In his practice book Vol. 1 "Tone", Trevor Wye includes two studies which he calls Flexibility Exercises. After cutting my upper lip (very foolishly), I found these exercises very helpful for strengthening the embouchure muscles and getting my chops back together. I highly recommend these exercises to the dedicated flutist. Yet, playing the same exercises over and over again becomes tedious after a while, so I decided to write a few similar studies myself. I thought that a good place to start would be to write a study in the form of variations on a basic musical form. The old "La Folia" harmonic progression immediately came to mind. This is what I came up with: - La Folia Embouchure Flexibility Study As in Trevor Wye's original exercises, this study is based on open chord voicing with large intervals: To develop embouchure flexibility these intervals should be produced with gentle motion of the embouchure rather than by simply blowing harder. A good way to approach this, as Wye suggests, is to practice playing diminuendo in ascending intervals. This forces the embouchure to be more active in the production of higher notes. Another key factor to consider is that higher notes on the flute are typically produced by eliminating lower partials, or in other words as overtones. This means that the overall harmonic spectrum of high notes is narrower than that of low notes. In more musical terms, higher notes are inherently less rich in tone color, and tend to sound thinner and less warm than lower notes. Hence, the big challenge in these flexibility exercises is to play the higher notes softer while not letting them sound dull and lifeless. I suggest that this should be the guiding principle when practicing these exercises. Always try to make the higher notes more expressive and richer in color than the lower notes, while at the same time reducing air volume and playing them softer: On each chord, play the top note softer than the bottom note, but at the same time aim to add more life and presence to it. Look for a richer and more vibrant tone on the higher notes. Among other things, this is achieved by increasing the vibration of the inner and wetter tissues of the upper and lower lips against each other. To do this, you must keep the lips very soft and supple, while at the same time keep the aperture between them very small and narrow. This may be the most difficult skill in flute playing, which takes a lot of time and patience to master, but it may also be the most worthwhile. Following Trevor Wye, I list a few variations to the basic pattern of the study, some of which are more straightforward and other more advanced: Finally, I have this study written in two keys - E minor and D minor, each with its own peculiarities. I hope you find the study useful and enjoyable. I will try to write a few more soon. For a more technical elaboration on embouchure flexibility and control read on, otherwise thank you for reading so far. More technical observations: Some suggest puckering the lips (as if pronouncing the vowel 'u') when playing ascending intervals. In general, I find this to be a very unproductive method for playing the flute. Puckering the lips pushes the lips forward, and while this may help reaching the higher notes it forms a rounded aperture which has less contact area between the soft tissues of the lips, thus allowing for less vibration between them. For a start, this gives the higher notes a rather dull and breathy sound. More crucially, though, a rounded lip aperture provides very little control on the release of the air between lips. This can be demonstrated by a simple experiment each of you can do at home using a balloon: 1. Blow up a balloon until it’s full with air. 2. Pinch the opening with from both sides and stretch it to form an elliptic and elongated narrow slit. An almost unbearably loud high pitched sound is produced: 3. Notice how much control you have on this sound. By controlling the sides of the opening you can sustain the sound for a very long time and even change its pitch and volume. 4. Next, do the same but let the opening form a rounded shape. All air is released instantaneously. No consistent sound is produced: 5. See if you can find a way to control the release of the air through the rounded opening. I cannot find any. An even simpler experiment can be done using a drinking straw. Take a drinking straw and blow through it. Next, flatten one of its edges to form an elliptical narrow slit. Blow from the other side of the straw while keeping the other end in this narrow shape. Notice how much more resistance the straw has now to the air stream flowing through it. This resistance makes the sound more vibrant, and gives you more control over it. In its normal round shape, there is hardly any control on the air flowing through the straw. Note that in other wind instruments that have an actual embouchure (rather than just an embouchure hole), such as the oboe, the shape of the embouchure aperture can never be made round. Observe the oboe mouthpiece aperture in the image below: It has the form of an elongated, narrow elliptical slit, similar to the one you formed with the balloon and the straw. This aperture can only be reduced vertically by bringing the reeds closer together. Up to a point, the closer they get, a more buzzy and resonant sound will be heard, until too much contact kills the vibration. On the flute, the soft tissues of the lips function like the vibrating reeds of the oboe. For a more resonant tone on the we should create more contact between these tissues by reducing the height of the aperture, but not its width. This involves very delicate movement of the lips and jaw that can only be learned by careful and patient experimentation to figure out what works best for you. The key word here is experimentation. In the practice room, there are no bad sounds. Every sound you play on the flute is a sound you can learn from. Finally, while puckering is generally not recommended, it can be useful for expanding your palate of tone colors to more hollow, airy and "dreamy" kind of sounds. After all, the great difficulty in playing the flute, which is having no fixed embouchure shape, is also its greatest virtue, as this provides us with infinite sonic nuances created solely by the vibration of our own body.

