Podcast Transcript

5 of the most common flute habits (that secretly hold you back)

Well, hi there, and welcome to another episode of the Learn Flute Podcast! I’m Rebecca Fuller, your flute coach and the creator of Learn Flute Online, where people of all ages discover how to play the flute beautifully, confidently, and without all the frustration that usually comes with trying to piece it together alone.

Now, today we’re talking about some things I see all the time: flute players who really work hard but still don’t sound the way they want to. It can be so discouraging when your tone feels fuzzy and your fingers feel clumsy, or you’re practicing but not progressing.

So, what’s going on?

Well, the truth is, it’s usually not that you’re doing everything wrong. It’s often just one or two small habits that are quietly holding you back. And the good news? Well, these flute habits are actually easy to fix once you know what to look for.

So, in this episode, I’m going to walk you through five of the most common flute habits that sneak in and cause issues , plus what to do instead.

Now, whether you’re a complete beginner or a returning flute player hoping to sound better and play with more ease, this episode is just for you.

Let’s jump in…

Habit #1: Turning the Flute Inward (01:55 – 06:39)

So, I already made a quick video for these flute habits, but here on this podcast we get to go a bit deeper so that you can really envision the success you’ll have as you work with me inside Learn Flute Online.

Okay, habit number one is one of the sneakiest,  and that is turning the flute inwards.

Now, this happens all the time with new players, and even with those who have played for a while but never really had detailed guidance. 

It’s very common, and it’s when the flute rolls inwards toward your chin or toward your lips. You know, right? Instead of getting more level and balanced here, and so basically, your flute is tilted in.

I’m going to grab my flute here, whether you can see it or not,  I’m going to show you what happens when players get rolling this inward here. Rolling it in, kind of thinking that this is going to help their tone, right? So, I call this rolling in. A lot of flute teachers may say the same thing, if you hear this anywhere else. And if you ever hear somebody say “roll out,” that means to do just the opposite.

Okay, so why do players do this? Well, it really can feel like a shortcut at first. A shortcut to getting clearer tone is what the thinking is, right?

 Especially in, you know, some of the ranges of the flute , especially the high range at first. Some people think that this really helps and, in the moment, it might even seem like a good fix.

But what happens next is actually kind of trouble.

When the flute is rolled in like this, especially too far, a few things happen: your notes get kind of thin and squeaky, everything feels tight and harder to control, even though you may feel like you’re getting that higher range easier. Lip flexibility is reduced, and you can actually create this habit that causes this face-pulling, and that also causes jaw problems.

And how do I know this? Well, when I was a new player, I did this. I thought it was the right way, because I felt like my tone was a little better. But that’s one of the big things that actually held me back from having a really nice, open tone.

And I won’t go into too much more detail here today, but I want to take a second to have you think about this and analyze how you play the flute, and find out if this little habit has creeped into your playing.

So, what should you do instead?

Well, inside Learn Flute Online, this is one of the first posture skills that we focus on. And the solution is to just line that head joint up, end it up, so that we have the whole stearate along with those first keys, especially.

I would say, look down like a barrel of a gun there, so that you can see if it’s lined up. And then make sure that the hole stays level, like the hole is pointing up at the ceiling.

And like I said, sometimes you’ll hear me or somebody else say “roll out,” and that doesn’t mean we need to roll out farther than that. 

We just need to keep it nice and level so that we learn to use our face in a relaxed position, and so that we can also learn to use our aperture and our embouchure to control our notes, rather than rocking our flute back and forth in order to get the right octaves or the right tone that we’re looking for.

Okay, so your airstream really should travel across the tone hole and split on that outer edge. And if it’s pointed at you, we’re really going to be catching too much air, either inside or across the tone hole, depending on how you are holding your face while you’re playing.

And you have to remember that the goal is not to get all of the air inside the hole of our flute, because the flute is created to split the airstream  and that’s what actually is the definition of a flute.

And so, what I want you to do is use a mirror to check yourself and do some analyzation and some experimentation. 

This small adjustment can make a huge difference in your tone and ease of playing, including reducing the amount of pulling and tension in your face especially.

And like I said, to teach you to learn to use proper flute technique, we call it, instead of rocking and rolling your flute around to get your notes out.

