Teaching Flute Lessons with Alexander Principles - Part 6

VII.         Breathing

A major aspect of the Alexander Technique is the study of breathing. As flutists, it is especially important to practice good use while breathing. When teaching a newer student, allow her vibrato to develop on its own. Teaching vibrato will create unnecessary tension in the throat. Extra tension in the throat will translate into more stress throughout the body. To further explore playing with less tension, have students play orchestral pieces while sitting and solo music while standing. This way, the students will have a realistic idea of how it will physically feel to breathe while playing the piece. Here is an Alexander procedure called the “Whispered Ah.” It is helpful to practice it before and after playing and at any point when you feel an increase in tension. Try standing/seated Whispered ‘Ahs’ as part of the study, notice the difference and discuss it with your students. See how little they can interfere with their breathing in either case.

The Whispered Ah

1. Spend a few minutes having an awareness of your breathing.

2. Allow your mouth to drop open so that you exhale through your mouth and let your lips come together so that you inhale through your nose.

3. Let your tongue lie easily in the bottom of your jaw with its tip against the back of your lower teeth.

4. Make a whispered “Ah” sound as you exhale.

5. See if you can interfere with your breathing as little as possible.

1. At the end of your exhalation, pause and wait for your body to tell you when it is ready to inhale.

6. Think of something humorous or pleasant to allow a smile to come behind your eyes. This will release tension and allow you to breathe fully

How to apply these procedures during lessons

1. Teach the Whispered ‘Ah’

2. Bring the flute to the mouth

Instead of playing, use the Whispered Ah. In this way, you inhibit the idea that the only response to a flute at the lips is to play. Once you have inhibited your habitual response, you can release old habits and when you do play, you will experience a new freedom.

3. Bring the flute to the mouth and use the ‘La’ articulation to begin a long tone (a tone that begins softly, increases in volume and then tapers into silence)

VIII.    Continuing Your Study/Good Use

It is helpful if children are surrounded by parents and teachers with good use, thus leading by example. If you, as a teacher, practice good use, it will surely influence your students (children and adults). Therefore, take some Alexander lessons and/or have an Alexander teacher work with a group of your students. Be sure to invite more ease into your life by practicing Constructive Rest. See how often you can come back to your sense of awareness and give yourself the gift of effortlessness. Let that feeling of lightness encompass your entire breathing, sensing being.  Your body will reward you in so many ways. Who knows? You may one day wish to become an Alexander Teacher.

Teaching Flute Lessons with Alexander Principles - Part 4

It is a very common habit to bring one’s head to the flute by distorting the neck. Sometimes the flutist is thinking (in tunnel vision) only about the music and playing at the appropriate time. It is easy to become anxious to play. Other times a flutist distorts his neck not in an effort to reach the flute, but because he is straining to see the music. The visual cortex is in the back of the skull. Invite the student to see the music from this point—see from the back of his head. In this way, the student inhibits his habit by thinking of something new. Ask that he let the music come to his eyes and not his head to the music.

        Standing while playing can pose several obstacles. In order to have the finest projection, the flute must face your audience. Aiming your instrument in such a way means that your head will also be poised with your face towards the audience. Your neck will be poised in a neutral, natural way. There should be a slight spiral, or rotation beginning with your shoulder girdle. This rotation accommodates expansion through the shoulder girdle. Without the spiral, the right shoulder blade will push into the ribcage. The flutist that does not allow the shoulder girdle to have its natural rotation must fight against it by tightening and holding the shoulder girdle still. This will interfere with breathing and may cause her neck, shoulders, and upper back to become sore.   

        Once the shoulder girdle is released into its own natural pattern of movement, the spine can accommodate the spiral by lengthening into a slight spiral, too. The pelvis will also turn and so your legs may need to change to a new stance. Your right leg and foot may follow the spiral to the right with the right foot slightly behind the left foot. Do not swivel your torso so far to the right that you feel your left knee twist. This is a gentle rotation that should feel easeful.

        Since your head and neck face the audience, your left leg and foot should face it as well. If your shoulder girdle, torso, and both legs were to face slightly to the right, it would be very difficult for your head and neck to face a different direction and it would require force, which is unnecessary in this case. By allowing your left leg and foot to face the audience, you establish a lengthening base of support for your head and neck to face the audience. With your right leg and foot facing slightly to the right (following the slight rotation of your shoulder girdle and torso), and your head, neck, left leg, and foot facing the audience, you will feel more easeful and open as you play.

        This spiraling technique can also be applied to sitting and playing. It may help to turn your chair a bit to the right. You may find it more comfortable to let your right heel come off the floor.

