The lip plate should rest in the hollow between your lip and chin, and you should feel a gentle pressure on the lower gums. Your flute should rest just above the lowest knuckle of your left pointer finger, above where the finger meets the hand. The flute should rest on the tip of the right thumb, underneath or slightly behind the flute, between the F and E keys. Your right pinkie finger should then land naturally on the E flat key. [1] X Research source Once in this position, it should feel very natural, and the flute should “float”, allowing you to produce a resonant sound.
One way to practice this is to bend forward at the waist, making a 90 degree angle between your legs and torso. Then take a deep breath starting from your belly, feeling your entire belly and back expand before your chest does.
Listen to your tone while blowing into the flute, too. Think about sounding resonant and full. Imagine that you are vibrating the whole length of your flute with your breath. Shape your lips. Making the hole in your lips smaller can produce a better tone. The air stream is more direct and you do not use as much air. On the other hand, make sure not to make the hole too small, or you can cut off the airflow and get an airy or forced sound.
Move the end of your flute higher and lower. This changes the angle of the air across the embouchure hole. Many flutists let their right arm drop too far for optimal tone and this exercise will show you if you’re one of them. Move the end of your flute forward and backward. This also changes the angle of the air stream. Listen for the place where it sounds the most focused. Tilt your head left, right, forward and back. Feel what’s most comfortable and sounds clearest. Roll the mouthpiece in and out. This changes how much air enters the flute and also affects pitch (whether you’re flat, sharp, or just right). Direct your airstream higher or lower by moving your jaw forward and back. This affect can be similar to rolling the mouthpiece in or out. Make the muscles in your lips, cheeks and jaw more relaxed and less relaxed.
Conversely, a delicate, sweet tone that sounds lovely to the player’s own ears may seem weak and uninteresting from across the room. It can be very helpful to record yourself from various distances to understand how you’ll sound to others. Of course, unless you have high quality recording equipment this doesn’t work perfectly, but even a video on your smartphone is better than nothing.
Use vibrato on longer notes. Vibrato is a technique in which the player pitch bends very fast. Act like you are whispering “ha, ha, ha” and try to play a note. [2] X Research source It might sound unnatural at first, so practice until it is natural and even. Vibrato is a good technique that will create interest on longer notes and mask tuning inconsistencies as well. The speed of the vibrato depends upon the effect a flutist is trying to achieve; a faster vibrato often portrays a more intense feeling, while a slower vibrato is more soothing.
Platinum makes your flute sound darker and more powerful, and gold makes your flute have a warmer and luscious tone. The most important part of the flute is the head joint, so if you cannot afford the body and foot joint, make sure to update the head joint’s metal quality at the least. Some companies sell head joints with “wings” on the lip plate. The “wings” help direct the air in the flute and minimize the amount of air that escapes. It helps you have a clearer tone and sound less airy. Watch out for gold plated lip plates. They don’t affect tone at all and are just for looks. [3] X Research source However a better quality riser, the short “chimney” that attaches the lip plate to the head joint, does improve tone.
Open hole keys: These allow the air to go through when uncovered, and this leads to a fuller, more resonant tone. The open holes also create less air resistance, so it is easier to play notes. This is highly recommended, but it will take some adjustment once you switch because you will have to cover the holes completely with your fingers. Start out with plugs in the keys that are hardest to reach, so you can play normally, and work at playing without the plugs while you practice. In line G key: This is a matter of personal preference and won’t really affect the tone. An in line G key just means that one key will be a bit harder to reach (see the image to the right). If you have small hands or are used to playing with an offset G key, it is fine to stick with that. The main reason an in line G key is preferred is for the pleasing look of the keys. B foot: You can purchase a foot joint with a few extra keys that enables you to play one chromatic step lower than usual (a B). This is a good idea because you will probably come across the note in advanced flute literature. A flute with a B foot can also produce fuller tones than the same one with a C foot. Gizmo key: This key will almost always be included in a B foot and makes it easier to play high C or C# (5+ ledger lines). Split E Mechanism: A split E mechanism divides the action of the upper and lower G keys. Normally the G keys close together; in a split E mechanism, that is still true, but the lower G can close when the third octave E natural is played. This provides ideal tone hole venting for the high E and can improve tuning and tone for a flutist. [4] X Research source
