How to play high notes on flute?
Hi, I play 4 instruments already and just started trying to play the flute. I am able to get a sound without holding down any keys perfectly, but when I play any notes that require lots of keys to be pushed down, I get a very weak sound overcome by the sound of my blowing. \ What should I do? Thanks!
How do you play a C Flat on the flute?
C Flat (also known as B natural and will be called B in this answer) is fingered using the long B key (left thumb), the top C key (left index finger), and the E flat key (left pinky on the left most lever on the foot of the flute). For B natural, your left thumb should be on the long B key, not the circular B flat key. This fingering works for the B in the staff and above the staff.For the low B (beneath the staff), you'll need a flute with a B foot. In the picture above, notice how the top foot has 2 horizontal roller keys (which control the 2 circular covers) next to the E flat key and the horizontal rollers and the bottom foot has 3 horizontal roller keys (which control the 3 circular covers). The bottom foot is a B foot, while the top one is a regular foot. If your flute does not have a B foot, that means the lowest note it can reach is a C. If your flute does have a B foot, you can finger a low B by fingering a low C (everything down except your right pinky) and pressing down all 3 of the horizontal keys instead of just the bottom two.A 3rd octave B is fingered using the long B key (left thumb), top C key (left index finger), G key (left ring finger), and the second trill key (the one closest to the foot of the flute). To play this B, you will need a lot of air and core support - it takes practice!
How do you play high notes on a flute? I can't get any higher than high f#.
All those answers are pretty much correct. However, one thing you should try is to have your teacher or a friend who can play all of the third octave try out your flute. The reason for this is to make sure the flute is actually working properly. A small pad leak that does not affect the lower notes too badly can totally screw up trying to hit a high note.If they can’t hit the notes on your flute either, or they say they are having problems, have your flute ‘adjusted’ by a good repair person.Also if you have a dip in your top lip (sometimes called a teardrop lip) as mentioned Hal Coopers answer below, as I do, you will need to move the hole in your embouchure to one side or the other of center. It really doesn’t matter which side— whatever is more comfortable. You will need to practice looking in a mirror for a while to get this working.If you want to see an example of someone playing like this, watch any video by Denis Bouriakov. I think he takes it a bit to an extreme, but it obviously works for him, his tone and control are amazing. I have heard him in concert and it sounds even better in person.
How do I play high notes on Flute?
When playing high notes on a flute, you first have to be committed to playing them! It’s very similar to an athlete going over the pole vault bar. It just wouldn’t work to give half-an-effort. Like the athlete, flutists fall short of the goal, have fuzzy tone and accidentally play an undertone. The athlete would definitely have bumps and bruises.You can become a pro in no time!Here are some tips to help your high flute notes come out ever so clear and crisp without falling short:Having strong airspeed behind that awesome tongue of yours will do the trick. To do this, learn how to give yourself an imaginary heimlich maneuver. Yes, that is what I said. Shoving your diaphragm in and having a strong stomach WITHOUT moving your shoulders or body will create the “POW!” you need to punch out those high notes.You may try this and find that you over0-did-it the first time. Haha, I imagine you got quite the squeak the first time you punched your note with your gut. That’s actually okay. No worries. It is this thought and body movement that you need. You just adjust the force depending on the note and what is needed at the moment.Here is another thought:"Feel the resistance first before letting it Pop" Have you ever tried to blow up a water balloon? It’s pretty tough at first. But, once the balloon allows itself to stretch enough to allow some air in it feels better but you still have to keep blowing hard. The resistance is great, and it’s exactly what I’m talking about here. When attempting to pop out a perfect third octave G you have to ‘feel the resistance first’ before allowing your tongue to pop- then use that tummy shove and you’ll be in business.Resistance makes fast air.Fast air makes brilliance in your tone.It’s sounds like magic but it’s really science! Okay. Now that you have the air part, let’s get the right lip and face position.High notes require a downward angle. Blow down while keeping your eyes and head level. Strreettcchh that top lip over just a tiny bit further than usual. You may feel you look a little silly at first- maybe like you have a longer nose just as a horse does. Or for you women who put mascara on … you’ve seen the face (image below). You get raised eyebrows and flared nostrils so that your nasal passages are open, open. Have you noticed that when you have a cold your flute also sounds like it has a cold? Opening those nasal cavities helps with tone and brilliance A LOT.
My flute won't play Bflat please help!!??
