Let’s be real: we all fall into bad habits.
Whether you are rushing through scales or zoning out during long tones, those little shortcuts can sneak up on your playing and ruin your progress. If it keeps up, it may even sneak into your performances.
Instead, you should always practice with a sense of purpose. Here’s a wake-up call—and a checklist—to catch and fix those lazy habits before they stick.
Fingers and Form
Oftentimes, when you are learning a new piece, it’s easy to get caught up in rhythms, patterns, and fingerings—and completely forget what your fingers are actually doing. Ensure that they are actually close to the keys and curved in a proper manner. Flat, stiff, or flying fingers lead to slower technique, missed notes, and unnecessary tension. It is important that your fingers are in the correct form, especially during the learning stage, for good habits to become automatic.
Better Breaths
It is not uncommon to focus too much on the notes and forget how you are actually producing the sounds coming from your flute. Many flutists take shallow, quick breaths that come from the chest instead of the diaphragm when learning. This leads to weak tone, poor support, and early fatigue. Instead, train yourself to take full, deep breaths from your diaphragm—the kind that expands your ribs and belly. These meaningful breaths give your sound more depth and control not just in a practice setting, but when it matters most, too.
Don’t Droop Down
By far the most common pitfall for flutists lies in your posture. Slouching, leaning forward, or collapsing your chest all cause tension and stress, but flutists tend to gravitate toward something more simple yet just as harmful: drooping the flute. Good posture allows your lungs to fully expand, giving you stronger breath support and a freer sound, but drooping the flute tenses both your neck and shoulders, restricting airflow and leading to a tight, strained tone. This often translates into a habit of tilting your flute downward or to the side, which not only affects your tone but can cause prolonged discomfort and limit your technical control over time.
The way you practice is the way you’ll perform—so make your entire form count. Don’t fall into the trap of having these bad habits leak into your practice and thus your performances. By catching yourself before these bad habits become ingrained, you set yourself up for consistent progress and stronger playing.
Ready to start? Contact us to set up your first lesson today!
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Hi, I’m Devon! I play the flute and enjoy writing music in my free time.