Rub the mouthpiece gently with the cloth, to remove the gunk and spit. Using your dusting stick (or pipe cleaner without the strip of metal), remove dust from underneath the keys.
Store and carry your flute in its case, avoiding moisture and temperature extremes. The case is the safest place, but if you play frequently enough and have a safe corner, you might also consider getting a stand.

Tips

Buy pad savers that look like giant, fluffy pipe cleaners. Leave them inside your flute while it is stored. They soak up moisture and cut down on some of the cleaning. Don't leave them in there wet, though. Don't place the pad saver back in your flute right after cleaning. It must dry before you put it back inside your flute!
Serious flute players should own multiple cleaning cloths. Clean men's handkerchiefs work well.
Tie a cleaning cloth to the handle of your case, if there is no room inside.
If your pads get sticky, so they make a little noise when they lift up, try cleaning them. Slide a dollar bill or a piece of clean cigarette paper under a key, then close the key. You can also try gently pulling the paper out while holding the keys closed lightly. The stickiness is due to moisture, so make an effort to keep the flute dry. Use this technique gently and sparingly, since it could damage the thin membrane that makes the seal when you close a key.
Have your flute serviced periodically by somebody who specializes in flutes, or woodwinds, at the least. Misaligned keys or deteriorating pads, especially, can mean leaks, which can affect your tone.
Avoid storing a soggy cleaning cloth inside the case with the flute. Store it in the outer case, or if that's not possible, tie it to the handle or spread it to dry before putting it away.
Avoid setting the flute on its keys, or any place it might get dropped or stepped on. If you would prefer to leave it out, get a stand.
It's okay to use silver polish on the head joint occasionally, but never get any on the keys. If a polishing cloth doesn't do the job, try a bit of rubbing alcohol, applied to a soft cloth. Again, don't get it on the pads.
Avoid squeezing the keys when you play. It will wear the pads faster and slow your playing. If you find that squeezing the keys improves the tone, get the flute serviced. You probably have a leak.
If you have a wooden flute or piccolo, consult an experienced player or repair person for additional advice regarding appropriate wood care and cork grease.
There are two sorts of adjustments you can reasonably attempt yourself. If you're not sure, take the flute to a shop.
- If a key fails to lift when released, look to see if a spring (one of the tiny wires along the rod) has popped out of place. You may be able to push it back into place with the eraser end of a pencil or some similar, soft instrument.
- If your flute is consistently out of tune, the plug at the top of the head joint can be adjusted. Take the head joint off of the flute, insert your cleaning rod upside down into it. The rod should have a line towards the bottom of it, you need to try to get the line into the middle of the embouchure hole. You do this by untwisting the top and pushing in or out until aligned properly. This should be done about once a month.
Saxophones tune to an A also!

Warnings

When taking apart your flute do not grab a part and twist it off forcefully. You could bend keys. Also while playing a flute, do not roll it in your lap- leave it resting with all keys face up. Also consider getting a flute stand.
A flute that is not cleaned will very quickly look like this the one in the picture and its not a very pretty sight.
Be careful when you are cleaning your flute. Repair can be very expensive. Do not try to bend or press anything that doesn't seem to be moving easily, because, chances are, it is either bent, or it isn't supposed to move at all.
Flutes are very expensive. Make sure you are committed to playing and caring for the instrument before your purchase one.
Woodwind instruments can't get wet! If you let your flute get wet, the pads will swell up, and the flute won't play.
Be careful not to bend any keys when you are dismantling the flute. Be especially careful when removing the foot joint, because it has a very complicated and delicate key connection that is easy to bend and is expensive to replace.
You shouldn't grease your flute at the joints it just makes it harder to take apart and put together if you grease it often. It is better to wipe the joints with a polishing cloth.

Things You'll Need

Tuning rod to use as cleaning rod
silk or cotton cloth
Soft, cotton polishing cloth
Dusting stick (or pipe cleaner)
Tuner
Screwdriver

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Clean and Maintain Your Flute. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Play Flute?

2008-07-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

Are you flutist?if so, I believe you won't need to know on how to play a flute? You are is the expert here. But for you who still new on Flute, this article tips will be a good start for you to read.

How to Play the Flute

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

The flute is a great instrument, and many people enjoy playing it. While this short guide will assist you with the basics, actual instruction is the best way to learn.

