I heard from somebody that you can teach someone your instrument if you have passed your grade 6 in it (for example flute). Is this true? And if so how do you go about teaching them (I'm going to attempt to teach my mum !)?

I'd be grateful for any information anyone has.

fbf ~x~

heya (this reply does not relate to scarves!!!) well i teach 3 beginners and im grade 7! I dont think there are any set requirements/ grades, its just whether you think your capable and whether people will have you as their teacher! I'd go for it - its really good!

Ahh groovy...well I probably will then! I'm about the same grade as you-I'm working for grade 8. I've just finished teaching my mum her first lesson! It was erm....interesting! No doubt she'll get the hang of it soon though.

Also bout the scarf company-damn straight! We could knit them (although I'd have to learn how to knit first ) hehe and sell them via the boards!
Very entrepreneur! Whaddya think?! Lol

fbf ~x~

An excellent plan! - could be a lucrative business (yes i think thats the word...) Lol my gran taught me to knit when I was about 7, and to be honest dont think ive reallydone it since, but perhaps we could employ some knitters and we could be the designers...

Anyway, yes I'm working for my grade 8 too! How are you finding teaching? And how do you explain the concept of tonguing to a complete beginner? I've been teaching for about a month and two of the people have got it spot on but one's really struggling.

QUOTE (LittleAnna @ Sep 24 2004, 10:35 PM)

An excellent plan! - could be a lucrative business (yes i think thats the word...) Lol my gran taught me to knit when I was about 7, and to be honest dont think ive reallydone it since, but perhaps we could employ some knitters and we could be the designers... Anyway, yes I'm working for my grade 8 too! How are you finding teaching? And how do you explain the concept of tonguing to a complete beginner? I've been teaching for about a month and two of the people have got it spot on but one's really struggling.

Tell them its like saying "too"

Well yes, I've tried that, but one keeps actually saying 'too' into her flute! Ive decided to say to her 'Keep blowing a note, and then simply stop it and start it with your tongue. Hopefully the concept of using the tongue to control the note will sink in then!

I wish I could remember what my first lessons were like....it would be so helpful! Lord help me I haven't got onto the concept of tonguing yet with my mum...not properly anyway...but I sincerely hope I don't have to teach her double tonguing as I have literallly only just mastered it!!
Well I guess tell your pupil to say "tuh" rather than "too" maybe?? And say that when you say a word into your flute you're not actually putting your breath into playing the note...more into the word....
Is your pupil sort of blowing with a 'fuh' sound?? Tell her to try and substitute the f for a t possibly? Sorry, I'm not much help!!
But your idea is a really good way to try and get her to tongue-the stopping starting thing; good luck!!!

Hehe...we can set up our scarf company via post-sell them to all the people at our schools! (you are at school oui?!)
Wow, it's a beautiful golden autumn evening outside....I'm going to play in my garden on a swing....yay! Oh dear, I'm acting 10, not 16....

Speak to you later! fbf ~x~

LOL! you never know the company could really take off. We could go on one of those programmes where it's 'pack it all in and do something weird'! I wonder if theres a market for instrument warmers - doesn't just have to be flute you know! It could be all sizes *thinks of being disgustingly rich and living in a big house
with a butler!*

I like the idea of playing on a swing - my mum forced me to leave mine when we moved house! I'm very jealous!

Oui, je suis a la school - I'm 15 though so your older than me - you'd have to be the senoir partner in the company! We could have a catalogue...

I think I'll try your idea on Thursday, fingers crossed it might sink in finally. The effect I'm getting at the moment is a bit weird to say the least...

Wowee what a bitty post!

Anna x

Even when you reach 30 you still act 6 simetimes... autumn is such a good time for kicking fallen leaves and splashing in puddles. (What a confession!) When you get a bit older the only difference is that you tend to look over your shoulder to make sure no one is watching you!

But then, if anyone is looking, tell them it's inspirational. It's a good job we musicians need to hold on to our creative side and have lots of imagination. Always a good excuse of all sorts of eccentric behaviour!

Any other confessions anyone?

QUOTE (LittleAnna @ Sep 24 2004, 09:35 PM)

how do you explain the concept of tonguing to a complete beginner? I've been teaching for about a month and two of the people have got it spot on but one's really struggling.

