How to play the flute

Video: a beginner’s crash course in playing the flute | #flutelyfe with @katieflute + FCNY

Content

Part 2 of 3: Part Two: Learning to Play
Part 3 of 3: Part Three: Caring for the Flute
Tips
Warnings
What do you need

1 Buy or rent a flute from a music store. When you first try to play a musical instrument, it is better to rent it to be sure that you will like it enough to purchase it.

If you are confident that you enjoy playing the flute, you can rent the instrument or purchase a new one. If you are taking lessons, check with your teacher on which flute you should choose.
The price of a flute can range from $ 100 to $ 1,000 or more, but good quality training flutes can be purchased for $ 300. For beginners, it is better to purchase flutes of a reputable brand with holes closed by valves, since many cheap flutes are poorly made, and as a result, they will difficult to play.
Expensive professional open-hole flutes are mainly intended for the more experienced flute player. They are often difficult to play, but for different reasons.
Before making a purchase, ask the advice of other flutists and / or teachers to help you choose the most suitable instrument.

2 Consider hiring a good private flute teacher. By the beginning of the school year, if you are still in school, ask your group director or music store employee to recommend a teacher. This way you will learn how to play and move on to a higher level.

3 Collect the flute. Before you can play the flute, you will need to assemble it. You can do it like this:

Insert the open end of the head into the wider end of the main body - this is the end with fewer keys and is usually closer to the instrument brand name. You may need to rotate the pieces together.
Align the opening of the "lips" (to which you put your lips) with the first key on the main part of the flute. Do not press on the head all the time, leave it a little loose - this helps the flute sound harmonious.
Take the flute knee from the case and attach it to the body of the instrument. Align the main knee shaft with the last key of the flute body. Adjust the alignment if necessary.

Part 2 of 3: Part Two: Learning to Play

1 Learn to hold the flute correctly. Place the opening of the "lips" on your lips and hold the rest of the flute horizontally towards your right hand.
- Your left hand should be closer to the mouthpiece and should be facing you on the other side of the flute. The left hand should rest on the top buttons.
- The right hand should be farther away, closer to the knee of the flute, and should be pointing with the palm away from you.
2 Learn to blow. Playing sound with a flute can be a little tricky at first, so you must practice the correct blowing method before trying to play any notes.
- A good way to practice correct blowing technique is to try to make sound by blowing air into a glass or plastic bottle. Try blowing down through the top of the bottle, making a hmmm sound and then pressing your lips together to make a n sound. Keep in mind that the more liquid the bottle contains, the higher the tone.
- Once you have mastered the bottle blowing technique, you can move on to the flute. Instead of blowing directly into the opening of the "lips", try placing the edges of the opening against the edge of your lower lip and blowing gently down through the opening and through the opening (just like you did with the bottle).
- Do not puff out your cheeks while blowing sounds. Air should come directly from the diaphragm, not from the mouth. Try making the sound "tu" as this will help you fold your lips in the correct position.
3 Learn the correct placement of the fingers. The next thing to do is learn how to place your fingers correctly, as a flute has many keys of various shapes and sizes. The positions for each finger are:
- For the left hand, the index finger should be on the second key from the top. Skip the third key and then place your middle finger on the fourth and ring finger on the fifth key. Place your little finger on the small key (or lever) that comes out of the flute's body next to the fifth key. Place your left thumb on the long, flat key on the back of the flute.
- For the right hand, place your index, middle, and ring fingers on the last three keys up to your knee. Place your pinky finger on the small semicircular key at the beginning of your knee. The right thumb simply rests at the bottom of the flute to help support the instrument as you play. It is not used to play notes.
- This finger placement may seem awkward at first. This is completely normal. With practice, you will begin to feel normal.
4 The fingering chart will help you learn the notes. To learn how to play specific notes on the flute, you must check the fingering chart, which indicates the finger placement for each note.
- Fingering patterns are provided in the form of pictures and diagrams to help visualize the placement of the fingers for each individual note. Most flute instruction books contain a fingering diagram, but these diagrams are also easy to find on the Internet.
- Practice each note until you get the right sound. When playing a note on the flute, the sound should not sound like you are just blowing or whistling - it should be a full, steady tone.
- Once you have mastered each note separately, you can try playing several notes in a row. It doesn't matter if you're not very melodic - our goal is to learn how to smoothly transition from one note to another.
5 Maintain the correct position while playing. It is very important to maintain correct posture while playing the flute, as this will help you increase the amount of air you breathe and produce more consistent tones.
- Stand or sit as straight as possible and lift your chin looking straight ahead. This opens the aperture and allows for clearer long notes to be played.
- Stand up straight with both legs and back straight; do not lean on one leg or bend your neck in an uncomfortable position. This will only lead to tension and pain that will interfere with training.
- Relaxing your body and avoiding overexertion while playing will help you produce a more uniform and richer sound.
- If you are using a music rest, place it at eye level. If it is too low, you will have to bend your neck and press your chin, which will constrict your airways and cause neck pain.
6 Practice for 20 minutes every day. As they say, training is the key to excellence. But keep in mind that it is much better to practice the game every day for a short time than to squeeze all the lessons into a two-hour session once a week.
- Try to exercise for 20 minutes every day. Focusing your activities on a specific goal will help you stay focused. Set yourself small but specific goals. For example, aim to improve the transition from B to A.
- Sticking to infrequent "speed" activities is ineffective, as it strains the body, leaving you feeling stiff and frustrated. You will progress much better and feel less constrained by sticking to shorter, more frequent activities.
7 Stretch out after class. You should always stretch after a workout to help relieve tension and prevent muscle stiffness after play, leaving you in better shape for your next activity. Here are some good exercises:
- Bend your knees slightly and squat down with your arms at your sides, as if you were skiing. Then stretch your arms up as if you are about to fly away. Repeat the exercise 5-10 times to stretch your arms and shoulders.
- As you inhale, lift your shoulders up towards your ears and hold this position for a few seconds. As you exhale, release your shoulders down. Repeat several times to relieve tension and pain in the shoulders and neck.
- Stand up straight, put your hands down and shake them as if they were made of rubber. This will help relieve tension from the joints of the hands.
- There are many other exercises to relieve tension or pain - just do what makes you feel good!
8 Do not give up! Learning to play the flute takes some time. Be patient, keep going, and get the help of a good teacher. You will soon be able to play beautiful music!

