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Post by Dick on Dec 25, 2004 20:45:42 GMT
Merry Xmas everybody. This thread is dedicated to the proposition that anybody who wants can play xiao.  I have long promised to make some simple songs and studies available on the web for people who have bought Chinese flutes and don't have access to such material. I finally made good on the promise; anyway I've made a start. Introducing my first four lessons for beginning xiao players: I invite all players to contribute. Post your favorite music, studies, practice techniques, and other material for beginners in this thread. thanks! |
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Post by twilight on Dec 25, 2004 21:13:09 GMT
Dick,
will you be putting up lessons from now on? if yes, then I would really want to learn the xiao or dizi ;D
For everyone with experience, what dizi or xiao should a beginner use to learn first? I see people mentioning the xiao in G or in D...umm...I don't really understand what it means since I don't play the xiao. Can someone explain more please?
Thank you
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Post by Dick on Dec 25, 2004 21:40:16 GMT
Hello, twilight! Thanks for checking in.
Yes I plan to put more xiao lessons up on my web site, whenever time permits. I plan to do a series for dizi as well. It's a spare time activity for me, so we'll see how it goes. I'd be doing great if I could get a new lesson up every week or two, I think.
Xiao is the Chinese "end-blown" flute, held like a Japanese shakuhachi or South American qena. Dizi is held like a western flute, and blown cross-wise or "transverse". If you want to play xiao, pick up an empty glass soda pop bottle. Put the opening under your lower lip and blow gently across the far edge. Can you make a steady low pitch that way? It's easy for most people. If you can do it, you can play xiao.
The "key" of a xiao is usually called by the pitch that sounds when the lower three finger holes are open. Most common flutes are in G or F. You will probably find a G xiao easier to hold and finger than an F one, which is longer.
Merry Xmas, and a Musical New Year!
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Post by davidmdahl on Dec 26, 2004 5:21:19 GMT
The "key" of a xiao is usually called by the pitch that sounds when the lower three finger holes are open. Most common flutes are in G or F. You will probably find a G xiao easier to hold and finger than an F one, which is longer. This is true for a six-hole xiao (and dizi), but for an eight-hole xiao, it is more accurate to say that key pitch is sounded by covering only the left hand (blowing end) holes. Sorry to be so contrary, Dick. <g> Best wishes, David |
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Post by freeman on Nov 15, 2015 15:35:35 GMT
Hi, thank you very much for this lessions. Have you more sheet music for xiao?
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Post by markymark on Apr 17, 2016 19:24:24 GMT
Merry Xmas everybody. This thread is dedicated to the proposition that anybody who wants can play xiao. I have long promised to make some simple songs and studies available on the web for people who have bought Chinese flutes and don't have access to such material. I finally made good on the promise; anyway I've made a start. Introducing my first four lessons for beginning xiao players: I invite all players to contribute. Post your favorite music, studies, practice techniques, and other material for beginners in this thread. thanks! |
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Post by markymark on Apr 17, 2016 19:26:02 GMT
Merry Xmas everybody. This thread is dedicated to the proposition that anybody who wants can play xiao. I have long promised to make some simple songs and studies available on the web for people who have bought Chinese flutes and don't have access to such material. I finally made good on the promise; anyway I've made a start. Introducing my first four lessons for beginning xiao players: I invite all players to contribute. Post your favorite music, studies, practice techniques, and other material for beginners in this thread. thanks! |
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Post by markymark on Apr 17, 2016 19:29:31 GMT
Hi everybody,
I am new to this forum and wonder if anyone can give me some advice on getting the second octave on a G xiao.
I can get the lowest octave without any problems, but, no matter what I seem to try, I just cannot change the octave.
I have searched the internet for advice, but have come up with nothing at all on this subject.
I would really appreciate if one of you guys have any tips.
Thank you in advance.
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Post by Blue on Apr 18, 2016 12:53:49 GMT
You would have to blow a faster and more focused stream of air, and change the blowing direction. But it is hard to explain in writing. It's best for you to find someone who can play flutes to directly coach you, especially notched flutes. (Ironically, some people who are experts in playing transverse flutes end up unable to play notched flutes).
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Post by davidmdahl on Apr 18, 2016 17:38:44 GMT
You would have to blow a faster and more focused stream of air, and change the blowing direction. But it is hard to explain in writing. It's best for you to find someone who can play flutes to directly coach you, especially notched flutes. (Ironically, some people who are experts in playing transverse flutes end up unable to play notched flutes). I agree with the first part of this, but there is no reason I can think of why playing a transverse flute should prevent someone from playing a notched flute to a high level, or vice versa. The main constraint is going to be time. I suspect that many musicians will focus on one or the other, since each take time to learn. Personality and taste might also have something to do with it. Best wishes, David |
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Post by bsfloyd on Apr 18, 2016 19:51:45 GMT
Blue said it well - a faster and more focused stream of air. Imagine making the hole between your lips even smaller than what you are now. This will create a faster stream of air and help you into the next octave. Also, tilting the chin down ever so slightly will help as well. You could simply blow harder to jump into the next octave, but to save from possibly hyperventilating a smaller and tighter embouchure is best  It actually took me a while to get accustomed to rim blown flutes coming from years of transverse flutes. I find the embouchure to be not the same for me. However, since I found what I needed to alter between the two all is good. |
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Post by Blue on Apr 18, 2016 23:29:52 GMT
Well, all I can say is that a seller of Chinese musical instruments said that the primary reason the bass dizi exists is because there are dizi players who simply have difficulty playing the xiao. I asked her how that could be possible since I was able to migrate from a dizi to a xiao without any training. She said for some reason those players find the embouchure for the xiao more challenging. The seller is a dizi and xiao player herself.
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Post by davidmdahl on Apr 19, 2016 20:47:26 GMT
I don't think that playing the flute/dizi makes it harder to learn to play xiao. The xiao does require some focused practice to learn the embouchure and fingering, but everyone needs that. Maybe some dizi players think that xiao will be an easy switch, and get discouraged when they find out it will take a lot of practicing.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by bsfloyd on Apr 19, 2016 22:24:07 GMT
Thinking back to when I first started learning transverse flutes, it too took me a while to develop the correct embouchure to play it well. I thought that since I developed that embouchure I would pick up on the rim blown flute easier but discouragely did not. And, I think that's what frustrated me the most - I knew how the instrument was suppose to sound, and I could get that sound on my transverse flute, but not so on the rim blown. Whereas the transverse learning curve was all new as wind instruments in general was new to me. Nonetheless, I can now play both which makes me very pleased.
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Post by markymark on Jun 13, 2016 19:27:20 GMT
Hi everybody, I am new to this forum and wonder if anyone can give me some advice on getting the second octave on a G xiao. I can get the lowest octave without any problems, but, no matter what I seem to try, I just cannot change the octave. I have searched the internet for advice, but have come up with nothing at all on this subject. I would really appreciate if one of you guys have any tips. Thank you in advance. |
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Post by markymark on Jun 13, 2016 19:29:33 GMT
Hi everybody, I am new to this forum and wonder if anyone can give me some advice on getting the second octave on a G xiao. I can get the lowest octave without any problems, but, no matter what I seem to try, I just cannot change the octave. I have searched the internet for advice, but have come up with nothing at all on this subject. I would really appreciate if one of you guys have any tips. Thank you in advance. Hi Blue, Many thanks for the tip, sorry to take so long to reply, I have been away fr a while. I will try your suggestion and hopefully make some progress. Again, many thanks, Mark. |
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