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Tip of the Week!
Many of you have asked about practicing your note reading skills at home! This is a free app that you can download for iPad or iPhone or iPod so that you can practice at home! It's called NOTE WORKS! Tip of the Week!
When you hold your flute, your right hand should be in a neutral position- meaning it should feel natural and not bent. The hand on the left with the green lines is the proper right hand position- the wrist is relaxed and straight. The hand with the red lines has a bent and twisted wrist. This can cause pain and discomfort over time! Tip of the Week!
When you have multiple measures of rest in a row, it's easy to get lost and miss your next entrance! You can write in the counting for your rest like I have done here on the left. As a general rule, you should start putting your instrument up on the second to last measure of your counting. By the last measure of your counting your instrument should be in your mouth or at your lips and you should begin taking the breath for your next entrance! Tip of the Week!
Flute players should always move their rehearsal chair so that it points 45 degrees to the right This leaves room for the right elbow so it doesn't hit the chair. It also allows more room for other flute players in the section so that you are playing flute in their face or ear! Tip of the Week! When you are using your fingers to push the keys on your flute down, be sure that you are using the very tips of your fingers! This will help you to be able to move your fingers more easily when it comes time to play faster passages of music! Tip of the Week!
Beginners and students who seem to forget- Watch this video for a handy song to help you remember your lines and spaces of the treble clef! Remember: Lines- Every Good Boy Does Fine Spaces- FACE Tip of the Week!
When you practice at home, don't just play through your music from beginning to end. Use this process and it will help you to review concepts that we have practiced in class. It's easy! 1) Sing each note type (whole, half, quarter, etc) for it's correct number of beats for the whole exercise. 2) Sing the letter name of the note (ABCDEFG) with the correct rhythm. 3) Sing the letter name of the note while doing just the fingerings. 4) Play the exercise! Tip of the Week!
When we breathe to play our instruments, we want to make sure that we are taking nice deep breaths into our lungs. Practice taking a deep breath. If your shoulders are moving up towards your ears, you are not breathing fully! Put your hands on your belly. When you breathe in, your belly should expand and push outwards. When you breathe out, your belly should contract or move back in. Tip of the Week!
When we play music, we want the beats to be played to a nice steady beat. If we don't all keep the same steady beat, it is hard for us to stay together. Tap your toe while you practice your instrument at home and whenever you play at school. You can even just practice tapping a steady beat to your favorite song on the radio! Tip of the Week!
When setting up your flute, be sure that the main rod on the foot joint is lined up with the center of the bottom key on the body of the flute. |