Sculpting and Shaping Sound By Terry Mack, Intuitive Player of the Native American Flute
Playing the flute is a very magical experience for me. Over the years, I have grown into a deeper connection with the flutes, the beautiful sounds they create I have begun to think of creating a piece of music like sculpting waves of sound.
There is a ebb and a flow to how to shape the sound. As you start off playing a note softly, you can increase the flow of your breath, letting the note swell and let the note drop off, leaving a moment of hanging anticipation before you shape the next note. The effect can be very moving increasing the emotional depth of the piece you are creating. When this happens you are really riding the waves of the sound you are creating.
Many times when I am playing, I actually move my flute in shapes, circles, figure eights and others. Sometimes I think about a shape and try to play it and other times playing the shape just evolves organically. Whenever I do this something new and marvelous begins to flow from the flute.
As I play I am often imagining the sounds and the shapes of nature; ocean waves, rolling hills, wind through the trees, birds in flight, snowflakes falling. Nature offers an endless source of inspiration to shape the sounds from. This has become a very unconscious process for me and has much to do with listening intently, yet at the same time allowing the flow of the flute, your fingers and the beautiful sounds blending together as you explore the mystery of creating with your flute. Some of these moments are simply a beautiful moment in which you have shaped sound, sent it out into the universe with good intentions and just let it flow. Other times you capture these sweet segments and shape your story and can repeat it over and over. All of it is simply good.
How you repeat notes, using your breathe to vary the sound can give the essence of leaves rustling in the wind or the call of the loon. Blend that in with a melody that you are crafting and you create magic. The rise and flow of the notes, peppered with slight pauses create space for you and people listen to experience a moment in time and space where you can just sit back and be.
I am fortunate to have moments in which I can actually play for an audience of appreciative listeners. In these special moments I imagine the sound waves coming from the flute flowing out and surrounding the audience bringing them into the shapes that I sculpt and feel like we are co creating a new shape embracing the energy of all in the room.
The idea of sculpting and shaping sound is my personal understanding of how I approach playing my flute. I believe it has enhanced my ability to connect at an even deeper level to my flutes and the magical process of creating pleasing sounds and music.
Copyright TM, 2013
Playing the flute is a very magical experience for me. Over the years, I have grown into a deeper connection with the flutes, the beautiful sounds they create I have begun to think of creating a piece of music like sculpting waves of sound.
There is a ebb and a flow to how to shape the sound. As you start off playing a note softly, you can increase the flow of your breath, letting the note swell and let the note drop off, leaving a moment of hanging anticipation before you shape the next note. The effect can be very moving increasing the emotional depth of the piece you are creating. When this happens you are really riding the waves of the sound you are creating.
Many times when I am playing, I actually move my flute in shapes, circles, figure eights and others. Sometimes I think about a shape and try to play it and other times playing the shape just evolves organically. Whenever I do this something new and marvelous begins to flow from the flute.
As I play I am often imagining the sounds and the shapes of nature; ocean waves, rolling hills, wind through the trees, birds in flight, snowflakes falling. Nature offers an endless source of inspiration to shape the sounds from. This has become a very unconscious process for me and has much to do with listening intently, yet at the same time allowing the flow of the flute, your fingers and the beautiful sounds blending together as you explore the mystery of creating with your flute. Some of these moments are simply a beautiful moment in which you have shaped sound, sent it out into the universe with good intentions and just let it flow. Other times you capture these sweet segments and shape your story and can repeat it over and over. All of it is simply good.
How you repeat notes, using your breathe to vary the sound can give the essence of leaves rustling in the wind or the call of the loon. Blend that in with a melody that you are crafting and you create magic. The rise and flow of the notes, peppered with slight pauses create space for you and people listen to experience a moment in time and space where you can just sit back and be.
I am fortunate to have moments in which I can actually play for an audience of appreciative listeners. In these special moments I imagine the sound waves coming from the flute flowing out and surrounding the audience bringing them into the shapes that I sculpt and feel like we are co creating a new shape embracing the energy of all in the room.
The idea of sculpting and shaping sound is my personal understanding of how I approach playing my flute. I believe it has enhanced my ability to connect at an even deeper level to my flutes and the magical process of creating pleasing sounds and music.
Copyright TM, 2013