VI. Lesson Structure

A way to cut down on the risk of Repetitive Strain Injuries is to incorporate breaks into lesson time. Spend the break stretching or take a walk around the room. By including a pause into the lesson, the teacher and the student can become aware of their desire to fixate on the music and inhibit that habit in order to return to a state in which they are aware of their entire surroundings. The longer we perform a single task, the easier it is to lose our sense of awareness, and the more likely we are to rely on our habits. Hence, in addition to finding an expanded form of awareness, the teacher and student may prevent themselves from falling back into habits. By pausing, they will both feel refreshed and easeful. With their whole selves energized, they can use their directions to continue the lesson.

Halting the lesson can at times be disadvantageous. If, for instance, a teacher stops a student frequently, it may trigger the startle response, or the pattern of tension that precedes the “fight or flight” response. It can increase the student’s level of tension overall and it may increase the desire to be right (or, the fear of being wrong and therefore, the fear of playing). If you wait until the end of a piece to critique the student, the student will grow accustomed to playing straight through (which will be helpful during performances) and build confidence. This of course, will mean more work for you, the teacher. It will be a wonderful lesson in inhibition. You will need to develop your memory, have a score, or have a pen and paper nearby to mark mistakes, but in return you will have stronger players in your studio.

Obviously, each student is unique. The style of teaching you use for one student will not necessarily be appropriate for another. Just as there are benefits to pausing the student, there are advantages to allowing the student to play uninterrupted. So long as the Alexander principles are present, both you and your student will improve.

Teaching Flute Lessons with Alexander Principles - Part 3

V. Finding Freedom & Direction in Your Students

It is very useful to have mirrors in your studio. Doing so will allow you to observe your student from all angles. Rather than asking about pain or tiredness, ask the student what she noticed or felt while playing. Remain as objective as possible to allow the student to be nonjudgmental, too. Have the student put her instrument down and begin anew. Look for ways to hold the flute using the natural hand patterns of the student.       

Be sure that the student isn’t using unnecessary tension. Here are some examples of common tension patterns in flutists:

                    -jamming the flute against chin

                    -not using all of the joints in the fingers

                    -bending the right hand thumb in and laying it lengthwise against the flute

                    -shortening the spine (or lifting the sternum and arching the lower back)

                    -locking the knees

                    -hanging on the instrument

                    -holding the left arm (or the right arm) against the ribcage

                    -hanging on a hip joint (weight set on one leg, with the weight-bearing hip

jutting out)

                    -gripping in the feet and ankles so that the feet aren’t grounded

If you observe one of these habits in a student, notice how these tension patterns affect the body as a whole. For instance, locking the knees will also cause the ankles and hips to tighten and the spine to shorten. It is not necessary to correct these issues. You need not discuss it in depth with the student. As long as you are aware and can lead the student through the process of inhibition: pause and do something else instead of playing.

For example, you notice when you ask your student to sight-read that he hunches over the stand to look at the music more closely. As you become aware of your student’s habit, your own head/neck/back relationship has become compressed. You could allow the situation to continue and risk straining yourselves, or you could take a five minute break and think of the Alexander directions. Upon returning to the sight-reading task, you notice that you are both breathing freely and your bodies are whole, enlivened systems.

Field Example:

                    -During a lesson with a student (age seven), I spent much of the time bringing the flute headjoint towards her and then taking it away. I did this to make her conscious of her habit to bring her head and neck toward the flute. While she was not doing anything wrong, it was unnecessary and took extra energy. I have this habit, too, so I brought humor into the situation. I said that neither of us want to look like ET when we play and that we should remind each other when we see this pattern. We would use the code word “oooouch” (said in my best ET voice).

It later became clear that the student could not comfortably hold the assembled flute. It may be a year or two before she will grow into it, so I lent her my fife. Now she can hold her instrument easily, she doesn’t have to put it together, and it can take a beating and still function. It is important to know when the Alexander work is not enough. It is possible to simply have an unworkable situation. However, it is through the Technique that you can become aware of the difference between a difficult situation and an unworkable one. With the Alexander Technique, you can have options for managing an array of situations.

Teaching Flute Lessons with Alexander Principles - Part 2

II.             Finding Balance

1.  Back and Down                              2.  Over-straightened                     3.  Balanced

To begin to improve the daily use of your body, you must understand how your body works against gravity. When your whole self is poised and easeful, your body will naturally spring up against gravity. You will know your entire system is easeful when your neck is relaxed, your head moves forward and up, and your back is widening. This is the opposite of a collapsed head, neck, and torso that appear to be defeated by gravity, or what Alexander teachers call being “back and down.”