Steps

Buy or rent a flute from a music store. When first starting to play an instrument, you should consider renting to be certain that you enjoy it enough to purchase. Also beginners should get a closed-hole student flute. Expensive, professional, open-holed flutes are for more experienced and careful players.
Consider paying a good private lesson flute teacher for lessons. Ask your band director or a music shop employee about it towards the beginning of the school year. This resource will be very useful as you learn to play.
Assemble the flute. Insert the open end of the headjoint into the wider end of the body (usually closest to the printed brandname of the instrument). Align the embouchure hole with the first key on the body. Take the footjoint from the case and connect it to the other end of the body. Align the main rod of the footjoint with the last key of the body. Adjust the alignment if needed.
Practice on a bottle to learn how to blow into a flute. Glass or plastic works equally well. Blow across the opening to produce a sound. You should also be blowing slightly downward. The less liquid in the bottle the lower the pitch and the more liquid the higher the pitch. This blowing technique is the proper way to ease notes from a flute.
Try to produce a sound from your flute. Try with the headjoint only, at first. Place the lip plate just below your lower lip, purse your lips, take a deep breath, and blow as if you were saying "tooo". It will not happen straight away so be patient. Try moving your embouchure hole around. Practice in front of a mirror and look at the shape of your lips. Your embouchure should be about the size of a drinking straw and shaped like a circle or teardrop.Here's a neat way to work on producing sound:
1. Press your lips together. Roll the lips inward, so that there is no pink showing.
2. Kiss your flute--place the embouchure hole completely against your pressed lips, so that you can feel the full circle around your mouth.
3. Roll the flute away from your lips approximately 90 degrees, so that the embouchure hole is now level with the ceiling.
4. Pretend to spit out a watermelon seed! This may assist you in finding a good embouchure shape. If you achieve a sound using this method, try adding a stream of air after your initial "spit".
Learn how to hold the flute. Hold the flute with the your mouth on the lip plate and the remainder of the instrument pointing to the right. Your left hand should be nearest the mouthpiece and should be facing towards you from the other side of the flute. Your left thumb should rest on a key. Your right hand should be further down on the flute to the right and should be facing away from you. There is no key for your right thumb. Balance your flute with your thumbs.
Have proper posture while playing. Sit or stand up straight and hold the flute a little below parallel. Your arms should feel relaxed, but they may ache after extended playing. Crossing your legs will often affect your tone if you allow you posture to collapse as well.
Consult a fingering chart. Many instruction books will have one. The fingering chart will guide you through each note. Try any alternate fingerings. When playing the flute it should not sound like your just blowing or whistling--it should be a full, steady tone.
Warm up before playing. Octave slurs (slurring from the octave below to the octave above and vice versa) are good for flutes. Play a chromatic scale to make sure your flute is functioning properly.
Tune before you play, but after you warm up. Tune to a concert A.[1] If the tuner says you are sharp (moves to the right), pull out the head joint. If you are flat (tuner will move to the left), push in the head joint. Try tuning to the low and high A. Take into account that cold temperatures will cause an instrument to go flat, and warm temperatures will cause it to be sharp. This is especially important if you are playing in an ensemble.
Buy a beginners book. If you have a band director or a flute teacher they will be able to recommend one. Use your book and try to play some easy music.
Learn how to read sheet music. Most beginners books will start out with the note names on the notes in the staff. However you will have to learn how to read music if you do not know how already.
Become familiar with playing your major, minor, and chromatic scales. These should be printed in your flute book. Music is usually made up of patterns which consist of scales so if you are familiar with your scales you will be better equipped to play the music. Also practice the arpeggios, thirds, fourths, etc. for this purpose.
Clean your flute thoroughly after playing. Use a swab or a cloth strung through your tuning rod to remove spit from the inside of your flute. Occasionally polish it with a cloth.
Take your flute apart and put it away in the case. Twist off the head joint, body, and foot joint gently and put them in the case. Latch the case closed and put it in a safe place, preferably where it will stay at a steady room temperature.

