Chapter 1: How to play the flute
It’s very simple. As long as you can play the simple gadget “pen cover”, you are already talented enough to learn the flute. ! Now, please believe in yourself first, and then cooperate with the following instructions and methods. Playing the flute is the sound produced by blowing the breath into the hole of the flute with your mouth. The essentials of playing it
1. Close your lips naturally, hold both ends of the flute with both hands, hold the head of the flute in your left hand, and the tail of the flute in your right hand. Place the blow hole at the lower edge of the lips, and blow towards the blow hole. .
2. When the breath rushes out, only allow a small gap for the breath to pass through, and make it become a beam of air and blow diagonally toward the bottom of the blow hole. The principle is the same as blowing the pen cover.
3. In order to prevent the lips from opening when the breath comes out, causing the breath to escape, the cheek muscles must be strong to keep the breath outlet small.
4. The sound blown out must be pure and avoid air sounds.
5. Practice often in front of the mirror to learn how to align the air holes so that the pronunciation position is correct and impartial, so that all the breath turns into flute sound.
Explanations of several special terms:
1. What is "wind gate"? The damper is the small hole between the upper and lower lips. The damper should be larger when playing low notes and smaller when playing high notes. When playing strong sounds, the damper should be large, and when playing weak sounds, the damper should be small.
2. What is "koujin"? Mouth strength is the muscle contraction that controls the tightness of the lips. By loosening or tightening the mouth tone, the volume, timbre, and pitch can be controlled. When you first learn, use a normal tone of voice. As practice progresses, your control ability will gradually improve.
3. What is "tonal style"? Oral wind refers to the intensity of blowing and the flow of air.
4. What is "tube sound"? The tube sound is a signal that tells you that the finger holes of the flute should be pressed all the way to 1 or 2 or other "fingering" prompts.
5. What are "Xiaogong Diao", "Zhenggong Diao", "Chizi Diao" and "Yi Zi Diao"? "Xiaogong Diao" is the fingering method of pressing all the way to 5; "Zhenggong Diao" is the fingering of all pressing to make 2; "Chizi Diao" is the fingering of all pressing to make 6; "Yi Zi Diao" is the fingering of all pressing 1.
Chapter 2 Posture Issues in Flute Playing
Playing the flute requires attention to posture. This is not only a matter of performance image, but more importantly, in order to adapt to the physiological characteristics of the player and fully Use your skills to better express musical content.
Mr. Zhao Songting, a bamboo flute master of the Southern School, once put forward an oral rule on the essentials of posture in his book "Flute Art Spring and Autumn": the wind gate should be straight, the flute body should be flat, the head should be straight, and the chest should be straight . Use your thumb and little finger to support each other, don't let the flute and willow shake gold. An egg can fit between the tiger's mouth, and the hands will be more flexible if the joints are comfortable. The six fingers should be pressed tightly into the holes, and the fingers should be relaxed into an arc shape. There are specifications for the ups and downs, and unnecessary movements are thrown away. The strength of my mouth follows my will, and the thickness of my tone depends on my heart. With arms spread forty-five, the blue dragon and the white tiger can do everything. Avoid artificiality in your performance posture, be serious and sincere. (Qinglong and Baihu refer to the left-handed person who holds the flute, called Zuo Qinglong, and the right-handed person, called Youbaihu.) In addition, it should be noted that "the little finger lightly touches the flute body" is the need for holding the flute, and it is also the need for adding sound holes in the future. Beginners' fingers Be sure to position yourself well. "Relaxing the fingers" is also the key point. It is most important to avoid stiffness of the fingers when holding the flute. Stiffness means lack of flexibility. Regarding the sitting or standing posture, it is generally necessary to turn the body slightly to the right, face forward, look straight ahead, raise the chin slightly, straighten the chest naturally, relax the abdomen, and naturally separate the feet into a small figure eight shape. Holding the flute is actually the same whether it's left or right. However, due to the widespread use of Boehm flute internationally, the structure of the instrument is always facing right. Therefore, it is better for beginners to hold the flute on the right side, and there is no problem for those who are used to holding the flute on the left. In addition, Mr. Zhao also has a secret for breathing essentials, which is slightly related to posture: Don't move your shoulders up and down, and expand your chest and abdomen at the same time. Blow slowly and flatly to relax the whole body, so that the abdominal muscles do not need to be idle. Blow hard and blow hard downwards, and blow the Dantian with strong force. Use both mouth and nose as needed, and avoid making any sound when breathing. Don't inhale until there is no air, always have some remaining air. Strong but not noisy, weak but not weak, exhale evenly and flow long. Finally, remind yourself to develop a good habit of using your flute to treat others, and never use your flute to treat others.
