Managing Tension for a Resonant Flute Sound - Don't Just Relax!

Learn how to improve flute tone and ease of playing by managing tension in your body, balancing three zones of engagement (lips, throat and core). Excess tension in one of these zones often results from underworking of another. Balancing a healthy, neutral engagement across the body leads to efficient sound production and a beautiful, resonant flute sound. These concepts are useful for beginner flutists as well as advanced students.

🎥 VIDEO CHAPTERS:
0:39 - TENSION vs. ENGAGEMENT
When practicing the flute, train yourself to make shapes with your body (engagement) in the lips, fingers, arms, etc., without clenching (tension). Be mindful that tension can travel between different parts of your body.
1:58 - ZONES of ENGAGEMENT
Balancing engagement between the lips, throat and core is a useful starting point for thinking about how tension and engagement can affect your flute tone.
3:41 - THE LIPS
If your flute embouchure is overly clenched, it can lead to a raspy tone. Instead of adding more tension to the lips to "focus" the sound, work to make a round shape at the front of the embouchure which is both strong and supple.
5:27 - THE THROAT
Avoid overly compressing your throat as you play. This can indicate that better engagement is required from the lips and/or core. If you force your throat open, it will subsequently force your lips and core to work harder in order to maintain proper air pressure.
6:56 - THE CORE
Is more "support" always better? Maximum core engagement 100% of the time can inhibit your ability to breathe and shape the sound with core emphasis.
8:40 - FINDING a BALANCE
As you practice the flute, rate each of your three zones (lips, throat and core) on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being totally relaxed and 10 being maximum engagement. If everything is below 5, consider putting more energy into your playing. Often, your zones will be imbalanced with some close to 10 and others below 5. Balancing everything near 5-6 will lead to an easier approach to playing as well as a natural, resonant flute tone.

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