Common Flute Embouchure Problems by Lewis Hilton
Develop a system meaningful to students and teachers by citing error in embouchure
All contest and festival adjudicators quite early in their judging careers discover that they could save many finger calluses if they could but develop a system which would be meaningful to students and teachers by citing error in embouchure, so standard are the problems on encounters. The paragraphs which follow are gleaned from this author's judging experiences. They are the paragraphs he has most often repeated, try as he might to be somewhat original, particularly when he knows that he is listening to ten students of the same teacher! Although the tone of this introductory paragraph is, indeed, facetious, the text which follows is in complete earnestness.
Perhaps the most troublesome problem encountered among flute embouchures results from an upper lip which has a marked tab or underhang. This is not necessarily fatal to the formation of a good embouchure. It will mean, however, that the upper lip must be drawn up slightly more than normal in order to produce a small air opening under the lip tab. This also necessitates the pressing upwards of the lower lip to close the hole. It may occasionally be necessary to blow slightly to the right or to the left of the lip tab in order to make a small, single air opening.
Chapped or rough lip surface often cause small deflections of the air stream. The air should always be blown through the soft, inner part of the lip. This is accomplished through the pout of the lower lip and a very slight curling outward of the upper lip.
Undoubtedly the most common problem of all consists simply in too large an opening of the lips. Too much stress cannot be placed on the dictum for beginners of forcing the lips slightly open by blowing air though them, rather than consciously forming an opening and then blowing. In this way, some resistance is set up at the very beginning.
Poor Flute Embouchure
Producing a tone on a flute is not "just like blowing into a bottle". In fact, the principle is quite different from bottle blowing. With the chin receded and the upper lip thrust forward, most of the air is being directed directly into the embouchure hole and not only is wasted so far as tone production is concerned, but it produces extraneous sounds very deleterious to the tone.
Blowing harder instead of pouring the lower lip and forcing the lips somewhat tighter together to produce the upper register is an ubiquitous error among young flutists. The reverse is equally true. One does not consciously open the lips to go to the low register. Instead, the tension in the upper lip must remain at least as taut as for the high register, and the familiar "sardonic smile" becomes more pronounced.
Many beginning students require considerable experimentation in turning the flute this way and that to find the exact position which will allow the air stream to be deflected precisely on the opposite edge of the blow hole. Practice in front of a mirror is frequently helpful.
Correct Flute Embouchure
Lips in an almost "natural" position whit a slight smile, upper lip tightened somewhat, often by flaring the nostrils, lower lip slightly pouted, lips together, with a tiny opening which, initially, is caused by forcing the lips to part slightly by blowing air through them.
Lewis B. Hilton (1921 – 1997) was Professor of Music, Washington University in Saint Louis. Professor Hilton was a respected author of many articles on woodwinds and music education. He has a special interest in and has written about Pre-Cortesian musical instruments of South and Central America. Professor Hilton studied oboe with Myron Russell and William Schnable; bassoon with Lewis Skinner and clarinet with Alexander Williams. His doctorate was from Columbia University. Before joining Washington University, Hilton taught in the public school system of New Jersey and at Drake and Columbia Universities. This article was originally published by the G. Leblanc Corporation.