Here are three examples of head/neck/back relationships while in an upright position. (View from left to right.) 1. The first image is of a head back and down. As you can see, the spine would become compressed in this position and breathing would be taxing. People who appear this way may be tired and feel that collapsing as pictured will be restful. The extra effort needed to breathe and move in this state would make playing the flute a difficult endeavor. 2. The second image is of a head over-straightening. People sometimes pull their spines into this position in an effort to have “good posture.” The spine is not allowed to have its cervical curve and it would take extra tension to maintain this arrangement. Once again, breathing and moving would require excess tension. The extra tension travels into the shoulders, arms, and fingers making technical passages a nightmare. 3. The third image is of a balanced head. Keep in mind that this is not a position to be held, but a free neck where the head can constantly balance and re-balance as you move. Just as a tall building is designed to move, so should you. As you are “standing still,” you can let your whole self be free so that your body moves slightly in what Alexander teachers call the “standing dance.” Your head/neck/back relationship is just a part of that dance. When your head is balanced on your torso, you can breathe and move with freedom. FM Alexander called this head/neck/back relationship Primary Control. Primary Control is the body’s basic, innate mechanism for support and poise. It ensures that your limbs can move freely with minimal effort and without compromising your free neck, balanced head, and lengthening spine.

III.           Constructive Rest

Constructive Rest Position

This is one variation of the Constructive Rest, or Semi-Supine position. Lie on the floor with a comfortable number of paperback books under your head. Your head and neck should feel balanced and free, just as in the previous diagram. Allow your knees to be bent with your feet to be as close to your torso as is comfortable, and placed wider than your pelvis. Allow your body to expand onto the floor. Let your hands rest on your abdomen so that you can feel your breathing. Your neck can be easy so that your head can balance on the books with minimal effort. Your spine can maintain its curves and therefore certain places on your back may not touch the floor. Allow your spine to lengthen within its curves. Remember that these directions are not orders that you must follow, but wishes. There is nothing for you to do but be aware and see if you can inhibit and gradually direct yourself to release any unnecessary tension. Continually ask yourself if you can do less. Later, when you are upright, see if you can use awareness, inhibition, and direction to rediscover this feeling of ease in your joints.

For example, if you become aware of tension in your neck, inhibit the desire to move it around, pull it to each side and crack it. Say “no” to all of the old habits and instead, pause. Think of your Alexander directions: Neck to be free, head balancing, spine to lengthen, legs releasing, and shoulders widening. Have the wish for your neck to be soft. Begin again with awareness and repeat the whole process.

Constructive Rest shows us that there is another state in which to live besides awake and tense or asleep. Since we are lying down, we are not struggling with gravity and can release more muscle tension than we would be able to while standing or sitting. Practicing Constructive Rest regularly (for 15 minutes a day) can teach you how to become aware of excess tension and let it go while being in a prone position and consequently, you will begin to do less while upright.

IV.    Dancing with Gravity

Tripod of Balance

When you stand, think of the bottom of your feet expanding. Consider the “Tripod of Balance,” or the ball of the great toe, the ball of the small toe, and the heel. Sensing these points can help you feel more contact with the floor. Once you have that connection, you can have lightness and ease of movement throughout your body.

When we have a good connection with the ground, we have the ability to move up internally in opposition. Once we have awareness and have inhibited doing anything, we can think our directions. The neck can be soft so that the head can balance delicately at the tip of the spine and the spine can lengthen so that the knees can release forward and the shoulder girdle is supported by our sense of “up.” Think of how a fountain works: energy is drawn up from its strongly connected base and the water moves up from its center and then cascades down on the outer circumference. Our bodies work in a similar way. The strong connection of your feet to the ground allows your legs to move up from your ankles and your spine moves up all the way to its uppermost point, the atlanto occipital joint, where your head also releases up and your outer musculature can release, allowing your spine and legs to bear your weight. Therefore, your arms can be light since your shoulder girdle is not responsible for keeping you upright. So there is an upwards and a downwards flow throughout your body. To find the feeling of lightness within your shoulder girdle, try the following procedure.

Pearl Ausubel’s Arm Procedure

Pearl Ausubel was a teacher at the American Center for the Alexander Technique. She developed the following procedure for her musician students to help them learn to release excess tension in their arms.

1.     Stand with your neck free so that your head can be balanced at the tip of your spine and your torso can lengthen and widen and your legs can release away from your torso and your shoulders can widen.

2.     Let the fingers of your right hand lengthen towards the floor.

3.     Allow the thumb of your right hand to lead your palm to face away from your body.

4.     Let your fingertips lead your straight arm away from your torso, out to your side in a lengthening arc until your arm is perpendicular to your body. Be sure that your torso is not compromised by the movement.

5.     Feel your feet release into the floor as your head releases towards the ceiling and your arm lengthens away from your body.

6.     Allow your thumb to lead your palm to face the floor.

7.     Let your fingertips lead your straight arm in a lengthening arc back to your side.

8.     Notice the difference between your arms and your shoulders.

9.     Repeat with the left arm.

I will add more of the paper soon. Stay tuned!

