How to Finger High Notes for Flutes
High notes require a different posture and airflow than low notes, and are often difficult for beginning flute players to master. To achieve high notes, you must purse your lips so that your embouchure forms a small hole. You will need to expel air faster and, at times, harder than you would for low notes. Before reading fingering charts, memorize where your fingers correlate to the keys on your flute and chart shorthand. Flute charts notate “RH” for right-hand and “LH” for left-hand. The index, middle, ring and pinky fingers are referenced as 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively.
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Instructions
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Read a fingering chart to ensure you know the proper finger positions for each note. Some high notes require the same hand positioning as their low equivalents, while others require different positioning. Instructional charts are available for free online.
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Learn the best fingering to transition to each high note. For example, when slurring from a high A to a high E, you only need to remove your lower pinky of the D flat key. If you have a particularly difficult transition, experiment with the alternate fingerings for those high notes.
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Place your fingers so that they are firmly resting on top of the necessary keys. If you have an open hole flute, place your finger so that the opening is completely sealed. If the key is not sealed, you will not produce the correct sound to achieve the desired note.
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Align your body to maximize your lung capacity. Refrain from pulling your right arm back past your body, and be sure to keep your shoulders over your hips. Keep your core strong and supported during your practice.
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Practice transitioning up an octave on notes that require different fingerings. The high notes for C, D and A all require different fingerings than their lower counterparts. Continue practicing transitions until you are comfortable fingering all high notes.
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References
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