Selection and pasting of flute membranes
There are many types and brands of flute membranes. Some people use bamboo membranes (poor quality, lack of toughness, elasticity, and easy to blow are its shortcomings), while others use bamboo membranes. When playing border folk music, amniotic membrane is used (poor vibration, hard or dull tone, and a unique flavor), but most people collect it from the reed membrane (also called tube membrane) on the inner wall of the reed pipe. Because of its fine texture, good toughness, and elasticity It is also good, with bright and crisp pronunciation and good vibration, so it is very popular. Common brands of flute membranes available on the market include general tube membranes, Jiayin brand flute membranes, Dunhuang flute membranes, Baihua brand flute membranes, Anhui Longtanhu flute membranes... No matter which brand of flute membrane it is, when choosing it The best ones are fine white, translucent, free of impurities or fibers and films. Judging from the current quality of the reed film production areas, the reed films in Wuhe, Xiaoxi and Huainan areas of Anhui are the best. Due to the local soil , the reed membrane there is uniform in thickness and elastic, making it an ideal flute membrane for professional flute players. (The quality of the "Minggui flute film" recently introduced by Mr. Yu Xunfa is quite good) The first step in using the flute film is to choose the adhesive. Currently, the ones used are donkey hide gelatin, donkey skin paste, yellow fish glue, resin, bletilla striata...etc. Hejiao and Bletilla striata are the most commonly used and can be purchased in general traditional Chinese medicine stores and medicinal material stores.
Since the flute membrane itself has a certain degree of stretchability and water absorption, the affixed flute membrane will automatically restore to a certain extent, so it can be a little tighter when it is applied. After it automatically restores, the tightness of the flute membrane will be moderate. It can produce a pleasant sound, but if it is to be used as it is, the diaphragm needs to be loosened. When applying the film, first cut a square piece of the flute film so that the fibers of the film itself are parallel and overlapping with the fibers of the flute. Then use donkey hide gelatin dipped in water and apply it around the film holes. Use the thumbs and index fingers of your left and right hands to pinch both sides of the film. , pull out the wrinkles that are perpendicular to the fiber lines of the reed film, and then slowly press it toward the lower side. After adjusting evenly, press and hold for a while, and you are done.
When collecting the flute film, pay attention to moisture and sun protection. When the flute film turns yellow, becomes old, and loses its elasticity, it must be replaced. (If fresh flute film needs to be stored for a long time, you can wrap it in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh
Talk about the technical issues in playing the flute
Due to the relationship between skills and region, the performance of the flute has simply formed two major schools, one is the Southern School; the other is the Northern School. In terms of skills: Southern music is used to tremble, fold, vibrate, and beat; Northern music is good at spitting, sliding, and Chop, flower. Therefore, different playing styles are distinguished. Here is a brief introduction to several commonly used flute techniques:
Trill (tr): For example, the vibrato of 6 is equivalent to playing 67676767.
Village vibrato: a type of vibrato, a technique in which the finger does not completely cover the sound hole (press half the hole) when vibrating.
Wing (w): a type of short vibrato, also called ripple. The sound means that the finger above the tonic is vibrating once.
The overdubbed sound (again): For example, the overdubbed sound of 6 is equivalent to 717. 6 is generally the tonic, and 717 is equivalent to the compound sound. It is a kind of decorative sound, also called call sound.
Gift sound: a kind of decorative sound that appears at the end of a sound, which will indicate the pitch of the "give" sound.
