Sound, Dimo and Saliva Advice

[manunart]

Hi All,



After I practice for 10 days, I think Dizi is easy to play but hard to master. May be need for a year or more to achieve a good skill level.

The problem is the 2nd Octave is hard to play smooth and clean. Especially, when play the alternation of 1st and 2nd octave notes.

(In the Video I try to avoid the 2nd Octave)



Here is the question:



1) Sound: Is this the correct Dizi sound should be?





2) Dimo: This sound show a correct Dimo placement? Picture here:



3) When I play about 10 minute, I saw lot of Saliva in side the blowing zone. The cork inside also get wet. What should I do? 




Thank you very much.

[Blue]

Dimo application looks great.

Use a q-tip to swab away saliva.
Place dizi on your bed at an inclined angle to encourage further evaporation. Do not store in case until dry.

[Blue]

Typing on android is such a pain.
My response has 2 be terse 4 now.

[Flolei]

Nov 2, 2013 8:57:54 GMT manunart said:

May be need for a year or more to achieve a good skill level.

It's true for all musical instruments. You have to be patient and work hard every day to master it.

[manunart]

Hi Allen,
Thank you for the idea of using Cotton bud, it's look great.

Hi Flolei,

I think breathing control is really hard on the wind instrument. Do you have a good tips, how to develop this issue quickly?

Thank you.

[edcat7]

The best thing I've done is to stop smoking! Well actually I'm now on those E cigarettes. I find that if the embouchure is not small enough a lot of the air misses and try to compensate by blowing harder.

[Blue]

manunart:
You're actually doing quite well even though you find the higher octave more challenging. You mentioned that the dizi is the first wood wind instrument you use. What's your past wind instrument experience, then? Are you familiar with the jianpu notation, or do you know when to change your breath when playing the flute?

The geometric aspect of the blowing hole is different for each class of flute. Shinobues and polymer Tony Dixon flute generally have larger and more oval blowing holes than dizis. I've heard about and encountered flutes that have a completely circular blowing hole.

But yes: the main point is that your breath has to be efficiently transferred into the blowing hole. If you feel the breath on your arm when playing, then you have to redirect more of your breath into the blowing hole. You might also try re-directing your breath slightly towards the right or left (depending if you are right handed or left handed).

[manunart]

Hi Ed,
Congratulation for your stop smoking. I heard that E cigarettes is a good choice from quitting smoking.
Yes, I agree with you that I have to control the embouchure. Thank you for your advice. ^ ^


Hi Allenchang:
Yes, today practicing on the 2nd octave. The problem is when I try to blow making 2nd octave note the 1st octave come first.

I don't have any wind instrument experience. Last month, I went to Japan and I saw a man playing Dizi on the stage.

(Do you/anyone know the name of this song?)

And I feel "In Love" with the sound, the tone, the detail of Chinese flute. I just know that instrument name is “Dizi” after I search from google.

Now, I am using the 40 USD key D dizi, the sound is pretty good and I love to play very much. JUST finish playing Dizi on the rooftop of 24th floor HA HA.
And waiting for key C Dong Xue Hua from "EASON MUSIC". (As you and David advise me to get a Key C or D Dizi)

I don't know jianpu notation but I know to read staff notes. (I have piano background)

I am trying to blow efficiently transferred into the blowing hole. And I will try to breathe slightly towards the right or left. Thank you for your advice.

Actually, I don't know when/how to change your breath when playing the flute. Could you give me an advice? Thank you again. ^ ^

[Blue]

Hm . . . . . . why do I smell the musical work of James Horner:

[Blue]

Wow, you attended a Tokyo Grand Tea Ceremony (東京大茶會).
The person is not playing a dizi (note the lack of the distinctive buzzing sound). He is actually playing a shinobue.

As for when to change your breath . . . . . .
If you do get to examine the jianpu notation, you should change your breath whenever you see the apostrophe ( ' ) sign. You can also change your breath whenever there's a “0” in the jianpu because “0” represents the musical rest (ie the beats that you don't need to perform or blow anything into the dizi.)

If you don't encounter the apostrophe or the “0,” and you're running out of breath, then try to change your breath at the start of a bar. Do this only if you really have to change your breath at the last resort. Changing one's breath is the musical equivalent of ending an old sentence and starting a new sentence, so avoid changing your breath in the middle of a section/segment unless there's a musical rest of an apostrophe sign.

[manunart]

Oh, Allen.
Yes, the intro is the same!!!
I able to sleep well from now HA HA.

[Blue]

Finally, one exercise that you can do is to first go from 1st octave to 2nd octave with eight beats per note. Then go down from 2nd octave to 1st octave with eight beats per note. Sustaining your breath for 8 beats is necessary for you to play most pieces smoothly as changing one's breath can interrupt the flow.

Another exercise is to alternate between 1st octave and 2nd octave with eight beats per note. For instance, first play the low pitched “so” for 8 seconds, then play the medium pitched “so” for 8 seconds. Then play low pitched “la” for 8 seconds followed by medium pitched “la” for 8 seconds etc. etc.

[manunart]

OH, again Allen.

You make me shock about this, I really thought that was Dizi.

However, on the time I search from google. I found Chen Yue playing Dizi.
I really like Dizi and Xiao she played. "Flowers in a Riot of Color" and "Trail of Angels (Fairy Footsteps In Greenland)" that she play is very nice.
She make me “In Love” the sound of Xiao right now. (How unfaithful am are…)

Today, I start to practice "Flowers in a Riot of Color" HA HA. (I will post the staff notation for several key soon)

Thank you for the jianpu notation that you mention about the apostrophe ( ' ) sign. I just know that jianpu have "breath sign". I will learn jianpu right now.

The information you gave about the "change your breath" is great. Thank you very much. ^ ^

[manunart]

Hi Allen,

Thank you for the exercis you gave. I will practise this every time before and after I play Dizi.
However "eight beats per note" > I don't know how fast of the metronome. Could you please tell me the number? or i think about 1 second per beat, right?

The second practise also great. This will get rid of "Making 2nd octave note the 1st octave come first." issue.

Thank you again, Allen.

[Blue]

That's correct: one second per beat. You need to sustain a note for at least 8 seconds.

[davidmdahl]

It is important to play musical phrases on the dizi, and any instrument. However, it is also important to play the dizi with good tone. Beginners on dizi will often economize on the air in an effort to play long phrases, and as a result wind up with a weak tone and poor intonation (playing out-of-tune). It is better to breath more frequently as necessary for playing with good tone, than to make the tone suffer in an attempt to obey the breath markings in the score. A beginner on the dizi will waste a lot of air at first, due to a larger than necessary lip opening, and lack of control. With practice over time, such as the exercise suggested by Allen, the lips will gain more control and focus, and it will be a lot easier to play longer without taking breaths. The breath markings are good suggestions, but if they are unrealistic for you, don't worry about adding more breath marks.

Best wishes,

David

[Flolei]

David exactly explained what I think too... but he did it in much better English than I would have done it, of course!

[manunart]

Hi David, Allen and Flolei,
Thank you for the breath advice and information. This really help.

[joepip]

I think as for the saliva, besides swallowing in between playing phrases, the angle of the mouth/lips to the mouth hole should be looking more over the hole rather than into it and I think the correct embouchure curls the lips slightly so that it's harder for saliva to come out. I recently ran into a similar issue with playing my xiao, but I think I fixed it for the most part.