New school, new course, new teacher, same student.

I will have a new teacher until December, my previous teacher is on maternity leave.

I find it useful to have these changes; now I have to work on many important points that I have to change or improve. Some of them I knew already, others I did not.
She plays on a Sankyo, that is not so much away from the quality of my Yamaha and I feel we are on the same planet.
- Main point: more pressure and control from abdominal muscles and less from lips (I had already been told that by a pro).
- Also, I must learn to get rid of an involuntary vibrato that is not controlled. Good vibrato will come later, I am told. (I was not sure about this one).
- I have to spend much more time on tone exercises and less on pieces I like. Yes, I knew and it is the hardest part but maybe the most important. I am not satisfied myself with the quality of tone I was producing.

So much, for the first class... Probably much more to come from the following lessons!

Regardless of your accomplishments, it's important that you have a good flute --- regardless or whether or not you intend to play only through high-school, or serious study, beyond.

As far as vibrato, you might do well to emulate the vibrato from the former principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, for some 30+ years, Doriot Anthony Dwyer.

It is she who had the best vibrato --- and the most projection from the flute. Where most flutists are lost in symphonies, it is she who stood out amongst all others.

It comes from the diaphragm (sp?). Breath control. Think of the flute (according to Louis Moyes) as an "extension of your body". Breath and vibrato starts at your feet and extends to the very end of the flute.

There are different variations of vibrato. There is "narrow" and "wide" (as in Doriot Dwyer --- listen to some of her recordings --- music minus one). It comes from the diaphragm.

If you want, get an "old" recording of the New York Philharmonic in which John Wummer(principal flutist) had "narrow" vibrato. Then listen to Boston Symphony recordings ('60s to "80s) where you will hear Doriot Dwyer. You'll see the difference, and learn to emulate just which style you will choose.

After all is said and done --- it's a matter of personal taste. It defines your style of playing.

Best of luck.

Jim Millen.

As far as vibrato, you might do well to emulate the vibrato from the former principal flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, for some 30+ years, Doriot Anthony Dwyer.

It is funny that you should mention her. As I respect her as a well accomplished flutist, I have to say I have never liked her vibrato at all. I cringe when hearing it.

Oops, I take that back. I was thinking of Robison, not Dwyer.

JimMillen, Thanks for all the information and suggestions.

I have an intermediate flute, a Yamaha 674. It is basically OK, maybe a little resistant for my level but my normal teacher has a super Muramatsu that I only can envy. That is why I feel more at ease with the new teacher with the Sankyo. But it could be just my imagination.

I think I will be introduced to vibrato not this year but the next one. If nothing interferes seriously, that would be my sixth year of lessons; it's almost a whole life since I left highschool. I started taking flute lessons very late and I progress, but not at a fast pace.

For the moment I must work on pure and continuous notes of the best quality I can get.

I would rank Yamaha (but not their headjoints) up with Muramatsu and Sankyo anyday, though I am sure some will disagree. I think Yamaha makes fantastic pro flutes. They are all very solid built, so I think in the end it is just what the player prefers, I don't think one is "better" than the other.

I was not referring to Yamaha professional flutes; mine is an intermediate model. It costed me some 2,500$, while that Muramatsu costed about 8,000$ at current $/Eu exchange rate (probably less in US$ at the time it was purchased).
Anyway I am well aware that in my particular case I have a good instrument that will be adequate for me, probably for a log time to come.
It's just that a pro instrument, when played by a pro or a good teacher, could make the students dream of being able to imitate the tone quality by just upgrading the flute.
Just a dream, yes.
But after my first year with the YFL674, I still think that I could find a HJ that I could adapt to more easily.
This first part of the year, as I said in the opening post, I will have to concentrate on tone issues and then maybe I will have a clearer idea.

I would refer to the 600 series as the beginning of the Yamaha pro series. I know that a price tag can be intimidating on a flute, so I do understand what you are feeling in that respect. I have played a high priced gold flute before compared to the Yamaha 581 that I used to own and I still preferred my Yamaha.

I can vouch for that. My old 581HHV is still pretty good for what it is. (comparable to the current 684HHV) I do need a new headjoint on it, though. Well, not NEED, so much as WANT.

Here is someone who disagrees... I honestly cannot stand yamaha flutes. I truly dont like them one bit. But different strokes for different folks...

Those heavy wall Yamahas, do you think they make a difference compared to standard wall thickness?

jose_luis, not only yamahas, but any flute with heavy wall makes great difference depending essentially on the person who plays it.
It's a matter of experimenting and getting the most out of it. The "sound better" factor is a personal, individual matter here.

regards,
Zevang