Tap sound (Ding): Use your fingers to quickly "hit" the next hole of the main tone.
Tunk sound (TK): Use the tip of the tongue to spit lightly. A technique of single voicing (T), double voicing (TK), and triple voicing (TKT or TTK). It is a staccato technique.
Portamento: the process of moving between notes. "Smooth" includes upward glide, downward glide, and compound glide. Use your fingers to slowly open the sound hole or slowly press it to close it to create a singing-like effect (referring to portamento), or use breath control to achieve a soft-like effect. (air glide).
Chop sound: similar to the sound of a bird, each finger rises and falls quickly at the same time, plus a pause (stressed pronunciation), resulting in a special sound effect.
Flower tongue. *): A technique that uses the natural and continuous vibration of the tongue to create a dense and granular feel to the notes. Liyin: a fast scale progression similar to piano arpeggios. When the speed is very fast, it can also imitate the sound of birds. , the lower part of the sound.
Forte sound (>): similar to the heavy sound, mainly using the breath of "exhalation" to make the sound, with the effect of accentuating the sound: obvious staccato. , pronounce it with the tongue.
Tongue attack: Generally, when playing the first range of a slur or a note without a slur, the tip of the tongue should be vomited moderately (lighter than light vomiting). Play it, similar to the action when pronouncing the word "ti", and blow these sounds very clearly and definitely
Groat sound: similar to the sound effect of flower tongue, but different from flower tongue, it vibrates. The protruding and drooping uvula in the throat. The pronunciation particles are rough.
Overtone (.): The same fingering method produces sounds with different octave relationships, and the intensity is between two octaves. It is a type of overblowing.
Flying finger (flying): using the driving force of the arm to make one or several fingers (up to three fingers) of one hand move in one or several notes. The method of wiping the hole quickly from side to side. Can produce strong breaking sound effect.
Liyin: The sound that rises or descends rapidly from low to high (Shangliyin) or from high to low (Xiaoliyin) is called "Liyin". It is required that the fingers rise and fall definitely and decisively during playing, so that every note experienced is very clear and smooth, as if it appears step by step like going up and down stairs quickly.
Abdominal tremolo (-): Use the strength control of the abdomen to make the breath rise and fall like waves, which can be fast or slow, loud or small, to express emotional excitement.
Generally speaking, flute playing skills can be summarized in the four basic skills of Qi, fingers, tongue, and lips. Qi skills are the most difficult to master. Finger skills require clean, neat finger movements, even speed, and flexibility. , elastic; tongue skills require even strength, granularity, even rhythm, and durability; lip skills require attention to the appropriate expression of the big and small air gate and mouth power. It means that no matter what the skill is, as long as you practice it frequently, practice will make you perfect. But the most important point is that flute players must be responsible for the music when using various techniques, otherwise they will add superfluous information and destroy the original beauty of the music. This is what we should understand.
Talk about the relationship between mouth wind, wind door, mouth strength and tongue position in flute playing
When playing the flute, you may find some phenomena, such as: when playing high notes, The lips are also closed tightly. When playing the bass, it takes more effort and the air does not need to be too strong. When exhaling, the higher the sound, the harder it is to exhale, etc. The following is only analyzed in a table:
The relationship between the shape and sound range of the flute and the wind, wind, mouth strength, and tongue position:
The mouth wind, door strength, and tongue position
High range or high-pitched flutes are slightly faster and smaller Right before
Medium range or alto flute is moderate, moderate, moderate, medium
Low range or bass flute is soothing and slightly loose after
The pronunciation of the flute also depends on the range or The type of flute varies:
High range (flute): Tongue tone = TiKi or DiGi (D and G are for emphasis)
Middle range (flute) ：Tuyin Jujue=TuKu or DuGu
Low range (flute): Tuyin Oral Jue=TaKa or DaGa
Talk about breathing problems in flute playing
< p>1. What is "chest breathing method"? Chest breathing refers to the contraction and relaxation of the intercostal muscles, which affects the ribs and sternum to rise and fall together, expanding or contracting the chest cavity, and allowing the lungs to achieve the purpose of breathing.2. What is "thoracic and abdominal combined breathing method"? The thoracoabdominal breathing method refers to the contraction of the diaphragm muscles to cause the diaphragm to drop, the alveoli to stretch downward and squeeze the abdominal cavity, the abdominal muscles to relax and naturally expand forward and downward, and at the same time, the psoas and intercostal muscles naturally expand outward to expand the chest cavity for breathing. purpose.