Recently, I've been exploring in my practice the concept of cyclical or self-perpetuating lines, namely musical lines that resolve to themselves. Here is one exercise that illustrates this idea: • Chromatic Minor 7th's Cyclical Turnaround(https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_WL6IOq4mhoUfTau7wOIsaw4A6pG5TzW/view?usp=sharing) This type of practice is more technically oriented and less what I would call "jazz practice". Simply playing the exercise will not teach you much about jazz, but it does incorporate jazz language, so I decided to include this here rather than under "technique". If you do wish to get more out of it than just technique (which is not bad by itself) I recommended learning the exercise in all keys by ear/memory. Here I wrote down the line in all 12 keys, but personally I prefer getting the line under my fingers in one key and then transposing it to all other keys in my head. However, it took me a while to be able to do this, so it's perfectly fine if you play this off the page. The "self-perpetuating" part in this exercise is marked by a repeat sign. The real challenge is to play it as many times as you can without messing up. You can start slowly and gradually speed up, but what I look for here is consistency more than speed. If you can play the line over and over again with confidence then you own it. Once you can do that in one key, proceed to the next and so fourth.

This is a short lick I came up with for a minor II-V-I progression. It is based on two arpeggiated maj7#11 (or maj7b5) chords a minor third apart:

Under this title I include more elaborated studies of idiomatic musical phrases, patterns and excerpts. The idea in these studies is to integrate systematic technical work with a sense of style and musical phrasing. For now, these studies include the following: • The Keys on the Flute (Are Glad and Sad)(https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-mceN0iHII3JYun7-wxqwqPmxYh_884R/view?usp=drive_link) • Minuetto by J.D. Braun in four keys(https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gBbLwopXu9pvQ7-hrQpjiQltSt7OL3xi/view?usp=drive_link) • Exercise based on Tolou in 12 keys(https://drive.google.com/file/d/1di_fjkHCZzLLP55B-O7ZFthZmUoLYJKo/view?usp=drive_link) • Endless Exercise by Tolou in 5 keys(https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yXjcq9BXvc6Kg5XG90TwErpKMlDbYXD_/view?usp=drive_link)

These are very basic exercises for practicing minor pentatonic scales. You can use them as warm-up exercises, played in a very relaxed and carefree mood. Follow the link below to download the exercises: • Simple Pentatonic Warm-Up Exercises(https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vS5wWx7EZmpwokMzUjW16X5F301KVS25/view?usp=sharing)

