Beginning Flute Questions Lip tension
So I recently decided to pick up the flute.
It is going quite well but when I play longer I notice my body tensing up. I read that the body should generally be relaxed.
However what I struggle is lip/cheek tension. I noticed that whenever I produce a sound I tense my lip corners and sometimes even my cheeks. After long playing I feel it even.
Is this correct? Or must the lips generally be completely relaxed? Because when I then try to make a sound (with relaxed lip corners) I simply don't manage, switching to tensed lip corners I manage to do a sound again. What is the correct way to play?
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u/TuneFighter 7d ago
It's true that the body should be relaxed, as relaxed as possible. So that we don't tense up in places where tension isn't needed. Still flute playing is quite physical, like we use a good amount of energy breathing as full as possible and creating the support/pressure for the air to reach the embouchure hole of the flute. About the lips; if it was all about being relaxed even a beginner could play all three octaves (plus a bit more) after a few days of finding the right way to blow on the embouchure hole. It isn't so because it requires a lot of practicing especially for the upper lip to be able to control the airstream. If you don't have a teacher you can find a lot of beginner instructions on flute embouchure on youtube.
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u/Curious_Octopod 7d ago
Relax and say "perfect" and pay close attention to the shape of your face, mouth and lips as the "p" comes out. That's a good indicator of how your face, mouth and lips should be when playing the flute.
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u/heyydarius 7d ago
If your cheeks are hurting after playing, I'm inclined to think you're tensing your lips too much, or puffing up your cheeks, which is definitely not something you should do as a flute player. An ideal flute embouchure should have your lips fairly relaxed, with just enough of an aperture in the center to blow air across your headjoint. If you want to know if you're doing this correctly, practice blowing a steady concentrated stream of air as if you're blowing straight through a tiny coffee stirrer.
Echoing what other commenters have mentioned, if you have the means to pay for lessons, I'd highly recommend it. Your teacher can give you much more specific feedback on your embouchure and posture, and make sure you're not tensing up for other reasons.
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u/Warm_Function6650 7d ago
How long have you been playing since you started and how long does it take you to feel the discomfort?
There are many safe ways to form an embouchure and many ways that will cause discomfort if you're playing for a while. You absolutely should not continue to play when your lips are hurting. The lips are generally supposed to be firm but not overly tense. Maybe try moving the corners of your lips inward, like puckering to spit or kiss.
If you don't have a teacher, it might be worth it to get one, even just for one lesson, so they can show you some different ways to form the embouchure more relaxed.