3. What is "abdominal breathing"? Abdominal breathing mainly uses soft elastic muscles such as the diaphragm and abdominal muscles to contract and relax, assisting the lung lobes in the downward expansion of breathing, and uses the reaction force of abdominal pressure to achieve the purpose of breathing.
4. Why is it best to use "abdominal breathing" instead of "chest breathing" or "thoracic and abdominal breathing" when playing flute? First, the ribs and sternum that play a role in chest breathing have no elasticity. It is impossible to use the diaphragm like abdominal breathing to control the breath through the elasticity of the diaphragm muscles to contract freely and use the abdomen as the fulcrum. Second, the chest breathing method inhales the air into the upper part of the lungs, which can easily cause the air to stagnate in the chest, causing a tense and compressed state, making it uncomfortable to hold in the air. When used improperly, internal injuries are more likely to occur. Third, the abdominal breathing method is like the "empty top and solid bottom" mentioned in Chinese Qigong. When playing, the power comes from the two feet, just like the power from the Dantian. The center of gravity is down and there will be no top-heavy feeling. Use the abdomen as a fulcrum. The whole body's strength is supported. Fourth, abdominal breathing can help massage internal organs to achieve the health purpose of prolonging life. Fifth, during thoracic breathing, the alveoli expand front to back, left and right, which is not only laborious but also has no depth of breath. On the contrary, abdominal breathing expands up and down, which is not only smooth but also deeper.
5. Are female players really inferior to men? In fact, from the perspective of vital capacity, the normal value for men is about 3656.5ml, and the normal value for women is about 2511.3ml. Physically, they suffer more than men. But as long as they receive physical assistance, psychological assistance, and technical assistance, women can even perform better than men. Physiologically, you can use swimming and jogging to increase your lung capacity; psychologically, you must have confidence in yourself. Women play musical instruments more emotionally and have a more beautiful tone; technically, women can try to use thoracoabdominal combined breathing method. , basically this is a more scientific breathing method recognized in the West. In short, no matter how hard you work, you will gain something. Skill is accumulated over time. As long as you persevere, you will be able to make achievements and show your glory day by day!
6. What is "grabbing for energy"? Gas grabbing is generally used when playing eighth notes and sixteenth notes continuously in fast music. To grab air, you mainly need to inhale through your mouth and move quickly.
7. What is "circular breathing"? Circular breathing, also known as breath swallowing, was originally a Suona playing technique. The method is to quickly retract the tongue back when the breath is almost gone, and at the same time expand the mandible to store the air in the mouth, and then squeeze the air out of the mouth through the contraction of the upper and lower jaw and cheek muscles, and at the same time use Inhale a new breath through the nose, and then blow it out skillfully to keep the flute sound going. This is "circulatory ventilation".
Talk about the timbre issues in bamboo flute playing
When you practice, in addition to training your fingers to use flexibly, your tongue moves quickly, the music has different levels of intensity, and the intensity changes obviously and timely. In addition to rich expressions, the main goal is to play the flute beautifully and melodiously. This is where we have to talk about how to deal with the flute tone. Basically, most people always think that playing the flute with bright timbre is very popular. As the saying goes, "The erhu is valued for its softness, the three-stringed string is valued for its violent force, and the flute is valued for its bright tone." In fact, this is not the case. The timbre of the flute must be processed according to the style, background and mood of the music. The problem is, if the flute only seeks a single timbre, it will not only limit the development, but also affect the performance. The timbre changes of the flute are actually very complex. For example: the flute solo "Bamboo Traces" played by Mr. Yu Xunfa, "Qingzhuqing" played by the late Mr. Bai Taisheng, etc.
