Lip Tension:
1. Relaxed: Keep your embouchure relaxed and avoid excessive tension. Tense lips can result in a harsh or unsteady tone.
2. Control: Your upper and lower lip placement control the speed of the air that flows through the flute. Adjust your lip tension accordingly.
Lip Position:
3. Bottom Lip: Position your bottom lip on the flute's embouchure hole, creating a seal that allows air to vibrate into the flute.
4. Upper Lip: Place your upper lip slightly over your lower lip, about 1-2 millimeters. Your upper lip should lightly cover the blow hole on the flute.
5. Teeth Position: Relax your jaw, and keep your teeth slightly apart, usually 2-3 millimeters.
Air Placement:
6. Air Direction: Aim your airstream across the embouchure hole, directly toward the far edge. This angle creates the most stable airflow and produces a centered tone.
7. Flow: Form your lips into a small, round opening, allowing a focused and steady stream of air to pass through.
Practice:
8. Mirror: Use a mirror to observe your embouchure and make adjustments as needed to maintain proper form and alignment.
9. Long Tones: Practice sustaining long, steady tones to develop a consistent and controlled airstream.
10. Warm-Up: Start your practice with warm-up exercises that focus on embouchure flexibility, such as lip slurs and octave scales.
11. Embouchure Variation: Don't be afraid to experiment with subtle changes in lip tension and air direction to find the most resonant sound for different notes and passages.
Remember, developing a good embouchure requires time and patience. Practice regularly with conscious attention to your embouchure form, and you'll gradually improve your tone quality and overall flute-playing technique.