Teaching Flute Lessons with Alexander Principles - Part 1

We can assume that your students want to have a beautiful sound and solid technical skill and you have that wish for them as well. There are two ways to accomplish these goals: 1. By falling into the habit of using excess tension, or 2. Through the use of ease.

Every flutist uses tension to play the instrument. By excess tension (as noted in the first category), I am describing those flutists who (usually unconsciously) use more muscle tension than what is needed. It is understandable that we may rely on excess tension to perform. Many flutists have hectic schedules and use extra strain to help them conquer fatigue during a performance. Others may use it because it is a habit that provides comfort and comfort of any kind is welcome during performances. Some flutists feel that excess tension gives them an extra edge or helps them block out nervousness or even to block out the audience itself. The reasons for relying on excess tension are numerous, but does it really help us? For some musicians, the use of excess muscle tension does not cause a problem. However, for others (myself included), relying on excess tension causes repetitive stress injuries. Therefore, for the flutist whose playing habits fit those of the excess tension category, the Alexander Technique plays an extremely integral part in preventing the development of repetitive strain injuries. In addition, the Technique can be informative, invaluable, and even career-saving after a repetitive strain injury has surfaced.

People whose performances fall into the second category (playing through the use of ease) are often called “naturals.” They are amazingly gifted, and yet there is a way that each of us can obtain some of their qualities. Those same levels of grace and fluidity, as seen in people like James Galway and Fred Astaire, can be learned. The Alexander Technique can give you the tools to have more ease in your playing and, should you choose to apply it further, ease within all aspects of your life. The Technique can support your teaching and aid your students.

I.       Beginning

When you teach, consider the whole student (mind and body). This includes but is not limited to: ease within the joints, using the necessary amount of muscle tension, effortless breathing, a mind that is present, and eyes that see their surroundings.  Therefore, teaching the whole student begins by letting freedom in the body take precedence over the quality of sound—over making any sound at all. You and your student must be willing, at times, to walk away from the flute and do another activity instead. This is the only way to diffuse habits of tension and allow more healthful patterns to develop. When ease within your whole system becomes the priority, a new, full tone is allowed to develop. To accomplish this, you can apply the three main principles of the Alexander Technique: Awareness, Inhibition, and Direction.

The Alexander definition of “Awareness” includes knowing how you move your body and having consciousness in and around your body, in other words, having a clear kinesthetic perception. Through awareness you will on occasion discover a habit. You may decide not to continue with the habit, so the next step, according to the Alexander Technique, is to pause. Pausing is necessary to override a habit. If you notice a habit and decide—without a pause—to stop the habit, you will quickly find that you have slipped back into your habit. The pause gives you time to reorganize your system and it is called “Inhibition.” By inhibiting a reaction to a stimulus, you give yourself time to check in with your system. For example: your phone rings (the stimulus), and instead of rushing to answer it (reaction), you inhibit. In other words, you pause and see if you are breathing (or if you held your breath when you heard the phone) and allow your neck to be free. After inhibiting, you are able to pick up the phone in an easeful way. This reorganization does not require much time and yet it will make an incredible difference in how you feel.  The reorganization, itself, is called “Direction.” It is accomplished with a set of instructions not to be carried out. This means that the instructions, or “directions,” are a set of wishes you have for yourself and so you wish for yourself to be free—in mind and body. Once these “directions” have been spoken or thought, you may move in a new, non-habitual way.

FM Alexander’s directions begin with relaxing the neck. Most people have felt neck pain at some time in their lives. To get an idea of what a tense neck feels like, place a hand on the back of your neck and sit in a chair and then stand up. It is likely that you felt some stress. Pause now and direct your neck to relax. You can do this by thinking “I wish my neck to be soft.” When you feel an undoing of tension, sit and stand again. Notice if anything changed.

Alexander’s second direction is to “let your head go forward and up.” This does not mean forward in space, but a forward tilt in the axis of your head. When your neck is free, or relaxed, your head naturally nods forward slightly. This is because your skull is not centered above the tip of your spine. Most of your skull is in front of the spine (if we consider the side with your face to be the front). Hence, more of the skulls weight is in front, and it is designed to nod forward slightly. The up is the space created between the tip of your spine and your skull when your neck is free and your head is poised. It is a feeling of lightness and accessibility. Once your neck is soft, direct your head to move forward and up. Let each wish be in this order.

The third direction Alexander devised was for the back to widen. When you have the desire for your back to widen, you are including the wish to breathe freely and the wish that your spine lengthen within its curves. So, once you have allowed your neck to be free and your head to move forward and up, let your back widen.

Stay tuned for Teaching Flute Lessons with Alexander Principles - Part 2, where I will talk about finding balance and Primary Control.