And what kind of bamboo flute timbre performance should we pursue in daily life? It should be a bright, penetrating, relaxing and gorgeous tone. The tone in the low range should be deep and thick. The tone in the mid-range should be full, solid and gorgeous. The tone in the high range should be transparent, and the most taboo is violent and violent. Noisy and harsh. How can I produce such a sound?
1. The whole body should be relaxed and the respiratory muscles should be kept in a certain state of tension.
2. Relax the buccinator muscles. Do not puff your cheeks when playing the flute. The lip muscles should be closed naturally and maintained at a moderate level of tightness.
3. Put your tongue away, press the base of your tongue, and relax your throat as much as possible, as if you are holding a braised egg. This is called "gas holding".
4. The damper should be as round as possible. Due to the relationship between the upper and lower lips, it will naturally be slightly oval. In theory, the rounder the damper door shape, the better.
5. The imaginary air column rushed out by the damper should be concentrated into a small beam, the better.
6. The flute membrane should be as loosely attached as possible, so that the high notes can still be blown out.
By adjusting the various vocal parts in this way and making them coordinated, you can achieve a good tone.
Selection, maintenance and repair of flutes
When choosing a flute, you should consider the quality and type of the flute. The quality of the flute not only depends on the quality of the flute itself, but also depends on the level of production. When selecting and purchasing, you should conduct inspections:
1. Inspect the bamboo quality of the flute. The flute pipe must be made of solid bamboo (the bamboo pattern is old). The bamboo grain is fine and dense. The tube body is straight and round. The flute body is generally slightly thicker at the head than at the tail, but the difference should not be too large. The thickness of the flute tube is moderate. The inner wall of the flute tube is flat and smooth. There are no insects, cracks, etc. all over the body. The shape is beautiful and elegant. These requirements can be identified visually.
2. Check the pitch of the flute. The method is to play against a standard flute or fixed-tone instrument (such as sheng, accordion, organ, etc.). First, check the tonic and tube tones of the flute's original tune with the D and A notes of a standard-pitched flute or a tuned instrument. If the flute tones are the same pitch as the standard tones or form an octave relationship, then the pitch of the flute is accurate and the tonic tone is correct. After determination, the accuracy of all pronunciation of the flute is tested according to the interval relationship. You can also play each overtone to see if it is easy to pronounce and clean. Checking overtones is also a good way to check the intonation of solid notes.
3. Check the volume of the flute. Generally speaking, the louder one is better. A loud flute has a loud sound and strong vibration. Sometimes there is a numb feeling in the fingers when playing.
4. Check the timbre of the flute. The general requirements for timbre are loose, thick, round, and bright. On the one hand, this depends on the quality of the flute itself. On the other hand, it is also closely related to the laminating technology and playing skills.
5. Test the sensitivity of the flute. Generally speaking, it is better to have the breath come out and the pronunciation is not slow. The faster the reaction, the better.
The same kind of bamboo six-hole fixed-tuned diaphragm flute is divided into three categories, and there are various flutes in different tunes in each category. How to choose? Generally speaking, it is more suitable for beginners to choose a medium flute in the key of E or F. Because this type of flute has a moderate pitch and is easier to play, it is also commonly used in performance. If you have the conditions and want to choose more flutes, in addition to the middle flute in E and F, you can also choose a melody flute in D and a bangdi in G. These two flutes are also commonly used. With these three flutes, once you learn how to change the key on the same flute, you can generally play music in various keys.
