Practising in nature

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October 2020

I like the flute more each day.
I practise my three notes. I've got into a fixed practising routine because of the piano lessons. I just miss it when I don't have time for it.

It's not a particularly high-quality flute, it's a student flute from Yamaha and already a few years old. I'm sure it hasn't always been treated very carefully by our daughter. It is made of nickel silver, only the riser and mouth plate are silver. Closed keys. Supposedly this is easier for a beginner and we didn't want to make it too difficult for her. Of course we had heard that open keys would be better for a more sensitive feeling. But if you don't know anything about the instrument, how can you decide whats best?

I bought the flute school that my flute teacher likes to work with.
Through regular practice, I am familiar with the three notes. In our next lesson, I learn the "B" and the "F".
My teacher seems pleased that my fingers often find the right keys.

The lip position is not yet correct. You can see on top of the mouth plate that I don't blow in the middle. The condensation points clearly to the right. I have to check this every now and then.
I try blowing over into the next octave. That's not easy for me. And I think it sounds terrible! Sometimes I even think I'm in the next octave above that, it sounds so shrill and bright.
She says it's not so important to be able to do it well now. A stable house is built from the solid bottom up. Only it should be practised every now and then.

The G-key "smacks" occasionally.

HochstandI need to be out in nature practising 3 or 4 times a week. I visit different places. Once, while practising, I sat on a hunter's stand and had a lovely view while pracising. Irritated harmless walkers from above who unexpectedly strolled by below me.
At my favourite spot next to a field, I am virtually protected. The footpath is a little way off. In front of me a high maize field, behind me a hedge with many birds. Shrouded by that is a small stream.
The first time I practised at this spot, the birds almost suffered a heart attack from fright. The poor things, I felt a bit sorry for them.
In the meantime they have got used to me and no longer fly off in all directions scolding me. Maybe they think that this particularly unmusical bi-ped down there is also trying his hand at whistling.

I like to walk up and down while playing. I already know most of the pieces by heart, they are only 8 or 12 bars long. Sometimes I get quite out of breath. Breathing doesn't always work so well.
I should have good breath support from singing in choirs, but I don't know if I've really developed it. Maybe I just think I have one.
In any case, it could be that in the future I will do without my already quite rare cigarette break altogether, because that is certainly not conducive to playing the flute.

Recently I had a wonderful experience. The sky was cloudy, it was a bit cold and windy. Not really nice weather. I almost stayed at home. Nevertheless, I went out into the countryside on my bike. Even if it was only for threequarter an hour, I can't practise so much longer anyway.

I run back and forth, the flute-rookie is quickly in need of air. To calm down  the situation, I walk a few steps without fluting. As I do so, I keep sensing the flute shivering, almost vibrating a little. I hold her a little higher and noticed how the wind blows over the edge of the mouth plate. A sound is heard, not very loud, but clearly audible.
I soon find out how to hold the flute in order to offer the wind the best embouchure.
The wind is an unsteady companion. Sometimes he blew stronger, sometimes weaker on my flute. I showed him what a "G", an "A", a "B" and a "B" sound like. He didn't want to hear the other notes. The two of us, the wind and I, made music together with the little flute.

I was quite overwhelmed after this experience. And I felt united with the outside, with nature and with the flute. Made music with one of the four elements. As an absolute beginner on the flute. I felt dizzy with happiness and was full of joy.