Flute Introduction
How to Play the Flute
Playing the Flute
Breath
Take a deep breath, and breathe out while slightly smiling, making a "too" sound.
* Make sure that the shape of your lips doesn't change as you breathe out.
Lip shape while blowing out
Producing Sound with the Head Joint
Watch this video to learn about the breath method and speed.
Producing sound with the head joint
Changing pitch
The pitch you produce changes depending on the speed of your breath. Faster breath will produce a higher pitch, and slower breath will produce a lower pitch.
| Mouth opening | Breath speed | Pitch |
|---|---|---|
| Wide | Slow | Low |
| Normal | Normal | Medium |
| Narrow | Fast | High |
Tonguing
Using the head joint, move your tongue as if saying "too-too" while blowing. You'll notice the "too-too" motion makes the sound much clearer than the "foo-foo" motion.
* Pay close attention to motion of your tongue when blowing if you want to produce a good sound.
Tonguing with the head joint
Assembling the flute
If the flute is not put together properly, it may break, or become incapable of producing a good sound. Pay particular attention to where you hold the flute when putting it together.
-
Hold the foot joint and the body joint as shown in the picture, and slide them together. Do not grip the keys while doing this.
-
Hold the head joint and the body joint as shown in the picture, and slide them together. As before, do not grip the keys while doing this.
Holding the flute
Paying close attention to the position of your thumb, make sure that the inside of the first joint of your left index finger is stays in contact with the flute, and hold the flute with your fingers in their respective positions.
Lifting the flute to play
When holding the flute up to play, your shoulders and elbows should be relaxed.
Leave a comment