When you own a bamboo flute, it is best to use cotton to wipe off the moisture from the flute, and then hang the flute to let it dry naturally to avoid mold, odor, and paint peeling. , the flute is most afraid of being dropped, exposed to the sun, moth-eaten, and moldy, so it should be taken good care of and used. If a certain note of the flute is not accurate, and the note is too high, you can use appropriate materials to fill the sound hole (the next hole) of the note from top to bottom until the note is accurate; when the note is too low, the same position can be used. Use a tool to dig from bottom to top until the pitch is right. If the upper octave is too low, push the flute stopper toward the blow hole until the pitch is right. When the upper octave is too high, adjust the flute stopper in the opposite direction to the blow hole. , until the pitch is correct. When the high notes are difficult to play, you can blunt the edge of the blow hole, adjust the front sound hole, or modify the inner diameter of the flute tail tube. If the overtones are not accurate, there will be big problems with the opening ratio or the inner diameter of the flute itself, and the relative pitch will be 80% off, and the flute can be said to be useless. If it's cracked, try to repair it. If it's moldy, wipe it with medicinal alcohol. If the paint falls off, repaint it. If there are insects, use camphor oil to repel them. If the tangled thread falls off, it'll be damaged again. If it's really hopeless, just replace it with a new one. flute.
Affixing the flute membrane
1. Before attaching the flute membrane, first pull out the wrinkles from the cut flute membrane. The method is to hold the two ends of the flute membrane with the thumbs and index fingers of both hands. , apply force evenly, and at the same time exhale hot air towards the flute membrane through your mouth. In this way, you don’t have to worry about the flute membrane being stretched (in fact, the flute membrane is very strong, I have tried it) and wrinkles are easy to appear. (Note: the direction of the wrinkles in the flute membrane perpendicular to the direction of the original grain)
2. When attaching the flute film to the bamboo flute, friends recommend using garlic juice or going to the drugstore to buy a piece of donkey-hide gelatin. However, the smell of garlic is unpleasant, so most people still use it for convenience. Just use saliva#$&*())!$^`````In fact, it doesn’t matter what you use, it’s just a little more troublesome. The saliva is applied on the flute tube, and it dries quickly, and once the flute film is stained , is not easy to adjust. This requires carefulness. (If you find it disgusting, you can use a brush to dip it in water, but I have not tried it.) Note that the part of the flute film in the film hole, that is, the part that vibrates and sounds, cannot be dipped in water, otherwise it will affect the sound. Tone. (You also need to pay attention to the direction here: the original texture of the flute membrane is parallel to the texture of the bamboo flute)
3. Temperature and humidity affect the flute membrane at all times, thereby affecting the sound quality. So when the flute membrane is attached , it won’t sound again next time you play it. This is because bamboo and flute membranes are made of different materials and have different shrinkage ratios. So you will find that the tone is different after a period of time. Generally, when the outside temperature is low, you need to wake up the membrane. , the method is to exhale hot air into the flute membrane, and then blow cold air, and repeat this several times. However, this method is short-lived. You can also block all six sound holes and blow air into the blow hole, but it takes a longer time.
Compared with Western flutes, Chinese bamboo flutes have a membrane that makes the sound melodious and clear, with a bass sound like spring water in a mountain stream or the wind blowing through a bamboo forest. The ancients euphemistically called it: Feng Ming. Yes, the whimpering sound of the flute is for the dragon to sing.
The quality of the flute film is very important, just like the tuning of a string instrument. There are also flutes that do not need to have a film, but the effect is much worse. .
Tube sound 5
Bass 5 〇●●●●●●
Bass 6 〇●●●●●〇
Bass 7 〇●●●●〇〇
Alto 1 〇●●●〇〇〇
Alto 2 〇●●〇〇〇
Alto 3 〇●〇〇〇〇〇
Alto 4 〇〇●●〇〇〇 or ◎〇〇〇〇 or 〇●●●〇〇
Alto 5 〇●●●●●● or 〇●●●●●
Alto 6 〇●●●●●〇
Alto 7 〇●●●●〇〇< /p>
Treble 1 〇●●●〇〇〇
Treble 2 〇●●〇〇〇〇
Treble 3 〇●〇〇〇〇
Treble 4 〇〇●●●●〇or◎〇〇〇〇〇or 〇●〇〇〇or●〇●●〇〇
Treble 5 〇〇●●●●●● Or 〇●●〇〇〇
Treble 6 〇●●〇●●〇
How to play the flute
Choose one with good pronunciation (regardless of timbre** *Ming) Xiao is very important, that is, all the notes within the application range of Xiao playing can be played normally. If the timbre is simple and dignified, it will be even more powerful if the sound is rich.
