Brian,
I've always played with a beard, so I don't know if I would play
better without one. I keep mine trimmed, so it isn't a heavy one. I
feel the flute through the beard on my skin, so I get a sense of
placement, either on my lower lip or on the chin, but I don't think
it is an "air tight seal". I focus on the lips and how they form the
air stream. Sometimes I even move the flute away from my lips a
little and really focus the lips/air stream.
I hate jamming the flute tightly into my lips, even though I may end
up doing so from tension. I work to not jam it, yet have the lower
lip fill the area. I get good tone when the air stream is good, which
is somewhat independent from how tightly I have the flute jammed into
my lower lip or chin. But if I have a poorer air stream, jamming it
into my lip/chin does seem to help at first. But as Ed said, it
diminishes my ability to do effective meri. It also diminishes my
ability to micro adjust the lips themselves for adjusting the air
stream and tone and meri. "TIGHT" is not a great thing to always
have. If I am free enough to move the lips "themselves" in and out,
there are greater options available.
Herb
At 1/14/02 07:59 PM, millerbk@rconnect.com wrote:
>Ok, I'm really serious about this question. Does (or, perhaps
>better stated, can) a beard interfere with blowing?
>
>Maybe it's my imagination, but it seemed that as my beard lengthened
>under my lower lip, I had gradually more and more difficulty getting
>a good tone. Frustrated, I shaved that area, and, after a few
>attempts to "find" the correct spot, my tone seems much stronger. I
>also notice that, without the interfering hair, the tactial
>sensation of the shak pressing against my "naked" lower lip area
>gives much better (and subtle) feedback for correct placement.
>
>Is this the placibo effect or am I on to something? Come to think
>of it, I don't know of any top shak artists that have heavy beards
>around their chins.
>
>Cheers!
> Brian
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