How to get a good flutey
answer to an intelligent flutey question:
Have you ever been discouraged when
you've asked a question on the internet, on one of the
flute chat/discussion groups, and hardly received any
useful replies?
Well, sometimes there ARE no answers to certain
questions. Some flute questions are like the chicken and
the egg, or open-hole vs. closed hole, or gold vs.
silver, or b-foot vs. c-foot---the answers are endless.
But more often than not it is
because you've asked your question in a way that would
take someone a lot of effort to answer, and everybody
online is speed-reading and deleting, just as you are, to
cope with an excess of email.
So if your question was worded like
this one below, take note, and read on.
Hi, my flute sounds weird.
How frustrating. I have a big test tomorrow. What do you
do if all the high notes don't come out?
What is wrong with the above
question, do you think?
Answer: It would take too long to
answer and it doesn't make anyone WANT to try and quickly
point you in the right direction.
Basically, the person answering such
a questions would first have to ask you all sorts of
qualifying questions like "What exactly is wrong
with the high notes...how long since you had it repaired?
What does your flute teacher say when they try your
flute? What test do you have tomorrow? Does your band
teacher have a flute to loan you? Do you think it's YOU?
Or do you think it's the flute? etc. etc." And even
after you answer all those questions, the folks
on the internet reading your answers would then have to
type for 45 minutes to try and give you a check-list for
all the possible problems and their solutions. It simply
takes too long to answer.
And remember, the person answering
you is not getting paid to answer you, they're just doing
it to be helpful. So help THEM. Read on.
Here is a method that really
improves your chances of getting a helpful answer to some
of your flutey questions.
There are three main things your question should
have:
1. An indication of what
level of flute playing you are talking about,
and some example details that explain a little more about
it.
2. An indication of how you
have already attempted to solve the question through your
own research.
3. An indication that you
would be grateful to receive an answer (and are the kind
of loveable person who may even send a thankyou note to
someone who answered your questions online for free,
which DOES take up someone else's time.)
In reference to number 2 above (your attempt to find your
answers online through doing your own research) remember
that www.google.com and a few
general keyword searches will often refer you to answers
that are already online to be read, and that many flute
discussion groups have files, archives, or search engines
to retrieve similar questions that have come before.
Meanwhile:
Here are some typical example of flutey internet
questions that unfortunately do not follow any of the
above suggestions, and possible ways to ask them that MAY
solicit more responses.
---------------------------------------
Poorly asked question:
-------------------------------------------------
Q: Hi, how are u? I'm looking for a song to play at
midstate. Does
anybody know any good ones?
======================
Improved way to ask the same question (numbers
relate to the three
pointers above):
--------------------------------------------
IQ:
Hello, I'm hoping someone can help me, as I don't have a
private
teacher to ask the following question .
I'm considering entering a competition for highschoolers
that is called "Midstate" and is a U.S. Honour
Band competition, with a list of suggested pieces for
high school flutists.
I want to play a piece that is flashy, but not too
technically difficult, as I only have four months to
prepare. Pieces listed for my grade level are things
like:
Carnival of Venice by Genin, and two contrasting
movements from any Handel Sonata.
I'm already familiar with these works, above, and
really would like something more compelling and
interesting to work on.
Does anyone have any suggestions of repertoire you
enjoyed? I love the Romantic period.
Thankyou so much in advance. :>) Cindy
____________________________________
Reading over the above, which would YOU be more likely to
answer?
The first (poorly asked one) or the second one (with lots
of details). Which do you think would take less time to
answer?
Which leads to less typing for the answerer?
You see, it is the same for flute experts, teachers and
performers on the net. They want to type as little as
possible, and possibly re-direct you to the URL of a page
where this information is already available.
Let's try another question:
---------------------------------------
Poorly asked question:
-------------------------------------------------
Q: I want to buy a new flute, because my old one is
basically busted.
What would be a good kind to get?
======================
Improved way to ask the same question:
--------------------------------------------
IQ: Hi, I'm hoping to get some suggestions from other
intermediate flute players or their teachers.
I've been playing a closed-hole Artley for about three
years, and it feels like it is holding me back. I have a
budget of $700 or perhaps a little more, and would like a
slightly better instrument on which I can develop better
tone and faster fingers.
My private teacher has suggested Yamaha 300 series,
with open-holes (which worries me as I'm afraid I'd be
unused to the open-holes) but I also wonder
if there are any other flutes in my price range that
would be worth trying.
Thanks so much for any suggestions you could make.
Robert
_______________________________________
Final example:
---------------------------------------
Poorly asked question:
-------------------------------------------------
Q: Does anyone know the trill fingering for high G to A?
It's in my song called "March" and I need it
for the concert tomorrow.
======================
Improved way to ask the same question:
--------------------------------------------
IQ: Our band is playing "March" by Peabody, and
if you are familiar with it, there is a long sustained
trill from high G to high A followed by a rest, at
rehearsal number 6.
I've looked up various fingerings at flute
fingering guides online and can't decide which one is
easiest. Some of them are really tricky, and others have
poor sound quality.
What's the best way to figure out how to finger
this trill?
Thanks so much for any help or insights on this kind of
problem. We're playing the piece in two weeks and I'd
also like to help out the others in my section with a
fingering they all can use so we all sound alike.
Thankyou, Val
_________________end questions.
My final suggestions are:
1. Don't try to get
information just a few days before a performance,
recital or competition, as you won't have time to
incorperate it. The
time to ask questions is months or weeks in advance.
2. And remember to take the time to actually WRITE that
thankyou email to anyone who gives you a helpful answer
or suggestion.
I find, as a teacher on the net, that only about 1
in 10 teenagers, and only 3 of 10 adults actually send
thankyou notes, and as a result, after a few years, the
really helpful teachers online (who are working at their
computers for FREE and out of the goodness of their
hearts) LOSE-heart, and slow down and then stop answering
certain kinds of questions, and certain question-askers.
Remember that people online are not receiving a
salary for answering questions, unlike teachers at your
school.
And lastly, if your private teacher has told you to
research the answer to a question in order to improve
your researching abilities..remember that there was a
life before google when LIBRARIES HAD BOOKS that had many
answers.
Don't expect the internet to do all your homework for
you.
The teachers online (who are not getting paid to look up
your composer for you) often don't answer questions about
certain things because they want you to learn how to look
it up for yourself. :>)
Hope this helps you find all the answers you need, or at
least meet friends who are willing to help you look for
the answers.
Best,
Jennifer Cluff Flute teacher.
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