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AndrewB
(478 points)
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I am playing Jesu joy of mans desiring for graduation at my school, and my choir director thinks i need to play louder. I found it very difficult to play loud because instead of playing it at the correct 60 bpm she plays it at about 90 bpm. It's very difficult to put beauty into each note and make it loud enough at this speed so what should I do? It sounded more like flight of the bumblebee than a hymn!
Also I am finding the breathing difficult since all of the notes seem to flow together and there are very few breaks.
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Flutist06
(1545 points)
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I'm not sure I understand the situation. The tempo of the music should not dictate what dynamic levels are possible...Is that what you're experiencing, though?
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Micron
(1329 points)
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Most of what she says, including ALL that she says about the diaphragm, is physiologically incorrect.
She may provide useful images for some people, but she is advocating using only part of what her lungs are capable of. She is breathing solely with intercostal(rib) muscles, whereas a major muscle for inhaling is indeed the diaphragm.
Support can be given by the abdominals when exhaling both when they are flat and when they protrude more. Activity of the diaphragm makes the abdominals protrude more.
She does not seem to realise that the abdominals and diaphragm are completely separate, can both be operated voluntarily, the former being import for exhaling, and the latter being important for full inhalation.
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Micron
(1329 points)
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I think the fast speed you mention is reasonable, considering that the Melody, which is NOT what you play, has most notes three or six times slower than your notes. Take the music too slow and that melody gets very, very dreary... like a funeral dirge!
So practise until you can play it well and flowingly at speed. With beautiful phrasing that matches that melody, it will provide a beautiful sparkle, without being like the bum of the flightlebee.
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Bilbo
(828 points)
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Now Micron, I've got to comment:
"So practise until you can play it well and flowingly at speed. With beautiful phrasing that matches that melody, it will provide a beautiful sparkle, without being like the bum of the flightlebee."
Well turned
I think that the importance of the Nina instructions should be in her attempts to get some wayward students to open up the embouchure hole a bit more. A considerable amount of volume can be increased if they are rolling too far back and this can be avery common issue. Then there's the issue of the type of flute. Some flutes/head joints and the like are simply easier to play with more volume than others. If this person is playing on a quieter flute, no sense in forcing it. The projection will cut through only with a clear, pure & focused tone.
Of course (as suggested) all IS lost if it's out of tune or if there is no smoothness to this obligato because then it is truly the bumble of the flutterbee.
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jose_luis
(1367 points)
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I find there is nothing more confusing than the theories about correct breathing, air column support, diaphragm/abdominal/intercostal muscles, not counting body/head positions, arm position, hand positions, embouchure.. oh well, we could write several books on the different approaches to the embouchure.
I have three different teachers: one for flute and two for sing. They have, of course three different approaches in this matter. In singing, they are quite opposite!. I believe I am not told two opposite theories about breathing for the flute...because I have just one teacher.
So far I am so confused that I tend to develop my own practise; I listen to everything I am told to do, but the moment will come when I can decide on my own way.
Probably all these theories have a part that is true and a part that is mere myth. As almost everything in life.
Or it could be that I am a little on the negative side today, it a side effect of my approaching audition...
<Added>
OOPS! it a side effect = a side effect
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AndrewB
(478 points)
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I guess what I meant by the speed effecting loudness and expressiveness is that instead of being able think about these things I'm stuck on trying to keep up with the fast tempo.
I know that it shouldn't be played too slow to sound like a funeral march, but it really was being played overly fast. I took out my metronome at practice and she was playing it at 106 bpm! This particular choir director seems to rush in most of her playing, it seems like she's just used to playing so fast that it's a habit.
Also, that video confused me a bit. The diaphragm is a muscle that contracts forcing the lungs to pull in air, correct? I believe she called it a thin membrane that doesn't largely affect breathing in this instance.
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Kara
(2843 points)
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Sorry Andrew. I only caught the beginning of it before posting it. I have watched some of Nina's other videos in which I found to be helpful, so I posted this one.
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Bilbo
(828 points)
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Thaks Kara for updating your link.
"Support" is relatively important to dynamics but not so as important as what Nina is saying about not rolling in to far.
If I were conducting this piece, I din't think that I would go faster than 88BPM. I think that my concept of the hymn tune would be about that fast or even slower. "BUT" I've heard other directors and organists play other pieces wwaayy too fast and as a mere flutist, I would be obliged to try to follow them. I'd practice slowly for good tone, fingers and tuning. Then work up the tempo.
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