1: Basic requirements for flute playing
The flute tube should be 90 degrees perpendicular to the chin, and the airflow should be divided into two parts evenly (must be evenly divided) when it hits the mouthpiece wind piece. The tone of mouth when playing the flute and the shape of the mouthpiece of the flute play a vital role in the timbre of the flute. The mouthpiece of the flute should be made into a UV intermediate shape to produce the best sound (you can polish it yourself with the finest sandpaper), and the mouthpiece area should be Open it according to the diameter of the pipe. If it is opened too large, the sound will leak, and if it is opened too small, the sound will not come out and it will be muffled. The mouthpiece should be maintained according to the shape of the mouthpiece, and the width of the mouthpiece should not exceed the width of the mouthpiece. The opening should also be opened according to the diameter of the flute. If the opening is too small, the sound will be muffled and the melodious sound will not be fully developed.
Two: The timbre of the flute
The timbre of the flute is simple and solemn, but the styles have their own merits. So how do you play the various flute timbres? When we play different pieces of music, we must play a harmonious tone according to the connotation of the music. For example, "Three Lanes of Plum Blossoms" played in rock style will definitely not match. Before playing, press your lower teeth against your lower lip, pull the corners of your mouth to both sides, so that the lower lip is tightened. Place the flute mouthpiece against your chin (at 90 degrees), then relax your lower lip while pinching it with your upper lip. Make an opening in the middle.
Then the shape of the flute is one of the subjective factors that affects the timbre: when the flute changes from flat to round, the timbre of the flute changes from bright to dark. This kind of control is very subtle. When changing from flat to round, the corners of the mouth should be drawn inward, and at the same time, the mouth should be opened, just like holding a circle. When changing from flat to round, the left and right sides must be drawn inward, and the upper and lower sides must be drawn outward, otherwise it will be too tight. It becomes more and more rigid, and the same goes for the tone of voice, and vice versa.
The second subjective factor: the placement of the flute and chin.
When the flute tube is placed downward (it must be kept at 90 degrees to the chin), the tone of the flute will be brighter. What needs to be noted at this time is that the mouthpiece should be adjusted accordingly - change the incident angle downward, while the airflow is still equally divided into two parts and blow on the mouthpiece. (When the chin is drawn inward, the incident angle can be made downward. changed). When the flute tube is placed upward (at 90 degrees to the chin), the tone of the flute becomes darker. At this time, the mouth air also needs to be adjusted - change the incident angle upward, while the air flow is still divided into two evenly and blows on the mouthpiece wind piece (when you stretch your chin outward, you can change the incident angle upward).
By coordinating the changes in the tone of the mouth with the position of the flute, the flute can be played with various tones.
3: Fingering for Xiao playing
The fingering for Xiao playing has formed a systematic theory, so I won’t go into a lengthy description, but will only briefly talk about it.
First of all, there are two hole-pressing methods for Xiao playing: "pressing the holes with the knuckles" and "pressing the holes with the belly of the fingers." "Pressing the knuckles through the holes" is faster to get started with, while the latter is slower to get started with. However, I feel that the latter will be more advantageous in expressing the delicate performance of the flute. After practicing to a certain level, it will feel more convenient to play. The former is more convenient and smooth to play. I recommend learning both methods.
Also, let me talk about the finger techniques I often use when playing the flute.
1: Duplicate sound. It means that when playing two identical notes, the upper fingers (depending on how many degrees the music requires) open and close quickly.
2: Play sound. Just press the hole quickly with your finger when playing the same note.
3: Free audio. At the end of the playing note, quickly open the upper fingers and at the same time cooperate with the mouth wind to increase the control of the flow rate required for this note.
4: Doubles sound. When going down, tap the opening finger quickly twice on the pressing hole. The key to the technique is to make good use of the rebound force and relax your fingers. (Think about the rebound of a free fall)
There are also portamentos and articulations that are also used more often. For other musical instruments such as the flute, the playing skills borrowed from it are rarely used and may not be learned.