May 01st, 2013

Tone Tips

Everybody wants a gorgeous sound and there are MANY excellent examples of great flute sound in the professional world, each one unique and different: signature sounds,if you will, for each player.  But what makes a great sound? Several concepts interlink here: projection, color, size, clarity, are all
separate parts that make up a 'great tone'.

When I do tone studies, sometimes I focus on one concept at a time and build upon that for the day.  Don't forget to work on dynamic control too: adding crescendo/diminuendo or just a longer taper on notes is another important facet to concentrate on. Many students say tone studies are boring: I find them endlessly fascinating as there is so much to listen for, especially in something so deceptively simple.