Now, before going any deeper, I must say that I am only picking up playing flute recently, so if you are looking for some virtues from the masters, you will be dissapointed. However, if you are also an adult biginner, or just have interest find out more, keep reading.
I always liked music. I played recorders in grade school and had lots fun transcribing cartoon songs and later pop songs, and was able to play the music when I wanted to. I've losted that ability when I entered junior high, and in high school, I watched friends joining bands while I study hard on the AP chemistry and AP calculus, thinking one day I'll pick up a music instrument too.
It probably started in the mid 80s when I started to be exposed to various types of musics ( see the story about Music and I ), he played Berdien Stenberg's Rondo Russo and Berdinarie from vinyl records. I was astonished of the tone of the instrument. It was mellow, but energetic, it was shallow yet solid, it projected sadness and hapiness without any doubt, but all in all, it was it's mystical tone that really caught my attention. Perhaps it was the superb performance of the flutist, perhaps it was the music, nontheless, I started to pay attention to musics done in all kind of flutes. I am particularly attracted to both the french silver flute and the pan flute.
A french flute gives you all kind images, but the pan flute is always foggy and mystical. It's almost like listening the flute in a humid tropical forest, with dense fog and low visibility. Although surrounding trees are nearby, only a very faint blurr can be seen. yet the music come to you from every every direction. On a calm peaceful day, I prefer pan flute, but most of the time I like the silver flute.
I've had track records (though very limited) to impulsively buy something nice for myself when I gets really moody or depressed... and it was one of those day...
It was one of those days when I just had to rush out of the office to get some air during the lunch hour. I was driving around without any particular direction... as I cruised on El Camino Real, I saw a sign says Starving Musicians. I thought it was funny, musicians may be starving, but I bet they are happy while playing their favorite musics. Always wanted to learn to play a music instrument or two, I figure I would stop by and check it out.
The store front looked a little intimidating with heavy steel cages guarding every windows and door. I pushed the door open and entered their cozy store full of different instruments and materials. I found the flutes in their Band and Orchestra section, and Burt came to greet me. With my experience with recorders, and that I always liked the sound of flutes, PLUS my impression that flute is simple and should be easy to pick up (I was sooo wrong!), I checked out few biginner flutes at lower end of price spectrum, and picked up a Germainhardt M2 that has been re-padded alone with a basic caring kit.
I was excited to go home and check out what I just got by spending a couple hundred bucks. Putting things together, natually, I wanted to try to play a note, any note, easy right? I thought....
"hooooooooooooo hooooooooo booooooooo boooooooooooooo yEEEEEEEEEEE" What the ...
Alright, big deal, I just need a little help with an instructor that's all. Fired up my O' Faithful NeXT Computer and got on the 'Net to search around. That got me in touch with a few in my area, however, none of them would fit my busy Silly-come Valley working schedule. So I got back to The Starving's and copied down a few more phone numbers.
Finally, I hooked up with this flutist, now my instructor, Kathleen Purcell. Over the phone, she seemd very possitive, and didn't mind me not having any musical background. I told her that I wouldn't even know how to read that multi-line chart (The Staff, if you wondered :) She said that's fine, we are here to learn how to play flute, to play music, reading the staff will become 2nd nature as I progress. Best part about her? She is willing to accomodate my unusual schedule.
She's not just a good instructor, she's also quite a flutist. I've heard so many CDs from different flutists that were "good" or "nice", and a handfull of "great" and "super". And I must say she's in one of the very few that I consider "super" flutist. She's also extremely patient. I am a Unix and Network Geek, and talking computers to some one who knows nothing about them is extremely difficult and requires ultimate patience that I have long lost. I can imagine some one of her skill level trying to teach a geek head full of 0s and 1s in a language of completely different nature to play flute would be a similar experience.
Over the last few months, I had great fun learning, and also had my struggling periods. I encountered many of typical biginner's dilema, as well as a few not so common ones. Getting the lower registers wasn't too bad, within few weeks I could play them just fine. Then when I started to move into middle registeres, that's when the problem began.
You see, most instruments can make a tone by themself. For an example, you get a note by hitting a key on a piano; Or you can touch the string of guitar, hit a triangle, they all give you a sound one way or the other. However, unlike most other instruments, the flute requires player's ultimate attention in forming the right shape of operture with lips and oh so many muscles around the mouth, and direct the air at proper angle and distance and speed to the edge of hole on the head joint of the flute. Worse, changing from lower, to middle, to higher registeres are all done by the work of lips. How proper shape and movement of lips determine the pitch and quality of tone.
An ancient chinese saying "If you wanna get things done right, you got to have the right tools in good condition". When I hit my first struggle going into middle registeres, I decided to upgrade my flute to a decent one so if I can't make a tone, I can't blame on the flute. By doing so it actually did help me learning to play properly.
The new flute is of french style, which means the keys are open with holes, and that fingers must be dead on to cover completely the holes. The open hole on the keys give the flute a more open sounding as well. For some reason, my fingers were not *compatible* with the holes on the keys. (uh.. I am showing my geek side of language here) I had to keep the last few covers on, and remove them one by one, slowly, as i work my fingers into the right position. I have eliminated all but the last cover. The position of my finger and the hole differs so much that it doesn't seem to be possible for my finger to cover the hole properly. Guess I am keeping that key covered for now.
So I kind worked out the fingering problem, and started working toward the higher registers. Gosh! I thought changing between lower and middle registeres were hard enough, but the higher registers are even tougher! Kathleen and I spent a lot time on this for weeks and weeks, and for a while it didn't seem that I was going anywhere. We tried all sort method trying to get my lips to form the right shape, but it just didn't happen. It seems the way my lips were shaped would make it impossible to create the eliptical shape required to play higher register. To a point I was joking saying I must be considered a handicap flutist.
So far, that was THE toughest part. She didn't give up, I didn't give up. Now I am finally working my way to get higher register more regularly, and even a few good one some times. What a relief!!
Well, I am still far from good, but I will get there some day. If
you are also an adult beginner, and are having tough time, hang in
there, you will get it in time. "If Jess could do it, so can you!" I
would also love to hear from your experience as an adult beginner
learning to play flute. Drop me a mail at milanojess at gmail
