Gerard Billaudot La Prononciation - Bernold - Flute - Book/Audio Online

Exercises for mastering the art of Articulation for Eloquent and Expressive Flute Playing

Author: Philippe Bernold
Format: Book with Audio Online
Languages: French, English
Instrumentation: Flute

Articulation -- pronunciation -- is an essential element of flute playing. Mastering articulation helps bring one's performance alive by adding variety, colour and clearly defined intentions to the musical discourse. Articulation on the flute occurs when the flutist's tongue stops the note, similarly to a singer's words interrupting a melodic line. Explore the many possibilities of expression through two series of major and minor scales as well as several exercises and orchestral excerpts.

The book is divided in six chapters:

• Chapter 1 addresses good coordination between breath, tongue and fingers whilst playing major and minor scales in simple meter, followed by wider-ranging major scales in compound meter (Level 1)
• Chapter 2 focuses on correct tongue placement. Exercises derived from the repertoire exemplify the study of the "French detache" technique
• Chapter 3 explores the full range of articulations on another series of wide-ranging scales (Level 2)
• Chapter 4 aims at improving the speed of double and triple tonguing
• Chapter 5 deals with the attack of notes
• Chapter 6 highlights essential orchestral excerpts, plus one additional study with focusing on difficult articulations

To go further, a final chapter, "Notes, going a little further..." offers a selection of in-depth thematic articles and a brief historical overview of articulation through flute tutors from the 18th to the 20th century.