Extended techniques for flute
This catchy song was used in one of the Shrek movies and became very famous. Now we can use it to practice one of the most challenging things while learning circular breathing: inflating and deflating the cheeks while playing. Also a nice exercise if you are not interested in learning circular breathing.
Keep the spirits up with this happy song. I feel good! The famous motive can be played easily with tone bending. The funny sound of the tongue stops will add even more fun to it. A little rest with the key clicks and the harmonics help you to increase the support. You will feel good after playing this warming up exercise.
Another energetic exercise to start your studies well. The tone bending in this piece challenges you to work on intonation. The pizzicato and tongue stops make your tongue stronger and increases the co-ordination between tongue, fingers and abdomen. And the harmonics will help you get a better sound.
This joyful melody must make you smile. The singing and playing, wind tones and tongue stops suit this song very well.
Through history many composers used this song to make variations. Now we have variations containing extended techniques! So find yourself a piano player and get started.
I like to think Johann Strauß liked a joke every now and then according to some pieces he wrote. So I think he would have liked this arrangement of his famous waltz. You can play it with one or two flutes and piano. Have fun!
A German flute teacher and her students asked me to write an exercise on the song ‘In My Mind’ by Dynoro & Gigi D’Agostino so I did. The great thing about this exercise is that you can combine the parts and make it sound like a real flute orchestra.
In this arrangement of the minuet from the toy symphony the toys are replaced by extended techniques. It can be played as a trio, quartet or even with a flute choir. Make sure we can hear the extended techniques!
Warming up with this popsong can be a great start of your daily flute practise. The tone bending exercises will make your embouchure flexible. It will also wake up your ears because of the intonation. The pizzicato and tongue stops are great to wake up your fingers and support. The flutter tongue in letter F is useful for developing sound and relaxing the tongue.
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