Forming Tone and Embouchure

Discovering flute tone is a process that each flutist has to come to terms with individually. That being said, there is a certain foundation that your teacher can help you establish that will lead you to a clear and full sound. After that, it is up to you to find your own nuances and tone color.

In general, your tone should sound round, clear, focused and centered, not thin or breathy. So, what can you do to make sure that these qualities come out in your sound? The foundation of these qualities comes from your air column, and it only takes slight changes in size, pressure, and direction to make an impact.

Your air column is made up of speed, size, and direction and your head-body relationship influences the air column. To maximize the air column, you must do the following things: 1) The body must be kept relaxed and arms held out from the body. 2) The head must be held up, making sure that the chin is not tucked into the neck and the flute will be placed lightly against it. 3) The tube of the instrument should run parallel to the embouchure, not the floor.

Aperture and embouchure regulate the air column. It influences the air jet speed, airstream size, distance from lip opening to flute edge, and the air jet angle. Depending on the register, desired tone quality, intonation, and thickness of the player’s lips, the lips should cover about one third of the embouchure hole. If they cover too much, the tone will become weak, thin, and muffled, and the pitch will go flat. If they cover too little, the tone will be hollow, heavy, shrill, and breathy, and the pitch will go sharp. Once the placement of the lips is established, proper aperture needs to be formed. The aperture will control how large the opening is that air will be released from and it will also direct the airstream.

Forming the aperture is similar to saying the word “pure”. The corners of the mouth and face must remain relaxed. The opening between the lips just gets smaller to affect the speed of the airstream. It is simply the difference in airspeed regulated by the size of the aperture that makes the difference between C5 and C6; the greater the airspeed, the higher the pitch. The best tone quality and projection occurs when the airstream is divided into two equal parts on the edge of the flute wall. The embouchure position plays a large role in determining the tone.

The size of the oral cavity also affects tone production. Jaw/tongue position also influences the size of the oral cavity. It is useful to keep in mind not only your mouth and throat resonances, but also your sinuses. Keep your larynx (Adam’s Apple) low by imagining yawning. Be aware of the relationship between your mouth and throat as this affects the volume of the cavity and the area of the opening.

What causes a fuzzy tone?

1) Misdirection of air: Too much or too little coverage of the embouchure hole

2) Too small a lip aperture for the desired range/dynamic

3) Too large/loose an aperture: One that is incorrect for the airstream shape

4) Sometimes the flute itself: It is important to realize that not all problems with tone are caused by the player. This is why the flute instructor should test out your instrument at the first lesson.

While experimenting with tone, don’t forget that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What one flutist may find a garish quality, another thinks is stunning. Your tone is your voice on the instrument, and don’t be afraid to make it your own!

By keeping all of these ideas in mind, you are on your way to producing a beautiful tone!

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Further Reading:

Toff, Nancy. The Flute Book :A Complete Guide for Students and Performers. Thi ed. New York, NY; 4: Oxford University Press, 2012; 2012. The Oxford Musical Instrument Series.