Tuning to a drone is more accurate than using a visual tuner. If you want to develop the muscle memory to be in tune quickly when you play the flute, looking at the "green light" or the 0% mark on a visual tuner can hold you back. This is because a visual tuner sets the green light or 0% at the same location in Hz as the piano - which is equally spaced out in Hertz to closely approximate the notes found in the harmonic series. What sounds and feels most in tune to us may be a little bit off from center. The note a major 5th away from the drone, for example, will look a tad sharp on the visual tuner and the Major 3rd will look a tad flat. Our ears & bodies can naturally feel the most "in tune" harmonics, though it can take practice to learn to identify and name the most common intervals. And with practice & training we can learn to quickly match them on the flute. But if your perception of what's in tune is skewed by lots and lots of time with the visual tuner without using your ears, you may sound out of tune when playing with others. Don't be that guy or gal with a tuner on your stand who stands strong on the green light and refuses to budge on your tuning to the rest of the band, even if it would result in an overall better sound. Don't get me wrong: visual tuners are a powerful and useful tool. However, use them with the knowledge that one day you will need to tune with your ears. You can listen to one of my favorite drones here - Tanpura on C. Make sure to use the Transpose extension to practice with it in other keys or look for other drone tones on other notes so you can practice all 12 scales!

Click here to spin the Christmas Tunes Wheel.... Can you play the tune all the way through without stopping??? You can play this like the Chromatic Guess-It Game with yourself, like player 1 is the flute voice in your head, and player 2 is the flute voice in your body! Can you match up the notes you're physically playing with the melody you hear in your mind? Go as slow as you need to! But then, as you get more comfortable... can you speed up the chromatic scale segments to be so fast that the original tune can be clearly heard? When you can do this, you'll be well on your way to using chromatic scale segments as a jazzy technique!

I know you do it. Where else in your life are you improvising?

I am thankful for a comfortable place to rest and warm fuzzy blankets. I am thankful for mobility and a healthy body that allows me to move freely and enjoy and explore this world. I am thankful for the knowledge of a vegan diet that allows me to thrive without harming others. I am thankful for plentiful fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds to eat. I am thankful for friends who support me with warm hugs and words. I am thankful for the community of Flutarians who embrace the knowledge I am sharing about music and improvisation and encourage me to continue sharing so others can be blessed with more heartfelt music. I am thankful for my music teachers who have blessed me with beautiful music and empowered me to find my musical voice. I am grateful for family that love and encourage me. What are you thankful for?