November 2020
In the next flute lesson, I am very stressed due to working tension. It is difficult for me to relax my lips. They are tense and I can hardly get any tones out. Either they sound noisy or slip into octaves where I don't want them to be in. This annoys me.
I can see clearly now that a flute is a very personal instrument. It obvious shows how one feels. It is as intimate as the voice. It sounds only through your breath.
The piano is without a doubt a wonderful instrument for me. But a key that is pressed down sounds like a key that is pressed down. It is almost always the same. Not as directly influenced by the human being as a wind instrument. A beautiful insight that I gain in this lesson.
I also learn how to play the "E" and the "F#".
I take the flute to overhaul. The flute maker checked and cleaned it, oiled the hinges, replaced a pad (only one was damaged after all these years!) and adjusted the tuning cork. With this little beauty treatment, it sounds even more beautiful.
The year progresses, the days get shorter, the temperatures colder. The leaves in the hedge at my favourite place are turning yellow and it is losing more and more of them. The corn field has been harvested and I feel now a little exposed. You could hear me anyway, but you couldn't always see me. But I still feel comfortable at this place and the attention doesn't bother me so much.
It's even very nice in this one place to see how the year passes. It trains one's perception for what is happening in nature, quite incidentally.
In my flute bag I now carry a felt cushion to roll up, in case I want to sit down and watch the season pass. And at least not get a cold bottom while sitting on the bench.
A few days ago, there was a rustling noise behind the hedge by the little stream. I looked and saw, I almost think it was a beaver. I couldn't see him too clearly and he bunked off fast.
Once, two little children of walkers applauded me. That was very sweet. Otherwise, I am left alone and really never feel harrased. I mean, of course everyone can hear that I really can't play virtuoso yet. That doesn't bother me at all.
It's a strong contrast to playing the piano, which I've really wanted to learn for a long long time. But I'm making a terrible job out of it. And constantly accuse myself of not finding it so easy.
I'm surprised that I can approach learning the flute a little more light-heartedly.
But what's great about my modest piano skills is that I can play any of the flute practice pieces to myself on the piano and then have an idea of how it should sound. I have never taken the CD out the inside of my flute school to find out what the melody is like. So far, I have always managed to do that with my piano. Of course, these beginner pieces are not yet difficult, neither from the notes nor from the rhythm. But I am very pleased with myself for this realisation.