This set of exercises aims to develop basic mastery of the chromatic scale on the flute. To download these exercises, follow the link below: • Chromatic Scale Basic Practice(https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EH8yWvBrFP8ejO-rCCY0BlbCuDOOxJgY/view) By basic mastery, I mean here the ability to play ascending and descending half step throughout the entire range of the flute (low C to 4th octave C). For some, this may seem like a very advanced skill, but actually on the flute playing chromatic passages is relatively easy. Among the many difficulties that the flute presents, playing the chromatic scale is not one of them. These exercises are designed to gradually improve your ability to play the chromatic scale fluently, in longer and faster passages. The key here (as in any practice, for this matter) is to take your time, and not approach the exercises as a racing contest. To a great extent, these exercises look similar to the famous De la Sonorité exercises by Marcel Moyse (commonly known as "long tones"), but with a different emphasis. The Moyse exercises focus on evenness and homogeneity of tone. In these exercises you typically play a pair of half steps slowly, and sustain the second note. Here your focus should be on being confident about the notes you are about to play, and how to play them. For this purpose, in my exercises I suggest that you sustain the first note, and take this time to concentrate on the following note (or notes) you are about to play. Always work with your imagination. While you sustain the first note, imagine the following note as vividly as you can, and when it rings so loud in your mind's ear that you feel you simply must play, than go on and play it. If you think about, this ability to pre-hear music in your head in real time is the essence of making music. The path to mastery begins here, and once you enter this state of mind in your practice, these repetitive technical exercises become a universe of musical exploration. With that in mind, it is important not to get too meticulous in your practice. Remember that perfection is the enemy of good. Don't get stuck on these pairs of half steps forever. When you feel you can play them with relative confidence and ease, move on to the next exercise, and then to the one after it and so forth. Eventually you will be able to play this: Be flexible in your practice. On the one hand, listen to yourself very critically, and observe any uncertinties and "glitches" in your playing. On the other hand, take risks and move on. It is up to you to find the right balance between the two.

"100 First Duets for Flute" is a collection of flute duets in progressive order of difficulty, aimed mostly for beginner students. For now, the duets can be accessed from the google spreadsheet linked below: 100 First Duets for Flute(https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQxuiU7HGBaDfD9t2HPAjn7UoqyteRkh_0LhRShMmaqtTgIYuXBaXmvIXrCCKJT-DrWElC6B12pvDd3/pubhtml) This is an ongoing project. As you can see, currently the collection has far less than 100 duets. I don't know if I will ever reach the 100th duet (I hope I will), but I set this number as a goal for myself to stay motivated and keep expanding the collection. A few words about this project: Briefly, the purpose of this project is to provide a comprehensive and systematic workbook for flute teachers and students, which is based entirely on duets, starting from the level of absolute beginners. If you can play just the three notes of the left hand on the flute (G-A-B), there are duets for you to play here. For these very early stages of playing, I wrote and arranged a few duets myself, with a more advanced part for the teachers, so the end result would be more musical and fun to play. In these duets the flute parts are labelled "Student" and "Teacher", indicating that only the lead part is suitable for a beginner student. After a while, the duets are suitable for two beginner students at roughly the same level, allowing for them to work in pairs. From this stage on, the parts are labelled "Flute 1" and "Flute 2", indicating that they are at a similar degree of difficulty. As the student becomes more proficient, more music from the flute repertoire becomes available for him or her to play. There is a vast literature of public domain music for flute available online, and in it a lot of duets originally written for flute by many master flute players and composers throughout history. There is also a lot of public domain music that can be easily adapted for playing in two flutes. However, for most students and many teachers as well, this music is not very readable and easily accessible. As the book progresses, I undertook the task of collecting such music and editing it in modern, digital notation to make it more accessible. Hopefully, I will find the time to continuously expand this collection of flute duets. Who knows, maybe one day I will even complete one hundred duets... It is important for me to note, that the duets are all public domain and free for all to use and enjoy. As such, I have no idea how many people actually download and use them. By leaving a comment here, or contacting me personally,(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/contact) you can let me know whether this project has been useful for you, and share your thought about it. If you also wish to make a small donation to help me continue this work, I would very much appreciate this.

