Beginning Woodwind Methods

Question 1

Flute Instrumet Care

Answer 1

• Remove head joint, shake out excess water
• Put a clean cloth on the end of the cleaning rod
• Twist middle and foot joints apart and swab each
• Carefully wip the outside to maintain shine
• Put pieces in case, do not force

Question 2

Clarinet Instrument Care

Answer 2

• Remove reed and wipe off excess water
• Remove mouthpiece and wipe out with cloth
• Put weighted end of cotton swab in bell and pull through barrel
• Gently twist to remove all pieces
• Put pieces in case, do not force

Question 3

Alto Saxophone Instrument Care

Answer 3

• Remove reed and wipe off excess water
• Remove mouthpiece and wipe out with cloth
• Loosen neck screw and remove the neck piece
• Put weighted end of cotton swab in bell and pull through the body several times
• Put pieces in case, do not force

Question 4

Problem: Alto Saxophone Mis-fingering

Answer 4

Solution: Put a Sticker over the keys to skip or a sticker on the key where fingers line up

Question 5

I-pad

Answer 5

An electronic device that is useful in mirroring or demonstrating student posture, breathing, embouchure, tone, etc.

Question 6

Concert G#

Answer 6

Pitch created by the A.S. mouthpiece & neck alone

Question 7

Concert F#

Answer 7

Pitch created by the Clarinet mouthpiece and barrel

Question 8

Reed Tip for improving Clarinet/Alto Saxophone Tone

Answer 8

• Don’t start on any reeds lower than 2.5

- Have various reed strengths available for students to “graduate” to with incentives

Question 9

Tip for Clarinet Right Thumb

Answer 9

• Place a bandaid on right thumb with the cushioned side placed where the thumb meets the thumb key

Question 10

Common Flute Finger Issue

Answer 10

• Right thumbe is too far under the instrument

- Pinky is not properly aligned with the D#/Eb key

Question 11

Pop-ups

Answer 11

• A woodwind warm-up exercise to improve octave shifts

Question 12

12th

Answer 12

• The range the Clarinet Octave key jumps each low note

Question 13

Reasons for Cl/AS squeaking

Answer 13

• Reed quality
• No biting/pinching reeds
• Check for complete sealing on note keys (by fingers or pads)
• Constant/Consistent air flow

Question 14

Articulation

Answer 14

• How/when the tongue interrupts the air flow
• Da for smooth, Ta for crisp
• More focused on the release than the attack

Question 15

Chopsticks

Answer 15

A useful tool in developing correct Flute embouchure

Question 16

Straw

Answer 16

A useful tool in developing correct Clarinet/Alto Saxophone Embouchures

Question 17

Correct Clarinet posture

Answer 17

• Feet flat on the floor
• Sitting Tall with head straight ahead
• Bell not rested on the knees
• 45 degrees out from body

Question 18

Correct Flute posture

Answer 18

• Feet flat on floor
• Body turned towards chair corner
• Sitting Tall with head straight ahead
• Instrument 20 degrees below parallel

Question 19

Correct Alto Saxophone posture

Answer 19

• Feet flat on floor
• Sitting tall with head straight ahead
• Bell to the Right side of body

Question 20

Correct Clarinet Embouchure

Answer 20

• Lips toward the mouthpiece
• Chin and nose pull away
• get taller between your nose and the top of chin
• Flat Chin/rolled lower lip

Question 21

Correct Flute Embouchure

Answer 21

• Flute tone hole is centered on lips
• Lower lip is relaxed
• Lip should cover only 1/4 of the tone hole

Question 22

Buzzing the Mouthpiece

Answer 22

Playing the instrument using only the mouthpiece or upper pieces to ensure that embouchure and airflow are optimized before using the entire instrument

Question 23

Clarinet Assembly

Answer 23

• Wet Reed
• Secure smiling reed on mouthpiece with ligature
• Connect lower joint to bell
• Connect upper joint to lower joing (raise bridge key)
• Connect barrel to upper joint
• Connect mouthpiece to barrel

Question 24

Flute Assembly

Answer 24

• Connect head joint to middle joint

- Connect middle joint to foot joint

Question 25

Alto Saxophone Assembly

Answer 25

• Wet Reed
• Secure smiling reed on mouthpiece with ligature
• Connect mouthpiece to neck
• Connect neck to body (make sure neck screw is untightened before connecting)
• Connect neck strep to body

Question 26

Flute Vibrato

Answer 26

• Ha ha ha ha ha

Question 27

Long Tones

Answer 27

• Most effective woodwind warm-up to increase quality air support and therefore improve overall tone quality

Question 28

Flute Embouchure Errors

Answer 28

• Cover too much of the flute hole
• Direction of air flow
• Too wide of an apeture

Question 29

F or V

Answer 29

Syllables to help students shape correct Cl/AS embouchures

Question 30

Singing the Pitch

Answer 30

-Method to help students understand oral cavity shaping when which helps them produce more accurate and in tune pitches

Question 31

What balances a Flute?

Answer 31

• Chin
• Left Thumb
• Right Thumb

Question 32

Common Reed Embouchure Issue

Answer 32

• Biting the Reed
• Mushy bottom lip
• not enough mouthpiece in mouth
• thin/chipped reed

Question 33

What causes Cl/AS squeaks

Answer 33

• Flat fingers (not fully sealing holds/pressing keys)
• Lack of quality air support
• Lack of quality reed
• Biting down or pinching the reed
• Articulation issues

Question 34

Examples that illustrate deep breathing

Answer 34

Take a breath like

• someone is about to dunk your head under water
• you are about to blow out trick birthday candles
• you are trying to move paper with air only
• a sleeping baby (tummy rises and falls)

Question 35

Breathing Exercises

Answer 35

• Lie on your back (In for 1 and out for 4)
• Walk at a normal pace (In for 4, out for 4, hold for 4)
• While seated bend forward at the waist and lift your upper body by inhaling deeply