Technique
Michel Debost · 2002
Abstract “Everyone complains about technique, and no one about musicality.” Technique is like money: it creates problems mostly when you don’t have any. Usually technique implies mere finger speed. When you hear someone say, “Miss X has fantastic technique,” you immediately infer that her fingers move very fast but that her music making is altogether a bore. This confusion between technique and superficial velocity is very common. When the comment is, “Mr. Z is very musical,” the implication is that he cannot move fast. My teaching ideas stress instrumental playing as much as if not more than repertoire. I tell my students that before they can revolutionize interpretation, they owe music good instrumental playing. Thinking and studying both simultaneously is even better. In fact, finger velocity is only one aspect of instrumental playing, a phrase that I use more readily than technique. There are as many techniques as there are facets of flute playing: blowing and breathing techniques, technique of articulation and attacks, tone technique, phrasing technique, even technique of expression. The border is thin: Where does music start? Where does instrumental playing end? There is no relevant instrumental playing without a musical project. There is no credible interpretation without reliable instrumental playing. Instrumental playing’s various elements cannot be disconnected: finger practice this morning, staccato next, tone tonight (without vibrato until tomorrow.) Unfortunately, technique is seen as playing all the notes, at any price, as fast as possible, without any other concern.