Primal Sound and its Application in Tone Pedagogy of Western Classical Flute

Abstract

Developing an expressive and beautiful tone is one of the essential accomplishments to which instrumentalists and singers of all levels and styles aspire. Many tone instructional methods and concepts have been prevalent worldwide since Quantz’s time (1697-1773) and remain influential. Tone quality is considered as the most important basic attribute of all music and the most vital concept in the evaluation of the goodness or badness of a tone, although in musical literature the concept and its pedagogy are most unexplored and misinterpreted. In this research, primal sound is used as a natural and holistic element of tone pedagogy that encompasses the emotionally motivated expression and reflexive automatic body responses that engage the whole performer’s body and mind. This research investigates how the reflexive automatic body responses can be used as a facilitator between instrument and instrumentalist to construct the key components of tone and tone pedagogy. This research explores tone production and offers strategies for individual flute students and teachers. The data was collected by participant observation and semi-structured interviews with Melbourne master flute players and teachers at Monash and Melbourne Universities, and the Australian Flute Festival (2011). There are major benefits from the accomplishments of an effective tone production through the efficient use of primal sound including balanced onset and release, sustaining a healthy root tone, and connecting to the body’s automatic response system.