Okay, trust me, this one habit alone can be quite a game changer.

Habit #2: Letting the Flute Sag (06:45 – 10:08)

Right, let’s move on. Flute Habit #2 is letting that flute sag. Alright, so this one might sound familiar if you’ve ever caught yourself slouching or feeling tired partway through your practice session, when your arm starts to droop a little bit like this,  you know, when you get that shoulder burn and so you end up dropping that shoulder.

Now, we’re going to talk about this here because this is important: when your right arm droops a little bit, and especially if your shoulders are rounding, suddenly the flute’s kind of pointing more downward.

Well, letting the flute sag seems harmless at first because I know you’re just trying to protect yourself and keep practicing, right? But it actually causes a ripple effect.

When the flute dips, your head tilts, well, or your lip tilts, we should say, your air direction changes, your embouchure and your aperture.

So, your embouchure is your whole face, and your aperture is just the muscles and the area that create the little hole in your lips, okay?

So, what happens when our flute sags is our lip tries to kind of go with it, to keep being able to make a sound, right? So, and there it goes, so then we get this kind of skewed looking aperture, and our embouchure has to really work hard just to make a decent sound.

And when your aperture,  that’s the hole in your lips, remember, when it slides sideways, it really does cause you to have to do more work to create a nice sound.

And over time, it leads to not just tone problems, or harder to create tone. I guess we could say at first, until it all adjusts, but it really just kind of creates a side slant.

And over time, also, it creates tension in your shoulders and restricted tone, and I would say inconsistent tuning across your notes, kind of more difficulty jumping octaves, things like that.

So, what can you do?

Well, the first thing is to find out what’s caused this. Is your flute sagging (flute habits) because you’re kind of hunched over your music stand like this? Well, then I always say raise your music stand up to eye level and then take a step back so that you can really straighten up, straighten up your posture.

And if you’re constantly looking downward, your posture suffers and everything ends up sagging.

So, step back from that music stand a little bit, and aim the flute to stay where you meant to be, nice and up.

And if you’ve seen other players, or even some professionals, play with their flutes on a slant, it’s not really the same thing that we’re talking about here.

I’m talking about kind of just getting lazy and kind of dropping it down and having everything go sideways there.

They have their reasons, and we’re not going to get into that here, but what I want you to think about is focusing on and aligning everything up as perfectly as possible for your success at the stage you are now.

So, try focusing on and making this habit this week. You’ll notice a clearer tone and more open sound, especially over time as you develop as a flute player.

Habit #3: Uncontrolled Vibrato (10:12 – 13:21)

Okay, habit #3 is an uncontrolled vibrato. Now, let’s talk about it.

This could be a wobbly, very quick fluttery sound that sometimes shows up in playing, sounds really nervous, almost like a goat bleating or a machine gun firing.

That sounds kind of dramatic, but you may have heard this before.

Let me give you an example…(Demonstration)

Instead of…(Demonstration)

I mean, those are very different, right?

So, this is often a well-meaning attempt at vibrato when we hear this in amongst people, but it really just kind of ends up sounding nervous instead of expressive and in control.

So, why? Why? About why is this?

Now, many players try to force vibrato without having a foundation in breath control, tone stability, and relaxation in their airstream.

They pulse the air or shake quickly, thinking that it’s creating this vibrato or emotional sound.

But instead, like I said, it just sounds tense and unstable, it’s like an involuntary quiver in the throat somewhere.

This sounds like, like this. Again, I’m going to give this demonstration, listen carefully. (Demonstration)

Instead of…(Demonstration)

Okay, so what is the fix for this, especially if this has creeped into your playing?

Well, vibrato is best built gradually, and we really need to start with a solid straight tone.

And so once you have that as a long-term habit, you can begin adding in the gentle waves to your sound in a proper way, and not using your throat.

We’re going to use our breath instead.

And actually, we’re not going to wiggle anything.

I’ve seen some people try to wiggle their jaw like up and down, and that could create a little bit of a vibrato wobble, but it’s actually not sustainable and not very pretty.

So, in Learn Flute Online, I walk members through a step-by-step vibrato process so that it develops naturally and beautifully like a shimmer instead of a shiver.

