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How to Play the Flute

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(145 Ratings)

The flute produces a soothing, resonate and welcome sound. One of its masters is Jean-Pierre Rampal, a French flautist of historical renown.

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Two-liter Soda Bottles

    Tone Production

  1. Step 1

    Use a small soda bottle & blow easily producing a steady sound while keeping the corners of your lips firm and the cheeks flat.

  2. Step 2

    Control the direction of a steady stream of air finding the correct angle that produces sound. This exercise transfers to the flute.

  3. Step 3

    Take your flute mouthpiece section off the body of the flute.

  4. Step 4

    Place the mouthpipe opening on your closed lips so that the hole equally touches your top and bottom lips.

  5. Step 5

    Roll the mouthpiece down and away, keeping contact with your lower lip.

  6. Step 6

    Do the candle-blowing exercise so that a steady pitch is produced.

  7. Step 7

    Insert the mouthpiece section back into the instrument& bring the flute into "playing position."

  8. Step 8

    Depress and hold down the three top keys with the left hand plus the thumb key & blow producing a second line G on the treble clef.

  9. Step 9

    Use a deep breath & maintain this sound for three seconds.

Tips & Warnings
  • The side of your left index finger (at the knuckle joint) will touch the flute and provide support for the instrument where it touches your lower lip.
  • Avoid putting pressure on the instrument with your hands that might crush the natural shape of your lips.
  • Avoid blowing with high speed air.
  • If you get dizzy, stop blowing.
  • Protect your instrument from others wishing to use or experiment with it.

Comments  

| View All 23 Comments

cherry668 said

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Diablo2 said

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on 6/3/2009 Thank you! 5 stars

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on 4/28/2009 Great tips. I have always wanted to play the flute.

codydermid said

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on 2/16/2009 Hey great article! It helped a lot! :)

Saholia said

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on 9/21/2008 Yes! Thanks to this little bottle-cap-exercise I produced some sort of sound from my flute! Great advice to both the anonymous atop too! Thanks!

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