 The Fingering Forum
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Author: Musical Mind
Date: 2004-01-19 17:47
Is it bad to inflate cheeks while playing the flute? I tended to do that and I think it is bad. What do you think?
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Author: ~Heather ~
Date: 2004-01-20 02:36
I don't think you should inflate your cheeks. *thinks* How do you inflate your cheeks while playing your flute, because I can't do it?
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Author: Amanda
Date: 2004-01-20 21:06
For a correct flute embouchure, the sides of your lips should be pulled as far back as possible to get a clearer tone. (Notice how the lips are thinner as they are stretched to the sides. This makes the sound more pure and less fuzzy.) When your lips are pulled back, it is impossible puff out your cheeks.
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Author: Steven King
Date: 2004-01-23 01:44
Sorry amanda but I am sure you are wrong about pulling the corners of your lips back. My teacher just told me that u should keep your lips relaxed and puched forward.
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Author: Heather
Date: 2004-01-26 01:50
Steven is right! You want to push your embouchure foreward for higher notes. Puffing your cheeks helps make the note not sound as shrill. It is completely acceptable to pull back, but it is more professional to push your embouchure foreward.
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Author: Amanda
Date: 2004-01-28 04:03
Sorry, I'm sticking to my response on this one, but maybe I should clarify. Pull the sides of your lips back while keeping the middle of your lips and the majority of your cheeks relaxed. Trust me (and my professor) in saying you can more easily control your airstream this way. Your tone will be clearer and your lips more flexible to tune correctly.
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Author: Mark Lammas
Date: 2004-02-15 16:05
Inflating the cheeks moves the source of wind pressure to an inefficient and less easily controllable spot, namely within the mouth area, from its correct position at the diaphragm in the stomach area. Breath in by expanding the diaphragm, which draws in air to the whole of the lungs, without the need to move those heavy chest/rib bones up and down. Expel the air to the flute using diaphragm pressure, without constricting the throat. That way, you have an unimpeded air supply from the whole volume of the lungs, instead of a small air supply from the mouth and throat area only.
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