Flute Lesson 3

Start ... but where from ?

The easiest and most logical way to start from is the All Holes Closed Position.

For getting the standard Natural or Major scale you'll have to open the holes completely (and not half-open), and undoubtedly becomes the easiest way to play. But besides this, there are several other ways of starting the octave. For Indian classical music, we chose the 3 Holes Closed Position. In this method, the note produced when top (nearer to the mouth) 3 holes are closed is taken as the Root Note or the Sa.

The advantage of this style is that, with this we get 3 notes below - in the lower octave, than the Sa and 4 - 5 notes above the higher Sa, in the higher octave. Skilled flautists can go up to even 7 notes in the higher octave. The prime flute widely used for Indian Classical Music is pitched to E. May be a little higher or lower.

Note : The convention we follow is whenever Flute in 'E' or Pitched to 'B' or 'G' is mentioned, it means that it is the note produced when 3 top holes are closed. This is because it is observed that the flute pitched to 'E' gives you a sound range that sounds the best for Indian classical music.

But for all the further lessons we shall pitch our 'Sa' to 'G'. (when A=440), the reason being that it will become easier to handle the G flute for novices and it will be far much easier for the western Key Flute players to pick up the lessons. u can sample 3 flutes pitched to D, when 3 holes are closed. And you will get to know, certain sounds produced are good on a particular flute, and not on another.

Thus, according to the music we want to create, we shall choose the flute, which will give the correct tonality and timbre.