Part 3 of 3: Part Three: Caring for the Flute

1 Clean the flute thoroughly after playing. Use a swab or rag strung on a pencil or any long stick to remove condensation and saliva from the inside of the flute. Sometimes polish the flute with a cloth.
2 Separate the flute parts and put them back in the case. Never leave the flute assembled for a long time, as it will be difficult to disassemble later and almost impossible with time.
- To disassemble the flute, gently lift the flute head and knee away from the body and place them back into the case. Close the case and put it in a safe place - preferably somewhere where it will be stored at a stable room temperature.
- Never leave the flute on the music stand, as sooner or later the flute will fall from it. If something breaks, it will be difficult to fix and expensive to replace, so watch your flute with care.
- If your flute begins to get stuck at the joints of the parts, apply a little cork grease to those parts. Petroleum jelly is also an excellent lubricant.

Tips

To hit higher notes, blow air into the flute faster at a slightly higher angle and with a smaller ear cushion opening. Play the lower notes at a slightly lower angle by enlarging the opening of the ear cushion.
Make classes part of your daily schedule. If you plan your workouts like any other activity, you can find plenty of time to do so.
Try to roll your crown in different directions to get the best tone.
If your flute is consistently out of tune, there may be something wrong with the tube tuning. Note that there is a transverse line around one end of the adjustment bar. Unscrew the head and insert this end into it. When this end rests against the top of the head, the line should be exactly in the middle of the ear cushion hole. If this is not the case, ask your flute teacher to adjust the plug settings.
If the sound comes out flat when setting A, push in the crown and unscrew it a little. If sharp, pull the head out and screw it back in. This note is in tone, additional adjustments may be required.
Have someone monitor your posture for a while. Later, it will be easier for you to keep your back straight, your feet flat on the floor, and your flute raised.

Learn to play major, minor and chromatic scales. They should be printed in your textbook. Music is usually made up of patterns that are made up of scales, so if you are familiar with scales you will be better prepared to play. Also practice arpeggios, thirds, quarters, and so on.

Try to exhale hard enough. Failure to do this will result in a hoarse sound that doesn't sound very pleasant.
Buy a book for beginners. If you have a group director or flute teacher, they will be able to recommend one. Try playing simple melodies from the book.
Learn to read sheet music. Beginner books often start with the name of the notes on the stave. However, you will have to learn how to read music if you don't already know how.
When studying a passage for the first time, run it without playing, but fingering it with your fingers. Pay attention to style, tempo, articulation, rhythms and clef (key / time signature).Also watch out for auxiliary signs (flats and sharps outside the signs at the key).
Thoroughly clean the flute before and after training to remove any saliva and condensation. This will make the flute sound better.
It is useful to have a fingering scheme in the music folder.

Warnings

Do not drink sugary drinks or eat while playing the flute. Rinse your mouth with water after eating or drinking before playing the flute. It is very difficult to remove gum or candy from the flute.
The first time you try to sit up straight, your back will hurt for the first few times.
Do not leave the flute at too low or high temperatures for too long. This can be especially detrimental to key pads.
Don't let your right hand hang down while playing the flute. This ultimately causes the rest of your body to bend, which will negatively affect your tone and cause back pain.
Do not take the flute by the keys. Always lift it by the parts free of any mechanized parts. This will save you from costly repairs. Do not spin the flute on your lap when you are seated.
Be careful not to move your fingers too far away from the keys while playing. If you are trying to play faster, it will become a hindrance.
If the pads fall out, do not try to glue them back on. Take the flute to a store or service center.
Do not put a rag on top of the flute in the case. This could bend the keys.