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Skip's Tips
Good Breathing Techniques for Playing Wooden / Irish Flute and Fife
We all get a bit "dry" when playing from time to time, when that happens, we reach for a glass of whatever and take a good pull off it to quench our thirst. Do the same thing when you breathe. Make sure you actually have an intake of air that is sufficient to play the next passage.
Try to fill your lungs and not just your throat with air. You should hear a deep "whoosh" sound when you inhale, not just a brief gasp.
Click the play button (>) to listen - 1:05 minutes (1012.29 KB)
The flute lesson for people who don't have the time for a flute lesson. Skip shares his views, opinions and techniques for playing in a fast paced, 60 second flute lesson. Just click on the Hideout SXPF Music Player thingy and check it out! It's only 60 seconds, what have you got to lose???
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Choosing the Right Wooden Flute for You
For the second time, here is a question submitted by Bill Goelz. To paraphrase, is it better to stick with one flute or play a mix of several flutes? For the sake of full disclosure, I will say that one of the flutes that Bill plays is a Skip Healy flute, not that that would influence my opinion or anything...heh, heh, heh.
A Lesson About Embouchure on the Wooden Flute
Skip Healy here again shooting straight from the lip this time. This tip is inspired by a question sent to me by Bill Goelz.
Maintaining Consistent Tone and Volume When Playing Wooden Flute
Skip Healy here once again after a short post Wind On The Bay hiatus. Here in the States, our Thanksgiving holiday has just passed. Hanukkah is upon us and Christmas and New Years loom imminent before us.
WHO HAS TIME TO BLOW ON A DANG FLUTE ANYWAY!
But for those who do, here is something to think about.
How Bore Design Impacts Your Playing Wooden / Irish Flute
Skip Healy here for another inner voyage into the Zen behind the Zoom. In past columns, I've tried to offer advice on both the physicality and philosophy that I feel is involved in playing flutes or fifes well. Today, I'd like to talk about the "feel" generated by various bore designs existing in flutes, fifes, and piccolos.
A Quick Repair Kit for Irish Flute Players
Third Octave Fingerings for Wooden Flute
Skip here once again with a few thought provoking and hopefully helpful words to say about flutes and related themes. First off, we always encourage people to contact us with comments or suggestions for topics for me to bloviate upon. In the past several months, we've received more and more comments and we thank you for them.
Today's topic is "Advanced Fingering Techniques." Getting nervous yet...?
The Zen Behind the Zoom in Irish Flute
Welcome you all, old and new members, to another chapter of Dante's...oops, I mean Skip's Tips. Many of you know that I sometimes do very technique-oriented tips, and sometimes very Zen tips. This is a Zen tip. Or, as I like to call it, the Zen behind the Zoom.
How To Play a Roll on the Wooden Flute
The next stop on our whimsical mystery tour through the wonders of ornamentation takes us to the magical land of rolls. There are different kinds of rolls for different situations...a jelly roll with coffee in the morning, for example or a lovey kaiser roll for your hamburger in the afternoon. And of course, the furious rolling of your fingers as we play Irish tunes.
Wind on the Bay
October 1-3, 2010 -- "Wind On The Bay" provides an atmosphere where players, makers, teachers, and students of traditional music can get together to learn, share, and socialize in a relaxed and comfortable setting. Visit www.windonthebay.com for information on clinicians, classes, and concerts! |
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