This post outlines the structure and content of this flute forum: General Topics(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/flute-forum/general-topics) • Welcome (https://www.udi-flute.co.il/flute-forum/general-topics/welcome)- a short overview of the forum • Flute Zone Map (https://www.udi-flute.co.il/flute-forum/general-topics/flute-zone-map)(this post) - a detailed structure of the forum • Introduce Yourself (https://www.udi-flute.co.il/flute-forum/general-topics/introduce-yourself-1)- a place for site member to get to know one another Tone(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/flute-forum/_tone) • Embouchure Flexibility(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/en/flute-forum/_tone/embouchure-flexibility) • Simple Pentatonic Warm-Up Exercises(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/flute-forum/_tone/simple-pentatonic-warm-ups) • Sonorities -(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/flute-forum/_tone/sonorities) Tone and mind expanding warm-up exercises Technique(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/flute-forum/technique) • Chromatic Scale Basic Practice(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/flute-forum/technique/chromatic-scale-basic-practice) • Passages -(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/flute-forum/technique/passages) Studies of idiomatic musical phrases Repertoire(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/flute-forum/repertoire) • 100 First Duets(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/flute-forum/repertoire/100-first-duets) • King Crimson Transcriptions(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/en/flute-forum/repertoire/king-crimson-flute-transcriptions) Jazz and Improvisation(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/en/flute-forum/jazz-and-improvisation) • Self-Perpetuating Exercises(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/en/flute-forum/jazz-and-improvisation/self-perpetuating-exercises) • The "Swinging On A Star" Lick(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/en/flute-forum/jazz-and-improvisation/the-swinging-on-a-star-lick) • Maj7#11 Arpeggio Lick(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/en/flute-forum/jazz-and-improvisation/maj7-11-arpeggio-lick) • Freedom Jazz Dance(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/en/flute-forum/jazz-and-improvisation/freedom-jazz-dance)

This is a small set of warm-up exercises I hope to expand over time. For now, it includes the following: • Easy Does It • À la Reichert • After Reichert • Back and Fourths • Diminishing Returns These exercises (as some of the titles indicate) draw on works such as Reichert's daily exercises and Philippe Bernold's vocalises, sometimes stretching out to more contemporary tonal ideas. The basic concept, though, remains the same. These exercises should always be played with a very open and wide tone, corresponding to an open, carefree mind and wide and flexible body. Leave your worries about all the minute nuances of your tone for later stages of your practice session. Try not to be too much "in control". In these exercises it is okay, and perhaps even recommended that your tone remains slightly uncontrolled and "untamed", focusing on a healthy, but unforced airstream. Mostly, engage your imagination and concentrate on the tonal experience. Listen carefully how each melody modulates from one key to another, and pay attention to the feelings and associations that this evokes within you.

Hello to all flutists and music lovers out there. As a flute player and teacher, I am consonantly occupied with ideas about practicing and achieving mastery of this mysterious instrument. I use this space to organize various musical resources that I collect or develop myself, first of all in order to be more organized by myself, and hopefully for others to make use of as well. This "Flute Zone" is in the form of an online forum, which allows other people to become site members, ask questions and contribute their own comments and insights on forum posts. I would be very glad of you do so. Although I build this forum with flute players in mind, much of its content can be applied and adapted to other instruments. Along with more technical and instrumental practice material, you can find here also more general musical resources for practicing jazz and improvisation over harmonic progressions and more. Where to start? Visit the "Flute Zone Map" for an organized table of contents of this forum. Please note: This forum is constantly under construction. Every now and then I will change things and add new material. By registering as site members, you can receive notification on new posts and stay updated. Above all, all the content here is absolutely free for you to explore and use. הערה עבור קוראי האתר בעברית: בשל מגבלות טכניות, פורום החליל באתר כתוב בשפה האנגלית בלבד. במידה שיש לכם שאלות, בקשות או הערות לגבי התכנים המופיעים כאן, ניתן לפרסם תגובות גם בעברית או לפנות אלי ישירות דרך דף יצירת הקשר.(https://www.udi-flute.co.il/contact)

If you like this forum, help make it a community. First register as site member, and then intorduce yourself in the comments below.