I’ve been wondering a lot about why a flute is the shape it is. Why does it have the diameter it does and why are the holes the size they are? What effect would changing these parameters have on the pitch of the flute? Would they also affect the timbre? I’ve done some research on this and have put together some interesting facts.
Continue reading “Does the Flute’s Shape Influence Its Pitch?”
If you play the sax you might be wondering how far there is to go in terms of progressing through grades and pieces. If you’re wondering this, then at some point you’ll probably start thinking about what the hardest piece ever written is for the sax – what’s the maximum standard? I’ve had a look into this and have come up with some answers.
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If you’re learning the flute and you’re finding a piece you’re learning difficult, you might start thinking about what the hardest piece ever written for flute might be. Is there an obvious piece that is just harder than all the others, or is there a big debate about what the hardest piece is? I’ve been wondering the same, so decided to try to find out.
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If you’re taking up a new instrument, you might be wondering how much progress you can expect to make when you first start. It can be useful to have a rough idea of how long it takes to get to certain stages in your playing to help you motivate yourself. Finding this information can be difficult and it can vary quite a lot between people but I’ll talk about the sort of progress you can expect to see dependent on a variety of factors.
Continue reading “How Quickly Can I Get to Grade 1 on Flute?”
Flutes come in two varieties – open-holed and close-holed, but why is this the case? You don’t see a close-holed clarinet or an open-holed saxophone, so why are there two types of hole for the flute? When buying a flute, one of the most important things you need to decide is whether you want your flute to be open- or close-holed. Some of the reasons for having both varieties are obvious and some a bit more surprising.
Continue reading “Should All Flutes Be Made With Open Holes?”
It can be hard to find somewhere to keep your instruments, especially if they’re big ones. Sometimes you might have what would be the perfect space size-wise but it’s near a radiator or in a warm environment. It’s worth knowing whether it’s ok to leave instrument in this kind of environment and what some possible consequences might be.
Continue reading “What Happens to Instruments Near a Radiator?”
When you buy an instrument, it can be hard to know how often it needs to be serviced. It might be that some instruments need more servicing than others depending on things like their age, or you might just never have played an instrument before and so have no idea how to look after it. Getting your instruments serviced regularly can be expensive, so it’s important to know to what extent it’s actually necessary.
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Being a woodwind teacher means you probably need to play multiple woodwind instruments, but do you also need to play the piano? Students often need accompaniment for pieces, particularly if they are for grade exams, but does the teacher always have to provide the accompaniment themselves?
Continue reading “Do I Need to Play Piano to Teach Woodwind?”
This post will talk about easy cleaning options for saxophone and clarinet mouthpieces. Loads of places tell you how to keep your mouthpiece clean and talk about how you need to wash it out regularly, but it’s often more difficult to find out how to clean it when it’s really disgusting! I’m going to assume you haven’t cleaned your mouthpiece for months (or longer!!) and talk about the easiest way to get it clean, with hardly any effort!
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If you’re looking at learning a woodwind instrument, you might be wondering which one to choose. You might also have concerns with whether or not the instrument might be hard for you to lift. If you’re quite small, some instruments might look like they’d be a struggle for you and sometimes you might be put off playing the instrument you really want because you think it might be too heavy.
Continue reading “Which Woodwind Instrument is the Heaviest?”