I start without using the tongue at all. I get my students to hold their lips gently together, position the edge of the embouchure hole against their lower lip (using only the flute head at first), adjusting the side to side position, how high up their lip the edge of the hole is, and the angle of the flute head to their lip. I aim to have the hole centred on their lip side to side and high enough up the lip to have the lip covering about 1/4 to 1/3 of the hole when they blow. When they blow I just tell them to think of keeping their lips gently together and starting to blow with a 'p' sound. The air makes its own hole which with luck won't be wider than the flute hole (wasting air).

I encourage them to get close up to a mirror while they are getting used to finding the best position and angle for blowing, and only introduce tonguing when they can get a sound quite reliably. When I introduce tonguing I first get them to whisper 'oo-doo-doo-doo' gently (or possibly still start with the 'p' sound) to avoid getting the voice involved in the process. It's easy for an initial 't' to be too explosive and disturb the note, which is why I don't introduce it immediately.

Well...ok, I told a teensy lie when I said I'm 16-I'm in year 11 but I'm still 15, BUT!! my birthday is in like two/three weeks so I'm practically 16 lol please forgive my shameful exaggeration... we can both be senior partners are you in yr 11 too or a very old year 10?!
fbf~x~

P.S you're not the only one who dreams of a big house lol! I live in a big house....but that's cause it's a guesthouse so that doesn't really count..! My friend has a big house which has nothing to do with what her parents do and she has a rocking horse, and a harmonium and a really old classic car in her garage and... okay I'll stop now!! Totally the beans!

QUOTE (flawed but flautless @ Sep 29 2004, 06:01 PM)

Well...ok, I told a teensy lie when I said I'm 16-I'm in year 11 but I'm still 15, BUT!! my birthday is in like two/three weeks so I'm practically 16 lol please forgive my shameful exaggeration... we can both be senior partners are you in yr 11 too or a very old year 10?! fbf~x~ P.S you're not the only one who dreams of a big house lol! I live in a big house....but that's cause it's a guesthouse so that doesn't really count..! My friend has a big house which has nothing to do with what her parents do and she has a rocking horse, and a harmonium and a really old classic car in her garage and... okay I'll stop now!! Totally the beans!

Lol no I'm a medium old year 11. My birthdays in december - woohoo 16! And then I can strat singing that sound of music song *i am sixteen going on seventeen...*
Wow you live ina guesthouse!? Very cool. Wherabouts?

Dacapo thanks for the idea! The lesson is tomorrow so I will let everyone know how I get on!

QUOTE

QUOTE (LittleAnna @ Sep 24 2004, 09:35 PM) how do you explain the concept of tonguing to a complete beginner? I've been teaching for about a month and two of the people have got it spot on but one's really struggling. I start without using the tongue at all.

I too start without the tongue, but I do try to introduce it if possible (i.e. if the blowing is going ok) within the first lesson, on the basis that I want it to become a habit as quickly as possible. And I will remind them very quickly in subsequent lessons if I hear them blowing without the tonguing.

I admit this is partly my reaction against one local teacher who doesn't actually introduce tonguing until after Grade 2! I accompanied one of her pupils in a festival a couple of years ago, and the poor kid was totally confused when the adjudicator started talking about tonguing, she'd never heard of it. And she was playing Grade 3 standard pieces. What on earth do they think when an examiner asks them for tongued scales?

I live in the Isle of Man (a rock in the sea between England and Ireland ). It's pretty cool, about 70,000 people live here and it's about 30 miles long by 15 wide, so you get to know quite a lot of people which is great.
Humph I just counted the weeks til my birthday and there is more than 2/3 sobbity. It's in november so it's something like 5....and I thought we were in October! Oh bananas, I can't do maths!! Mucho sorry for stupidity! Ah well. Should really learn how to count?! I don't ever really exaggerate it's just that I'm really, really excited so I'm thinking I'm almost 16, cause over here when you turn 16 you can learn to drive, so I'm kinda wishing my birthday a month forward!!
Do you know what you want for your birthday? I would like an ipod/an acoustic guitar! But both are pretty expensive so I'll probably have to get them myself!
yes I love the sound of music! My friend was saying that next november when I turn 17 and she's still 16 we'll have to sing it and I can be Ralph
I went to Austria when we had a quietish week this summer with my Mum and we stayed in the region where it was filmed...! It was amazing!
Maybe I should pm you next time cause we're having our own little conversation!
fbf~x~