Jump Start: Helping your beginning students succeed in the first few weeks (Woodwind edition, Part 1, Flute and clarinet)

There is probably no greater part of my job than starting young musicians on the journey of learning to play an instrument. The first few weeks these students play an instrument are critical to the potential success (or failure) of that journey.

Here are some resources and techniques I have utilized to help my students get off to a great start. I believe that one of the most important components of my approach is to allow students to focus on only one task/skill at a time and then scaffold those skills. I strive to check every individual at least once a day during these early stages. This does slow the progress of class, but helps to ensure that all students are meeting the standards. In addition, I avoid having the students play in large groups until a greater mastery of sound is achieved by the student; the goal is groups of 5-15, but no larger.

Three Points of Posture

1. Feet flat! So you can stand without moving your feet. 
2. Stand from the waist up. Push off from the back of the chair, if needed. 
3. Head in a normal position. 

Students should always bring the instrument up to them. 

Arms are away from the body to optimize breathing. 

Hands are relaxed. 

FLUTE

A well-written and concise article from Kjos and Bruce Pearson

http://www.kjos.com/band/band_news/band_news_emb.html

A video with Sir James Galway on flute embouchure. Great close-ups and superb advice from a master.

https://youtu.be/VQg0vScnQ8E

The development of a solid flute embouchure is one of the most challenging embouchure's to develop in young players. There are several reasons, most notably, it is the one wind instrument we do not blow air directly into the instrument. Additionally,many students have numerous preconceived notions about the flute from making sounds in soda bottles. 

To begin with, I have my students start without any instrument, to truly focus on the proper formation of the mouth.

Flute Embouchure Tips

1. focusing on a slight down turn to the corners of the mouth (I find that this helps to keep the bottom lip relaxed), 
2. teeth in-line, 
3. bottom lip rolled out slightly, 
4. while visualizing blowing through a juice box straw. 

Make sure the head position is correct--what I call, "natural"--especially the chin.  Once this begins to look good from the students, I will have them roll the embouchure hole to the center of the lips--once aligned-- then roll the embouchure hole down to the normal position. I want them to be able to hold this position while I check the position without making a sound. 

We will practice these steps a few times without making a sound; almost all will try to make sounds, but I try anyway. NOTE: Once students start to make sounds, I have found their whole focus goes to trying anything and everything to make a sound, and this is fertile ground for bad habits. Once these steps begin to solidify, we will make sounds on the head-joint with the end covered by the right hand. My students are encouraged to practice in front of a mirror so that they can see the condensation on the mouth-plate. I tell them if the condensation looks like a "piece of pie" the embouchure is working efficiently, refer to the picture to the right. A square is too open top-to-bottom and a rectangle is too open side-to-side. My students are also encouraged to listen for "purity" of tone. If they hear air or a hissing in the sound, they know that the embouchure is leaking air.  

Our initial goal is to make a steady sound for four seconds in one breath; ultimately, we aim for eight seconds. Once this goal is achieved "covered", we will work on making the same sounds "uncovered." Four seconds is the goal, because it is achievable and it allows us to play whole notes and tongue four quarter notes correctly.

After a few days of making these sounds, I will introduce articulation.

I teach all students to "tongue" by following a similar sequence: 

1. Say "Too" four times.
2. Say "Too"  four times, but like a ventriloquist with their mouth shaped like their embouchure, i.e., your mouth should not move, only the tip of your tongue should move. 
3. Say "Too" four times without using your vocal cords. Watch for embouchure movement.
4. Apply this to the head-joint or mouthpiece. 

Two articulation traps/problems to watch for in all wind players: 

1. "Chewing" which is caused by the embouchure moving while articulating. 
2. "Who-ing" which is caused by blowing air for each note and not using the tongue.

Final step, before we start to play the instrument, is hand position. I teach the students to hold down all of the most common keys for each finger. NOTE: I also start with the thumb on the Bb key, not the B-natural key. I do this because "A" is the 7th note we learn and I want them using the correct thumb position when we learn that note. I introduce the B-natural key when we learn the chromatic scale. I tell my students to sit at home, watching TV and simply holding their flute with the correct fingers in place. I have them place the flute on the right knee and left shoulder so that they can see their fingers. Fingers should be slightly curved and right thumb should be underneath the right-hand keys. Left index-finger should rest up against the instrument and fold at the first joint. 

CLARINET

Another article from Kjos.

http://www.kjos.com/band/band_news/band_news_emb2.html

Some excellent information on clarinet embouchure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N1ww_KxCwA

I tell my students, "Clarinet is one of the easiest instruments to start to learn...with bad habits." Why? It is not difficult to make some type of sound on the clarinet--even with a bad embouchure--and the fingerings are the easiest of any of the woodwind instruments in the beginning. It is, however, hard to make a great sound and easy to form the wrong habits with hand positions. 

I want all of my students starting on slightly firmer reeds to encourage proper embouchure development (nothing softer than 2.5 Vandoren or 3 Rico). A reed that is too soft can allow the students to make a tone with a bad embouchure and the incentive to improve is taken away. 

Much like flute, we work away from the mouthpiece on clarinet first. 

1. Pull the corners back slightly and slightly cover the bottom teeth. This process naturally pulls the teeth closer together.
2. Teeth spread just enough to insert the mouthpiece, "Think 'hee'!", with the bottom lip slightly covering the bottom teeth. 
3. Top teeth will sit on the mouthpiece.
4. Top lip will seal up to the mouthpiece.
5. Chin is flat. 
6. The clarinet will tell you when you use too much mouthpiece or not enough.

I prefer to work on the mouthpiece and the barrel, primarily, because this set-up makes a less shrill sound than the mouthpiece alone. I will have the students take several breaths and learn to blow the air in a focused and controlled manner, not a wild and erratic manner, through the simulated embouchure without the mouthpiece. Over blowing is a common problem for young players and this technique teaches them to learn to control their air. Like flute, our goal is four seconds of steady sound on the mouthpiece/barrel combination in one breath. This set-up should produce the pitch "F#." Too high and I know that the student is biting or too tight. Too low and I know the student lacks muscle strength or is too loose with the embouchure. A dropping chin can also cause those flat pitches. 

Once the students can achieve a correct pitch for four seconds, we will begin the process of teaching articulation similarly to the process described above in the flute section. I will encourage the students to place the mouthpiece in their mouth and try to locate the tip of the reed with the tip of their tongue. I will also teach them what "chewing", "hoo-ing" and "slapping" sound like. Teaching them to recognize the sound of these problems helps the students to become their own best teachers. 

Much like flute, I will also spend time getting the students to hold down the keys with the most common fingers. I want the clarinets to sit with correct posture, head position and hand position while holding down these keys. It is important that the fingers are relaxed, thumb sits between the thumbnail and first joint under the thumb rest, the wrist is aligned with the arm and the pinky finger sits on the keys. Check the head/chin angle and the relationship to the mouthpiece. Arms should not be near the legs.

Future installments will include, Woodwind Part 2: oboe, bassoon, saxophone, and all brass instruments.

Hope you find these articles helpful.