Tips

Learning to play the flute takes a while. Be patient, keep practicing, and get the assistance of a good teacher. Soon you'll be making music.
Blow into your flute at a slightly higher angle with smaller embouchure hole and faster air to produce higher notes. Play lower notes with a slightly lower angle and larger embouchure hole.
Try rolling the head joint either way to get a better tone.
When learning a piece for the first time, go through the piece without playing and finger instead. Pay attention to STARS--style, tempo, articulation, rhythms, and signatures (key/time). Also watch out for accidentals!
If your flute is consistently out of tune there may be something wrong with its tuning cork. Notice that there is a line around one end of your tuning rod. Twist off the head joint and stick that end into it. When that end is resting against the top of the head joint the line should be exactly in the middle of the embouchure hole. If it is not ask your flute teacher to adjust your tuning cork for you.

Warnings

Be careful that your fingers do not come very far off the keys while playing. If you try to play faster music this will become a hindrance.
Don't let your right arm droop while playing flute. This eventually causes the rest of your body to collapse and will negatively affect your tone.
Do not grab your flute by the keys. Always lift it up by parts free of any mechanized parts. This will save you from expensive repairs. Do not roll a flute in your lap while sitting either.
Don't drink sugary drinks or eat while playing the flute. Rinse your mouth with water after eating or drinking before you play the flute. It is very expensive to remove gum or candy from a flute.

Things You'll Need

Flute
Fingering chart/music book
Tuning rod
Swab or soft cloth
Silver polishing cloth
Music stand (optional)
Private lesson teacher (optional)
Tuner (optional)
Metronome (optional)
Flute stand (optional)

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Flute

↑ http://members.glis.net/kjt/tealflutestudio/Presentation.html

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Play the Flute. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Please check Another resouces below to get more info about How to play the flute:

Videos:

1. How to Play the Flute video

2. How to Play the Flute | ExpertVillage Videos - Great For Beginner Flutist.

Another Sites:

1. How To Play the Flute | How To Do Things.com

2. How To Play the Flute | eHow.com

Flute Wedding Music - A Great Choice

2008-06-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

By Kathy Ferneau

Looking for a great source of wedding music? Try flute wedding music.
Flute music is lovely for a wedding. Flute wedding music works especially well...
1) If you're trying to save money. You can hire a solo flutist and have just one person to pay.
2) If you're having an outdoor wedding. The flute is simple to transport and doesn't need a lot of space to set up and play.
3) If you want a idyllic atmosphere. String quartets and pipe organs are fantastic, but also a bit overwhelming. Flute music is light, lilting, and romantic.
4) You think you can't afford any live music and will simply be using recordings.
In addition, flutists are easy to find. Violinists, harpists, and cellists are in short supply, and thus command a big paycheck.
Flutists, however, are common. Why? Thanks to the prevalence of band programs over orchestra programs, many fifth graders start playing band instruments instead of string instruments. And kids often pick the flute because it's small, easy to carry, and parents can afford it. So you end up with lots of flutists.
While this might not be so great for the flutist, it does give you an advantage when hiring a musician. It's just a fact--you will pay more for a violinist than a flutist. However, the quality of the music will not suffer at all. In fact, flute music for a wedding is often preferred, whatever the cost.
How do you find a flutist? Just start asking around. Almost everyone knows someone who plays the flute. If you really don't know anyone, ask your church choir director.
Now just because many people play the flute, it doesn't many that they are all great players. You don't want your wedding ruined by someone with a puffy, airy tone, fumbling for notes, and playing out of tune.
Simply ask the flutist to play a few pieces they have in mind for your wedding. You don't have to be a master flutist to make a judgment on their playing. If it doesn't sound good to you, pass on this person.
You will usually be able to get a general idea of the potential performer's level of playing from whoever gave you their name.
What should the flutist play?
You will want prelude music while guests are being seated, music for the seating of the mothers, processional, solos during the ceremony, and the recessional.
The actual pieces played will depend upon whether the flutist is playing unaccompanied music or is using an accompaniment via a small CD player. Music of Bach, Handel, Haydn, and Mozart work well, but your flutist should have a lot of ideas for you.
You can even have the flutist play during dinner or a light reception, by playing contemporary tunes or easy listening and jazz music.
If you're working with a flutist who doesn't normally play at weddings, but is still a good musician, suggest picking up a book of flute music for weddings. Music publishers have collections of flute wedding music available. Most come with an accompaniment CD that can be played in a small CD player.
You can have a beautiful day with flute wedding music and keep costs down at the same time.
Get daily tips for planning the most important day of your life...
http://www.cyberflute.com/weddings.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Ferneau