By 7th-Grader Penny Andreas
I’ve come to learn our PVS bloggers are skilled in surprising arenas: fencing, appearing to listen without truly listening (teachers and parents, take note), winning at Monopoly always. Penny, we come to find out, has been playing the flute for years. She shares with us the history and basics of making beautiful sounds come out of this reedy instrument.
Blog Advisor Zachik
Flutes are one of the earliest known instruments. There is record of them back in Germany over 35,000 years ago. Many cultures and traditions have their own style and version of flute playing. One of the oldest traditional flutes is the Japanese Shakuhachi.
The Shakuhachi
A Shakuhachi is a very ancient Japanese and Chinese flute. It is a wide, end-blown flute that is made out of madake bamboo with five finger holes. The bamboo flute was made in Japan in the 16th century, and it was called Fuke Shakuhachi. It was used often when meditating. Not many people play the Shakuhachi nowadays, but there are many soundtracks and songs that incorporate this peaceful flute. Try listening to Shakuhachi Japanese Bamboo Flute Meditation & Relaxation Music.
Western Concert Flute
This flute is very well known in places like the U.S. It is usually referred to simply as “the flute.” Western Concert Flutes are very common and are used as beginning instruments for bands. These flutes are mainly made out of metal, but really expensive ones can be gold or copper. The Western Concert Flute is again a very old flute. Did you know that George Washington, James Madison, and Leonardo da Vinci played the flute? (earlylightmusic.weebly)
I have been playing the flute for two years now. I started when I was 10, joining my school band. About three months in, I started to take lessons. My teacher taught me so many “flute hacks” and helped me become confident with my flute playing and performing. I was very self-conscious about my performance, until I did my first one. Hearing the trombones and all of the other instruments behind me was thrilling, and playing along, hearing the notes in symphony, was beautiful. (The celebration at the end was exciting, too.)
Penny Andreas
Beginner Basics
Now that you know at least some background on the flute, these are the first things to know when you are playing the flute. The flute can be very complicated. Playing the flute relies on moving your hands without seeing them. Want to play the flute? Make sure you have a lot of time because flute playing can be hard to master and learn.
The Three Main Parts
One important thing about playing is setting up. The common flute has three parts: the head, the body, and the bottom. The head is obviously at the top, the body in the middle, and the bottom at the bottom. You can simply put these pieces together by just connecting them through the holes.
Position
Most people think that there is no wrong way to handle the flute. This is wrong. There is a special order to place your hands so you can reach all of the finger holes to create different notes. You always want your left hand holding the upper body, and facing behind you. Your right hand however will hold the lower part of the body AND the bottom. This hand should be facing in front of you. If you are sitting or standing while playing, make sure that your back is straight. If you are slouching, it can affect your breathing and will make playing much harder.
Making a Sound
When you first get your flute, trust me, you will automatically want to make noise. To be able to do this, you will need to know the key parts to making beautiful noise. Number one is your embouchure. This fancy word embouchure actually just means your mouth shape. This is very important because you simply can’t make a sound by just making a random circle shape with your mouth. A simple way to describe your embouchure is making your mouth look like you are about to whistle. Then slightly curve the ends of your mouth. This is what an embouchure for the flute should look like.
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Now that you get the basic idea of flute playing, I recommend taking lessons or watching YouTube tutorials. For taking lessons, I would choose Amanda Barro. Even though she is in Idaho, she is a great teacher. You can work with her via Zoom or Facetime. For YouTube videos, you could watch basically anyone; they should all help you. A good site to start with is, Dr. Selfridge’s Flute Tutorials @ drselfridgemusic.com. I know flute playing requires a lot to take in, but it is definitely worth it. Playing the flute can calm you and is a great subject for bragging!