Playing the flute: Step 1

Assemble your flute while referring to the “Assembling the instrument” section.

Basic finger positions

Place your fingers on the keys marked in red in the following illustration.

NOTE

Do not press the keys marked in gray, since pointed key arms are attached to these keys.

Be sure to position your left thumb on the right key of the two adjacent thumb keys. This is the basic playing position.

Holding the instrument

Hold the instrument so that the embouchure hole is located in front of your lips. Hold the instrument so that the base (the first joint) of your left index finger is touching the instrument, and press the lip plate firmly against your chin.

To stabilize the instrument, use the base of your left index finger and your right thumb to firmly press the lip plate against your chin.

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The points at which your fingers and chin come into contact with the flute

Playing F, G, A, B, C

Try playing an F note. This note is relatively easy to finger and play clearly.

Press the red keys shown below and blow into the flute. If you have difficulty producing a sound, try attaching the ASTFL.

　　　　　

F

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NOTE

・ Press the key firmly using your right little finger to produce a consistent tone.

・ If a higher pitched sound or a sound between a high pitch and a low pitch comes out, slow your breath. This is not a fingering mistake, because on the flute you can produce sounds at different pitches using the same fingering.




Once you produce the F note properly, go up one note at a time. Release your right index finger, left ring finger, left middle finger, and then left thumb, in this order. Click the play button to play back the performance of the corresponding note.

G

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A

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B

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It may be difficult to hold the instrument when playing the C note without using the ASTFL. If the base of the left index finger is not touching the instrument, the position of the instrument may become unstable. If this is the case, review the “Holding the instrument” section.

C

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Once you feel comfortable articulating each note, try playing five notes in a row.


NOTE

If the playback of the “B” note sounds different than your performance sound, check to see which key your left thumb is pressing. Pressing the left key of the two adjacent thumb keys will produce the B♭ note, which is a semitone lower.



HINT

If the pitch is unstable, attach the ASTFL and develop a sense of how to produce a stable sound. Once you can produce a stable sound, remove the ASTFL and try to play the flute normally.




Tonguing

Try playing each note while saying “too” at the beginning of the note.