The bamboo flute is a beautiful instrument made out of a single piece of bamboo, and it's most well-known as an instrument of Chinese music.ethereal, calming, and peaceful are some of the terms used to describe the music played on bamboo flutes.You can learn how to hold yourself and the flute with practice.Before you know it, you will be able to play scales proficiently if you practice every day.
Step 1: Put the flute on the ground.
The style of bamboo flutes is very similar to the western-flute.If you want to not hunch your shoulders, keep your elbow out to your sides.A relaxed form will help you produce the best sound.It's a good idea to do this in front of a mirror to see what your body looks like.
Step 2: The flute should be positioned so that the finger holes are on your right.
The left-most hole will be the blowing hole.There are either 7 or 8 holes in a bamboo flute, with 1 being the blowing hole and 6 being finger holes.The 8th hole is positioned between the blowing hole and the finger holes, and you will never cover it up while playing.The bamboo flute's sounds will be created by covering this hole with a flexible membrane.If you ever hear a buzzing sound from your flute, it's most likely that the hole is loose and needs to be tightened.
Step 3: Put your left hand on the outside so your fingers don't move.
The palm of your left hand should point toward you.The first, second, and third finger holes will be covered by your index finger, middle finger and ring finger.The fingers are not used to play the flute.If you have a missing finger, you can replace it with your other finger.
Step 4: Put your right hand on the floor.
The palm of your hand should face away from you.You can use your index finger, middle finger and ring finger to cover the 4th, 5th and 6th holes.You may need to practice stretching your middle and ring fingers away from each other if the 5th and 6th holes are a bit further apart.Use your thumbs to support the weight of the flute.
Step 5: With your shoulders held back, stand straight.
Good posture will help produce the best sound from your flute.If you are sitting, keep your feet against the ground and your thighs parallel to the floor.If you are standing, keep your legs apart and bend your knees slightly so that you don't cut off the blood flow.Aim to keep your neck, shoulders, and spine straight as you tilt your head towards the blowing hole.
Step 6: The blowing hole needs to be below your lip.
Don't put the hole up to your lips.If you want the hole to be parallel to your bottom lip, place the flute there.You will blow downward rather than straight out in front of you.You will be blowing a lot of air while practicing the flute, so make sure to give your lips some extra care after you finish each session.
Step 7: Blow air downward to the hole.
The main goal is to produce a clear, ringing sound, so keep all of the finger holes uncovered.If you want to play a note, start by directing the air toward the top edge of the hole.You don't need to blow a lot to produce sound.Have you ever made a ringing sound by blowing air into a glass bottle?It is very similar to what you did when you played the bottle.
Step 8: Take a deep breath.
Think of your lungs as a jar, and you have to fill it at the bottom.Take a deep breath from your stomach and let it expand.When your belly is full, fill your chest and ribcage with air and move to your shoulders.Following the belly-chest-ribcage-shoulders method, breathe deeply for 5 seconds.As you breathe, pay attention to how your body feels.You will try to recreate this every time you play.
Step 9: You can control the exhale of your breath to multiple notes.
You don't need a new breath of air for each note you play, but once you can play notes, one breath should last you for an entire phrase of music.It doesn't take a lot of force to produce a sound, so only use the minimum amount of breath needed for each note so each breath powers more music.Exhaling slowly with your lips pursed will mimic the shape of the flute.Even if you don't have your flute with you, breathing exercises are a great way to practice playing the flute.
Step 10: If you want to play new notes, cover one finger hole at a time.
If it takes you several sessions to master creating sound from each successive finger hole, you should not be concerned.Go ahead and cover the 1st hole with the index finger on your left hand after you have attained a note with no finger holes.Master making a sound on that hole and then add the middle finger on your left hand to the 2nd hole, and continue on until all 6 holes are covered.Each hole requires a slightly different force of air or adjustment to where you blow into it.To figure out what you need to do, make small changes.
Step 11: You can cover the holes with the pad of your finger.
It's important to make sure the finger holes are completely covered when playing the bamboo flute.It can affect the sound of the flute and make your music sound not very musical if air leaks out.When placing a finger on a hole, use the entire pad of your finger and place it on top of the hole.Try to use the tip of your finger instead of sliding it into place.It will take a lot of practice to make this a habit, but you will be a better musician for it.An air leak can be caused by your finger slipping off of the 5th hole.When playing the 6th hole, keep your fingers in place.If you have small fingers, you may want to consider getting a smaller bamboo flute that is made for people with smaller hands.
Step 12: Listen every day until you can play scales.
Gaining finger mobility and learning how to maintain a continuous stream of air are important to becoming a proficient flute player.Even if it is only for 15 minutes at a time, make time to practice.Take private lessons if you are interested in doing so.They are not required and you can teach yourself to play the bamboo flute, but a professional instructor might be able to give you some great info about overcoming any hurdles you face.
Step 13: You can learn how to read music and play it.
Once you have learned how to make sound from your bamboo flute, it is time to start making music.You can learn to read and play music with online fingering charts.You can memorize the finger placement and pacing of the songs you want to play by looking up videos.You can get a visual of bamboo flute fingering charts to help you learn your notes.