- Flute Journal (Jessica Valiente): The 19th-Century French Five-Key Flute and the Modern Boehm-System Flute in Cuban Charanga
- Blue Moon Bassoon Blog (Amanda Pierce): 10 Helpful Things I Wish I Knew Before Teaching Private Music Lessons
- Rachel Taylor Geier (flute): The Gizmo Key
- The Flute Examiner (Keith Hanlon): Arm-Chair Experts and Filtering Forum Content
- bassoon blog (Betsy Sturdevant): Playing the bassoon in an orchestra
- Jennet Ingle | Oboist: Reedmaking Fear and Anxiety
Creating “lightness”
Composers (or a performer’s interpretation) often call for “lightness” in music. How do you play a wind instrument “lightly?” When I discuss this with my students, they often suggest that the way to play lightly is to be lighter with their tongue. When I turn that around on them—”is there a situation where you should … Read more
What really went wrong? Leaning into problem spots
I have a recurring teaching challenge with my saxophone students who are tackling the altissimo register for the first time. They play a passage, and when they get to the altissimo note, if it doesn’t respond perfectly, they immediately stop playing. When I ask why, they look puzzled. “The note didn’t come out.” “Well, what … Read more
Favorite blog posts, March 2022
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, March 2022 edition.
Woodwind trill technique
Ideally, a trill is done with one finger, and preferably a finger that is nimble and independent, like an index or middle finger: flute bassoon clarinet In many cases that isn’t possible. When two fingers (or more!) are needed, it’s best if they can be fingers of the same hand, moving in the same direction … Read more
Making every marking audible
When my students work on études (musical pieces intended for study but not performance) I stress with them the idea of making everything on the page audible. That means that if I were unfamiliar with the étude but a skilled transcriber, I could listen to my student play, and write down with confidence every: Pitch … Read more
Practice fewer notes
I can’t remember where I picked up this tip, but it has been a game-changer in how I practice technically-challenging passages. (If you know a source, please let me know!) The idea is this: practice only as many notes as you can keep in your head. So, if I’m practicing an unfamiliar passage, and can … Read more
Favorite blog posts, February 2022
Hand-picked high-quality woodwind-related blog posts from around the web, February 2022 edition.
A woodwind player’s introduction to: Native American flutes
There are many Native American flute traditions, but the one commonly called the “Native American flute” today is the endblown Lakota-style flute, native to the Dakotas. It is a duct- or fipple-type flute, which means it easily produces sound, like a recorder or pennywhistle, though the construction is different. Many of the commercially-available flutes are … Read more
The wallpaper effect
Sometimes I see “challenges” similar to this posted on social media sites: can you find the letter J in the image below? Of course you can. It’s not at all difficult. (But if someone online can convince you that it is, and that you’re one of the “special” few who can do it, then maybe … Read more