hi, i have an exam coming up soon and am playing this piece (sonatine, claude arrieu) but i'm not really sure how to put more emotion into it, any tips?
also any tips on how to play high octave notes very quietly?

Im not sure how to explain the emotion part, but I can explain how to play high notes quietly.

Generaly when playing something something softly you're supposed to "use less air". Breath out all the air in your lungs exept for a tiny bit of air and blow out that air as fast as you can. It should come out softer because you don't have enough air to make it really loud. Next you should fill your lungs halfway and play, but try to keep it at the same dynamic you had it at with the small amount of air. Then repeat with your lungs completly full.

I don't know about your piece. But for this one piece i'm working on, by putting more emotion.. i do different rates of vibrato.. hhmm..it's hard to explain. BUT ..yeah. Virbato makes my piece more emotional..and i also over do the dynamics.(but with a good tone though!) Hmm..i guess i need some suggestions too!^^

Im not sure if this comes out right. but if it does you Crescendo up and Decrescendo down, then Decrescendo up and Crescendo down.

<Added>

oops, those notes were supposed to be two octives higher sorry.

ERROR IN MUSIC CODE

Penny, be careful with the advice you give her, I use a tremendous amount of air when i play softly

I just gave the same advice I got from all of my teachers.

I will try to explain it to you sometime and not all teachers agree on this, but I always play with a very fast airstream and focus differently when I play pp, I also will play with a different vibrato at times, hard to explain in print..

Sarah, you need to make the piece your own, play it, and think about how it makes you feel about what is going on in your life,

for ex. if there is a fast section with 16th's in a major key that will usually denote happiness and joy and excitement

a slow minor section could mean sadness or heartbreak or missing someone dear to you

in short, don't play notes, tell a story with the notes

also, don't play the flute, use the flute to express yourself

When you say you focus differently, do you mean you use a different embouchure size and shape, or do you point the airstream more into or out of the flute?

I can't imagine a flute playing something sad. To me the flute is naturaly light and cheerful. Playing something extremly slow on the flute is almost agonizing to play. And if you're playing slowly and you miss a note, you have to hold it out longer.

Telling a story..cool! That's should help me. I'll try that..

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OH! and i agree with you. When playing notes softer..don't you need MORE airsupport? Smaller apature and faster airstream..Hhmm..i'm not sure if that's right..

I didn't say less air support. When i said to blow all the air out of their lungs, I meant that as a starter. After you get it down pat, you fill you're lungs completly and do it.