Native American Flute Wet Out
Moisture buildup, or 'wetting out,' is a common challenge when playing wind instruments like the Native American flute. This phenomenon is often one of the first issues players encounter with their NAF. It can vary depending on several factors, which we’ll explore here, along with some practical tips to help you fix it so effectively that you will forget about it as a very basic baby step in the journey.
When moisture buildup occurs, the symptoms are typically quite noticeable, including severe overblowing or, in some cases, a complete loss of sound.
First of all calm down , nothing is wrong with your flute. Moisture build up appears in all flutes, however in NAF, the issue way more quickly so it will disrupt the play. The moisture from your breath condenses inside the flute, affecting the sound.
Here are a few ways to manage this:
Reduce breath moisture: There is a reason why this is placed as #1 . This is the most simple way but the most significant. ]
Make sure you start to play with as dry mouth as possible.
If you play in a collective use the quick break times to dry the air channels.
Also you can try to breathe through your nose between notes, which reduces the amount of moisture going into the flute.
Breath from diaphragm: Using a breath technique where you blow more from the diaphragm and less from the mouth helps minimize moisture. This method is also a great game changer, however it is more advanced technique.
Warm the flute: Before playing, warm the flute by holding it in your hands or blowing gently through it. A warm flute helps reduce condensation, and reduce is a key word here, condensation is not a significant factor to resolve the issue by it's own , you must follow rest of the tips .
Block placement: This little trick may compromise the sound, however you may like the new way of sound even more. So the idea is to keep a little gap between the bloc and the flute, so when you blowing air , significant amount of moist will be removed from the airway. However this changes the sound dynamics , you will notice more airy sound, and the flute will become much more balanced in terms of overblow. So if you like the sound, there are significant improvements can be achieved with this technique
Swab the flute: Use a soft cloth or a small swab designed for flutes to clean out moisture after playing. Usually this can be done only between sets but this make sure you start to play each new set with well dried flute.
Make sure not to push too hard to avoid damaging the flute.
Moisture guard blocks: Some flutes come with or can be modified to include a moisture guard (usually a small piece of material inside the flute near the air passage) to absorb condensation.
By following this little tips and avoiding moisture in the flute airway , your playing experience will be much better and you will be able to achieve a professional level sound.