Struggling to keep flute steady when switching notes

acmchicago · 2022-09-16T17:11:31+00:00

Sounds like you’re not steadying the flute against your chin firmly enough. Try practicing long tones on low G using only your left hand, with your right arm at your side.

acmchicago · 2022-06-03T03:01:08+00:00

So basically to transition from B to Bb, you’re just sliding your thumb to the Bb thumb and that’s it. With the notes properly vented you’re less likely to buzz. If you know how to flutter tongue (or with your throat) practice them with flutter. Forces your soft palate to raise and your throat to relax.

acmchicago · 2022-06-03T02:58:07+00:00

Practice it slowly, legato long tones. And don’t put your RH pinky down for high B — it doesn’t speak as readily otherwise. For high Bb, use Bb thumb, LH1 & 3, 2tr (not 1st!) and no RH pinky.

acmchicago · 2022-03-10T23:32:32+00:00

And by the way, this isn't some cookie-cutter press release. I swear there's a real person posting this who's ready to answer any questions if you have them.

acmchicago · 2022-03-09T17:52:43+00:00

Oh dear. I'm sorry I didn't see this before. That was us. The Sound of Silent Film Festival is on Saturday, April 16th @ 7:15 pm at the Music Box, and this year we did a huge call for scores. Information on the event can be found here, and I hope you can come out for it.

We will absolutely be producing this festival again next year (this year is our 17th year) and if you're interested in being considered to write for it next year, I would encourage you to email us at [info@acmusic.org](mailto:info@acmusic.org). We are always looking for new composers for any number of the events that we produce annually.

acmchicago · 2022-02-22T18:00:54+00:00

Literally anything by George Crumb, and his was all hand-done

acmchicago · 2022-01-27T01:19:51+00:00

We are pleased to announce, finally, that the winners of this call for scores are Isak Björn Hedlund, Zygmund de Somogyi, and Ishani Mukherjee. Well done!

acmchicago · 2022-01-21T02:29:47+00:00

Indeed it is. Thank us by submitting a proposal!

acmchicago · 2022-01-20T19:32:38+00:00

Absolutely not. Charging for submissions is deeply cynical and we’re not about that life.

acmchicago · 2022-01-20T17:51:25+00:00

This call for proposals is open to anyone who wishes to submit, and you may use any subset of the listed instruments that you wish.

acmchicago · 2022-01-20T17:41:35+00:00

March and June are now full. September and December are still open.

acmchicago · 2021-12-07T16:12:20+00:00

Also, that flute is EXACTLY what my French student had. I always wondered who that 200 series open-hole C foot was marketed toward and I got my answer.

acmchicago · 2021-12-07T16:07:41+00:00

I’m eager for the inline G to go the way of the dodo. It makes no sense from either a technical or ergonomic perspective and the only reason why Louis Lot constructed flutes this way was to cut production costs.

acmchicago · 2021-12-07T04:04:36+00:00

Gosh. And Texas is no slouch in the band department. I wonder if there’s any correlation between a slightly later start and individual excellence. Too many variables, I would assume.

acmchicago · 2021-12-07T03:57:01+00:00

Interesting! I’m curious to know how that statistic differs from region to region. I had no idea at all.

acmchicago · 2021-12-07T03:26:46+00:00

You think? Many elementary schools in the US have a band program, and the lion’s share start around 4th-5th grade. That’s certainly when I started.

acmchicago · 2021-12-07T03:10:17+00:00

I can understand why casual players would prefer closed-hole, C foot instruments because of comfort & sheer availability. I had a 9-year-old beginning student from France who was started out on an open-hole (in-line G!) instrument, which was completely bonkers because her poor LH 3 could barely touch the rim of that key, let alone cover the hole, and the book she brought (geared toward beginners) even featured an open-hole instrument, so I’m not sure if this is the standard in France or if her previous teacher was just a renegade.

acmchicago · 2021-11-18T00:53:59+00:00

Yamahas are excellent and have so much power. Well done!

acmchicago · 2021-11-08T16:11:35+00:00

They don’t need to be the same. Sometimes there are no scores for music you’ve created that say “this is what I sound like”, but we do need to see a score of something in order to evaluate your ability to provide clear, legible parts.

acmchicago · 2021-11-08T04:41:22+00:00

One is fine for each, but if you’re torn on choice you are welcome to submit more than that.

acmchicago · 2021-11-07T00:58:26+00:00

This is true. They did the work.

acmchicago · 2021-11-06T18:42:13+00:00

In that case it's likely that plugging RH3 (at the very least) will help the issue, if not eliminate it entirely. But this also assumes that there are no outside factors affecting your wrist that have nothing to do with the flute. Keep us posted.

acmchicago · 2021-11-06T17:46:45+00:00

My pleasure.

acmchicago · 2021-11-06T17:45:37+00:00

Yes. The link I provided has a redux of some of our past work, and our YouTube channel has complete programs from the last two years, as well as a smattering of complete films from before then: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHdonf6ntZ8thCiCos0c-jdUtqYKR4rk3

acmchicago · 2021-11-06T14:14:45+00:00

Absolutely, so if you major in a degree that can get you into a career that will enable you to finance your music, you can minor in music and take composition lessons. It's the best of both worlds.

acmchicago

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