For this, there are multiple possibilities. There are three different fingerings (pressing both buttons on the B key, fingering B natural and using the first finger on the right hand, and fingering B natural and pressing the little trill key looking thing that's next to the first trill key). If pressing both B keys doesn't work, then the problem could be that the little felt fell off (observe your flute as you finger it if it doesn't work). If the B natural plus first finger doesn't work, then it could be that you need to screw it/take it to repair. If B natural plus the trill key looking thing doesn't work, then there is probably a problem with the flute and needs to be repaired. Then, there's the possibility that the pad on the key that plays Bb (when you finger A, the key you press for A, which is the second finger on the left hand, makes two keys go down; the one you don't press when you finger A is the one for Bb). If so, then air will be leaking out of it, making the note not come out. These could all be caused by age, accidents (e.g. marching season, hitting something by accident, someone accidentally did something to it without knowing it, etc.), etc. If none of those things work, then you should ask your band director (or is you "class" a private lesson? If so, then ask your teacher). I would go to a teacher/band director before trying to get it fixed at a store because sometimes, the teacher/band director may be able to fix it for you for free, while the store costs money, and depending on the problem, the store may charge alot. Oh, and even if you're not in band, if you have a band director at school, you should try asking him or her about your flute. They'll help you even if you're not in band. Hope this helps!
Why won't my flute play an F?
The action is a precision mechanism, which will require regular maintenance and adjustment.The screws are for adjustment, they shouldn’t be tight. Their position is critical to the alignment of pads, and because there is friction when the pads move, the screws may slip in one direction or another. The effect is cumulative.Without regular correction, you can end up with mis-aligned pads which may leak, and an action which may be floppy or stiff.Physical damage might also occur. It’s easy to knock a post and introduce a tiny mis-alignment which will move a rod and the pad on the end of it.The covering on pads can be affected by moisture and humidity. Your breath is enough… pads nearer the mouthpiece are more affected than those at the end, but they will all require replacing in time. Replacing a pad has a knock-on effect on the alignment of the whole action because the pad will be fatter than the older ones causing them not to close when it is fully closed. For this reason a full re-pad is often a better idea than doing odd pads at intervals - even though adjuster screws can correct the mis-alignment to some degree.Depending upon the amount of use and the local environment, a Flute might require re-padding and/or alignment of the action every six months or every two or three years to work to perfection. There’s no general rule.So, take it to a repairer and take advice. Don’t try adjusting screws yourself. Don’t try bending posts to align them. Don’t try scraping out a pad and sticking a new one in. Always go to a repairer.
How do I get rid of the airy sound while playing higher notes in flute?
Thanks for A2A.There are a few reasons but since you get this problem only when you play higher notes, I believe this is because you are blowing too hard for higher notes. And then my next conclusion is that you need to review your basic technique.Please remember that your blow should be constant whether you are playing higher notes or lower. Only the size of hole in between your lips should get smaller for higher notes.This can be explained by one simple example.Observe how a gardener waters his plants. For nearby plants he keeps the hole of water pipe fully open and water falls nearby. But when he wants to water plants that are a little further away, he doesn’t run to turn the tap to increase the flow. With flow of water being constant he keeps a finger in front of mouth of pipe to make it smaller and with same force the water travels further.Ditto for flute. You have to keep your blow constant. You only have to reduce the size of hole in between lips. With smaller hole and constant blow you should be able to play higher notes without much difficulty.
Why won't my flute play D natural and Eb?
For some reason, my flute won't play the Eb and D natural in the Bb scale. I can't figure out why, and I'm doing anything in my power to figure it out on my own. If I have to bring it to get fixed, its fine, but if anyone has an idea on how I could fix it, it'd be greatly appreciated!
How can I play fast notes on the flute (fast fingerings)?
Practice SLOWLY and work your way up.If the song/melody you are trying to learn is at 210bpm (beats per minute, you can find a metronome HERE (a very fast “allegro” pace) try learning it at 105bpm. Once you feel like you can play it very well at 105BPM, play it at 110BPM, and if it feels good at 110bpm, try it at 115 BPM, until you feel like you hit the wall with it, and then slow it back down and repeat this process until you can play it as fast as you want, and eventually FASTER than the original tempo.This is ultimately a boring process, but unfortunately it is the ONLY way to learn to play fast. If you stick to it, you will feel an amazing sense of accomplishment when you reach your goal though! Good luck please post progress updates!