I’m a whistle player, but my father just got a fancy sixteen hole orchestra style flute. He’s pretty clueless, meaning he blows into it and nothing happens. He can do the higher range notes but once he drops an octave or shifts to a lower scale note he loses the tone. I was wondering if anyone has any advice for him so that his first flute experience can be more enjoyable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQg0vScnQ8E&mode=related&search=
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Also might take a lesson.
He’s blowing too hard.
Quick and dirty: have him finger a G. You can pretty easily get an online fingering chart, if one is needed. He should blow across the hole in the headjoint essentially the same way he would to get a note off a pop bottle, which most people have done at one time or another. He can then noodle around until he finds the notes around G, but G is the easiest note to play.
For the second octave, he should blow the way he would to blow out a candle. For the first octave, he should blow the way he would to fog a mirror (exhale). The first gives you faster, cooler air. The second is slower, warmer air. That’s how you separate the octaves.
Cheers.
Thats a good way of describing it, never though of it like that. hopefully it will help. thanks a lot 