And it really is one of the most rewarding skills to master, so let’s build expression skills that will last a lifetime.

I can’t wait to show you the process.

Habit #4: Leaving the First Finger Down on D and D♯ (13:26 – 16:05)

OK, let’s move into habit #4, which is something a little more technical, and this is some fingering habits.

So, habit #4 is something many players don’t even realize they’re doing, which is leaving that first finger down on 2nd octave D or even D♯ , which is the same note as E flat, right?

And so that first finger right there is way more important than you even know.

So, let’s talk about it here.

This one seems small at first when you’re unsure where, but it really can have a huge effect on your tone.

When that finger stays down, the notes sound stuffy and flat, and the transitions between the notes, like going to and from the D or the D♯ ,  they can sound crunchy and not necessarily sluggish.

Well, yes, I would say sluggish.

We can accidentally get kind of like an undertone instead of the actual pitch that we’re trying to get.

And so, let’s talk about this.

I’m going to give you a demonstration here.

If I am going to play the second octave D, it should sound like this.

But if I leave that first finger down, it sounds like this.(Demonstration)

Instead of…(Demonstration)

Now listen to me switch back and forth. (Demonstration)

There really is a difference.

And the reason this happens is usually just lack of awareness.

Like I said, no one ever told them to lift that finger, especially if you learned in a program without a flute expert helping you out at first, so this becomes a habit.

So, let’s fix it.

OK, next time you practice, isolate your second octave D, which means, oh, and a D♯ has the same thing, so make sure that you have that first finger in your mind as you play this one.

D and D♯, it’s the same note as E flat.

And double-check that you’re lifting your left hand index finger.

Play the note with the finger down, and lift it up and compare it like I did.

You’ll likely hear a clearer, more resonant tone right away.

Inside Learn Flute Online, I’ve built in dozens of reminders, finger drills, fun tunes to help you with these little things because they really do matter.

Habit #5: Wiggling the Flute to Fix Tone (16:10 – 19:11)

Alright, let’s move into habit #5, which is wiggling the flute to fix your tone.

Now, this is our final habit, and one that I see live and on video recordings all the time, especially of newer players who are wiggling the flute around to fix their fuzzy tone.

Right?

So, if this could be happening to you, if you’re nudging the flute in or out, up or down, side to side, kind of just readjusting your embouchure and kind of just fixing everything every time something doesn’t sound right, I get it.

It feels like you’re doing something helpful, but the truth is you’re training yourself to rely on constantly changing things in your position in order to try to sound better.

And actually, this is not the way.

This creates tone instability, and it makes progress feel random.

And it’s quite a distraction to your attention and your focus.

It makes you feel like you’re constantly a little bit annoyed while you’re playing.

So, what should you do instead?

Well, focus on finding the correct flute position from the very start, and let your breath, posture, and embouchure do the work.

No wiggling is actually needed.

And you can practice this.

And remember that it’s totally possible, and it’s a necessary skill.

Inside Learn Flute Online, I have entire modules dedicated to helping you dial in your setup and to develop the kind of consistency that brings confidence and joy in your playing.

So, especially as you’re playing, you don’t have to be wiggling around and getting everything fixed while you’re playing.

Alrighty, those were the five common habits that can sneak in and hold flute players back.

But now you know what they are, and you also know what to do instead.

And if you recognize yourself in any of these today, I want you to know something, don’t feel bad.

Habits are incredibly common, and that’s why I’m mentioning them here today.

And the fact that you are here listening and learning means you are already on the right path.

And I’ll help you get the rest of the way there.

Flute success is about building good habits that support your goals, step by step.

Outro:

So, if you’re ready for a structured, proven way to keep improving on your flute, come and join Learn Flute Online.

In our flutie community and the members’ area, you’ll have access to my full learning path with videos, audios, sheet music, and plenty of guidance from me.

Inside the member area, I’m here to support you every step of the way.

And if this episode was helpful to you, feel free to share it with a flute friend, subscribe, leave a review.

It helps more people find this show and join us in building beautiful lifelong music together.

I’ll be back again next time with more insights and encouragement for your flute journey.

Until then, keep practicing with joy, and I will see you inside Learn Flute Online.

Bye for now.

5 Flute Habits that Secretly Hold You Back (and what to do instead)