 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jacoblikesmusic
Date: 2010-09-25 23:22
i have a quick question about doubling on flute.
I have never played on flute before but I am willing to practice say 3 hours a day solely dedicated to flute. I'm not looking for a professional level but to be at a level where I would be able to double on flute/sax/clarinet in local high school musicals etc. How long do you think average it would take to learn? I am not familiar with how similar a flute is to clarinet.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2010-09-26 00:01
I could never play flute 3 hours a day; I start hyperventilating after about 20 minutes  And here I am, having been doubling on flute for maybe 30 years, and I still can't play the bloody thing worth a darn......
That said, if you have average musical skills you should be able to attain a workable level of competence (good enough for school musicals, anyway) within a couple of months, playing maybe an hour a day, I'd guess. The fingerings, I find, are 'hand-cramping' but not too difficult to learn; what I've always struggled with is the sound production.
Many of us clarinetists/saxophonists tend to use too much air quantity, insufficiently focused, when we play flute.
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2010-09-26 00:02
There are some similarities in fingering to the clarinet, and more similarities to sax fingering, but that's about it. Find a competent teacher who can help with breathing, as flute uses TONS of air, and embouchure is (dare I say it) even more important than it is on clarinet or sax!
I would recommend starting at no more than an hour of day of practicing flute, split up into 20-minute segments. You don't want to pass out! But do take any recommendations from your teacher too.
It might take a year and a half or so depending on your current clarinet/sax skills.
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2010-09-26 00:53
I agree with David -- just have at it, and you will learn it well enough to play most doubler things in a couple months' time.
To get good at it is something else entirely. But that's not what you are wanting to do, is it?
Susan
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Author: concertmaster3
Date: 2010-09-26 01:07
I will say that at first, flute can make you feel a bit light headed, so take it slow in the first few weeks, but after a while, you start to build up your chops and are able to play long spans of time. I can actually play flute for a great amount of time (I think I have done 2-3 hr practice sessions on it before). It takes time to master, but given you know basic musicianship, you can do quite well on it. The upper register fingerings won't make as much sense as they do on clarinet, unless you think of them as what fundamental they're the overtone of, but you'll get it down.
Get a FLUTE teacher. That's what helped me the most. One of my colleagues at WSSU gave me lessons one day while we were waiting for students. It will make the world of difference. I feel more like a flutist now more than ever!
Ron Ford
Woodwind Specialist
Performer/Teacher/Arranger
http://www.RonFordMusic.com
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Author: jacoblikesmusic
Date: 2010-09-26 05:28
Thank you for all the information. If that is true then playing flute may be harder than I first thought since I am currently doing adult orthodontics. They don't bother me much since I have had them for a year but it may put a strain on my embouchure if I am going to learn flute.
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Author: Buster Brown
Date: 2010-09-26 13:39
Interesting, I started learning to play the flute for the same reason about 2 weeks ago. I am currently playing at a mediocre jr. high level. Get some help on the embouchure and get a small mirror. The flute doesn't seem to get in the right spot easily. The mirror helps. Relative to the 3 hours per day, that seems like a lot. I probably do about 1 to 1-1/2 hours now, and I do it randomly throughout the day. At first I couldn't seem to hold the flute in it's horizontal position for more than about 15 minutes. Arms got tired. The thing that frustrates me most is holding the flute securely when playing/moving to C. It moves a little for me and there goes the tone. The flute took much more air for me at first, but now I can get reasonable sound and volume with much less air. I'm starting to work on the vibrato now, but that's a whole different story.
Get some help on the embouchure. Good luck. Perhaps we can compare notes in the future.
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Author: jacoblikesmusic
Date: 2010-09-27 05:27
So is the main difficulty embouchure for flute? If the fingerings are very easy or similar to clarinet/sax then I can just concentrate on long tones like any other instrument.
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Author: Buster Brown
Date: 2010-09-27 12:06
For me once the head piece is in the proper place, the flute almost "plays itself". I play a lot of long tones. But, at the moment the hand/eye coordination is my biggest problem plus simply holding the flute on some notes. The fingerings are enough different that they don't come naturally as they do on the sax and clarinet, but I improve every day.
When you're playing the long tones you should work on going up one or two octives and back down. That's helped me shape my lips (actually the hole in my lips).
Have fun, I am. I expect in another month or two and I won't embarass when I play.
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2010-09-27 15:28
Here's a very succinct video on flute embouchure.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kc_z92CemI&feature=related There are several other videos that are great. good luck
Freelance woodwind performer
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