How to use “De La Sonorité” Part 1 Concept

Supplemental literature

*M. Moyse, The Flute and Its Problems –Tone Development Through Interpretation – 1973, Muramatsu, Japan

*M. Moyse, How I Stayed in Shape, self publication by M. Moyse.

(1) What is musical tone?

a) See my previous entry “concept for musical tone”

b) Intelligent and flexible use of at least 2 kind of tone qualities (pure tone and shining tone) produces variety of perception in tone color and expressive intonation. This is common technique for singers and most of solo instruments.

c) In most cases dynamics of pure tone is around piano (mf-ppp) and shining tone is around forte.

d) Pure tone and shining tone correspond to head voice element and chest voice element in singers, respectively.

e) Shining tone is developed by the addition of core element (chest voice element) to pure tone (head voice element).

f) While timbre of “pure” middle B (above staff) is obviously different from that of “pure” lower C below staff, tone quality remains unchanged as long as property of the tone stays in “pure” quality group. This means quality is homogeneous.

(2)How to get it? : basic strategy

a) Establish pure tone throughout 3 registers at first = homogeneity of tone quality as “model” tones.

b) Then add “core” element to obtain shining tone mostly associated with forte nuance, according to a particular aim of each exercise.

c) Note: in fact, each section of Sonorite book encourages us to begin with pure tone or soft nuance (piano), except Attack section. The instruction for the very last section is obviously consistent with above concept and approach. Shining tone is described as “large, generous quality” of middle register and “intensity and generosity” of lower register in “The Flute and Its Problems”.

(3) Difficulty and solution in production of pure tone of lower register notes.

a) Since sound production of lower register utilizes standing wave of the air column within flute tube, default tone quality of lower register corresponds to chest voice of singers when a player’s air stream hits the sound point of lower register notes. Cautious manipulation of the air stream is required to get pure tone for lower register.

b) Aim the air stream to top end of the default sound point by using flexible embouchure. The direction of the air stream slightly goes upward with narrower lip openings relative to normal sound point. Upward direction of air stream without having suppleness and flexibility of lips will result in wrong intonation such as sharp intonation associated with poor and/or flat resonance.

c) In an effort to obtain pure tone, as a consequence, lower lip needs to “be pulled” upward (closing behavior of lower lip) and upper lip needs to “be pulled” backward (escaping behavior of upper lip), relative to normal position of respective lip. In other words, lower jaw needs to proceed forward. Such behavior of lips needs more when going down from low G toward C below staff, and less when going up from G to C within staff.

d) Lip motion is very subtle. Do not force lips (jaw) to move back/forth/up/down. Perceive energy of the air stream passing through embouchure structure and use this energy so that lips reach right position as a consequence. Embouchure structure and air stream help each other to get ideal property of the air stream. Therefore a player can avoid fatigue of embouchure and can maintain healthy, relaxed and flexible lips.

The approach as mentioned above is consistent with description in Sonorite book and supplemental literature.

(4) Who gets advantage?

This book is useful for advanced and more than advanced people. I recommend tonalization in Suzuki book 1 and 2 for beginners – pre-advanced people.