It sometimes helps to do this in front of a mirror so you can see what your body looks like, rather than just relying on feel.

If you ever hear a strange buzzing sound coming from your flute, chances are the membrane covering this hole has come loose and needs to be tightened.

In general, the pinky fingers are not used to play the flute. If you’re missing one of your other fingers, though, you can substitute your pinky in its place.

Use your thumbs to support the weight of the flute and keep it in the correct position.

Your head will tilt toward the blowing hole slightly, but aim to keep your neck, shoulders, and spine as straight as possible.

You’ll be blowing a lot of air while practicing the flute—make sure to give your lips some extra TLC with an exfoliating lip scrub and moisturizing chapstick application after you finish each session.

Keep in mind that you don’t need to blow very forcefully to produce sound. Have you ever blown air into a glass bottle to make a ringing sound? If so, what you’re doing to the flute is very similar to what you did when you “played” the bottle.

Practice breathing in deeply for 5 seconds, following the belly-chest-ribcage-shoulders method. Be mindful as you breathe and pay attention to how your body feels in these moments. This is what you’ll try to recreate every time you refill your lungs with air while you play.

Practice exhaling very slowly with your lips pursed to mimic the shape they make when you’re playing the flute. Breathing exercises are great ways you can “practice” playing the flute, even when you don’t have your flute with you.

Each hole may require a slightly different force of air or adjustment to where you blowing into the hole. Make small, incremental changes to figure out what you need to do.

On the 6th hole, it’s common for your finger to slip off of the 5th hole, causing an air leak. Take care when playing the 6th hole to keep your other fingers firmly in place. [12] X Research source If you have very small fingers, you may want to look into getting a smaller bamboo flute—there are ones made specifically for people with smaller hands that might make the process easier and more enjoyable for you.

If you’re interested in or able to, consider taking private lessons. They’re definitely not required and you can self-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.

Check out https://www. sideblown. com/Finger. html for a visual of bamboo flute fingering charts to help you get started on learning your notes.