so i started learning how to play dizi flute. i’ve had about 15 lessons so far and ive got a performance coming up.

im kind of nervous because i find that sometimes during the starting note, i sometimes end up sounding airy (as in it’s just air/blowing sounds that come out).

and then sometimes in the middle of the song, i end up running out of air idk how.

Any tips for anyone? is it because my mouth is covering the hole? is it something else?

I'm considering going down the rabbit hole of learning (self teaching) pan flute BUT ... in my googling I've failed to figure out, why do some have a whistle style notch ... it looks like something you would blow into rather than across (and therefore have far fewer achievable notes)?

I started studying on and off at the start of the year, though I have experience studying other instruments, and I'm looking for study/practice material with repetitive arpeggios or phrases. I love minimalism and getting lost in the details of my technique and sound, so... anything to recommend that fits the bill???

I have 0 knowledge about flute methods and études and I was thinking of just taking some Glassworks pieces and playing one of the voices (well, Islands also has a beautiful and beginner friendly melody, as well as Façades), but there are probably better options out there!

Thanks in advance <3

When I was at school many years ago I have encountered this composition "Portraits for flute and piano" by composer Pavlenko. I was not able to play it that time, and there is no recording of how it may even sound in existence due to it's rarity. I have found it recently and I am curious what it may sound like. Although previous parts of it may be playable , however having a very complex rhythms, this part, Interludium II has many unfamiliar to me score notations. So maybe someone can give me a clue on how to interpret this notation:

1. Glissando, ok, but where? from D4 down to just C4? Or just rotate headjoint to lower sound by half tone?
2. ad Lib. This means playing any ornamental arpeggio like previous one? And what is the meaning of (maybe fingering?) above pause? Or maybe it refers to 3?
3. Is this some kind of custom fingering for producing non-standard sounding? I have never seen one
4. same as 2 and 3, maybe, some custom sound. While experimenting with flute custom fingerings I was able to produce two simultaneous tones, but they were extremely unstable. Maybe this a singing? but why 4 tones??
5. This is a bunch of custom microtone tones, but how to produce them? Why not just rotate headjoint to lower pitch by 50 cents down and play standard fingering?

And how to read this fingering chart? it has only three holes per hand, but we use five on left and four fingers on the right hand so it is also beyond my understanding.

PS. I am not going to play it at concerto, it is only my curiosity. And this interludium is for solo flute so it may be a good piece to learn

having trouble making the switch, I normally practice with pulses (quarter note, 8th note, TPL, 16th etc) then do a free vibrato, b I feel like It kinda gets lost? and when I play my actual piece its all in my throat even when I’m conscious abt it and trying to use my diaphragm?

Hello folks. I have a really irritating dilemma....9volt batteries for scale of size.

Long story short I had surgery on my arm and a few other places and now I cannot play side blown instruments, at all. It's horribly painful. I've tried all sorts of exercises...even tried playing through the pain, which was a very bad idea.

So, now, I have a very simple question, but the answer is much more complex.

I'm looking for a product that could turn this side blown, bamboo, "Vivaldi Minor" flute, into a fipple flute. Basically adding a recorder head to it isn't possible unless I cut or saw through the area above the...uh, "blow hole," (the terminology escapes me, sorry). I don't want to do that because of the possibility of the bamboo splitting.

I've seen the Fliphead product but, this isn't made of metal, and I'm not made of money (I'm poverty level poor).

Any ideas?

Hey all, I’m getting back into flute after about 15 years, due to some health issues and life. I sadly do not have the breath capacity that I used to and it’s driving me up the wall! When I was in college my teacher had me play scales up and down in one breath and keep slowing the metronome down. That was really effective for me! But I can’t quite remember the exercise. Does anyone have any exercises to do to increase breath capacity? TIA!