How to Play the Flute (With Expert Tips)

The flute is a woodwind instrument that plays some of the highest notes in an orchestra. While flutes may look intimidating with all of their keys, you can easily start learning how to play. We spoke to flute expert Jennifer Slaughter to show you how to make your first sound, put the instrument together, start learning notes, and more. With a bit of practice every day, you can learn how to play your flute like a pro!

Can you teach yourself to play the flute?

Flute expert Jennifer Slaughter says you can learn the flute at any age, and there are many learning resources available. Some watch YouTube videos or read books to learn on their own. Others begin in a school band or take private lessons. All you need is a flute, an idea of what you want to learn, and a plan!

Section 1 of 4:

Making Your First Sound on the Flute

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When you’re learning the flute, it’s common to practice making your first sounds on the head joint alone before putting the entire instrument together. Slaughter explains that the head joint is the top piece of the flute with a lip plate with a hole in it.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Jennifer Slaughter
Flute Expert

Expert Interview} This is the piece that you blow into to produce a sound.

Meet the wikiHow Experts

Jennifer Slaughter is a professional flutist and flute teacher with over 15 years of experience. She is the founder of Jennifer Slaughter Flute Studio and performs with the Spokane Symphony.
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Position the hole in the lip plate underneath the center of your bottom lip. Hold the head joint parallel to the floor with the open end of the tube extending to your right, and set the lip plate underneath your bottom lip. Balance the flute between your chin and bottom lip for the most support. Keep the hole is directly in the center of your lips with the edge of the hole touching the bottom of your bottom lip to achieve the best tone.^{[2]
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- If the hole is misaligned, you may not produce a full sound while playing your flute.
- For now, it doesn’t matter how you hold the head joint.
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Tighten the corners of your mouth while keeping your lips smooth and relaxed. Firm up the muscles in the corners of your mouth, but not so tightly that your lips are wrinkled or pursed. Pretend that you’re saying the letter “M” to get the right lip posture, or embouchure.^{[3]
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- The way you set your lip muscles in order to play a wind instrument like the flute is called an “embouchure.”
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Blow air from the middle of your lips toward the hole. Take a deep breath through your mouth and engage your core to avoid tension in your chest, shoulders, or throat. Slightly open your mouth like you’re about to say the letter “P” to blow air into the instrument. Exhale a deep breath in a moderately fast, controlled stream toward the hole to play the flute. The air will travel through the body of the flute and create sound!^{[4]
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Research source} Angle your air stream downward so it’s blowing against the outer edge of the embouchure hole. Some of the air goes into the instrument, while some of the air goes across the hole.^{[5]
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- As Slaughter explains, “Blowing into a flute requires splitting your air across and into the flute head joint. Try placing your finger below your lips into the crook of your chin and blowing it down. Your top lip will direct the air downwards so that you feel the air on your finger. Then bring the flute headjoint into the same position as your finger and blow in the same manner.”^{[6]
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- Don’t open your mouth too wide, or else the air won’t travel into the instrument.
- If you don’t hear any sound coming from the instrument, try slightly pushing your jaw forward or backward to direct the airflow.
- For a full and sustained sound, focus on maintaining a fast and focused air stream (instead of just blowing as hard as you can).
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Make a “too too too” motion with your tongue to articulate the sound. In music, articulation is the way you break up a sound into separate durations (for example, a long and sustained note vs. a short and choppy one). Once you can sustain a sound on the head joint, try articulating (or “tonguing”). Without stopping your air stream, move your tongue up and down like you’re saying the syllable “too.” The tip of your tongue should lightly tap the roof of your mouth, just behind your front teeth, to start each articulated note.^{[7]
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- “Staccato” articulation refers to notes that are short, crisp, and separated.
- “Legato” articulation refers to notes that are longer and smoother, but still separated.
- “Slurring” is when you change notes without tonguing at all, resulting in a smooth and liquid sound.
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Section 2 of 4:

Putting the Flute Together

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Slide the head joint into the end of the body of your flute. To put your flute together, Slaughter instructs to “grab the body or middle section by the top (the area with no keys). Take the head joint and twist it gently into the top part of the body.”^{[8]
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- Avoid pressing any of the rods or keys on the flute’s body while you’re putting your flute together, since they could easily get damaged.
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Line up the hole in the head joint with the first key on the top of the flute. Along the top of the body of the flute are a series of circular keys where your fingers go. Locate the first key, closest to the head joint, and twist the head joint so the mouth hole aligns with the key. Hold the flute up at eye level and look down the body to make sure the hole is perfectly aligned.^{[9]
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- If the hole is too far forward or backward, it will be more difficult to play your flute with a full tone.
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Push the foot joint into the body so the metal rod aligns with the keys. “Finally, take the foot joint (the smallest section) and twist it gently into the bottom part of the body,” explains Slaughter.^{[10]
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Jennifer Slaughter
Flute Expert

Expert Interview} The foot joint is the last part of your flute with a few rods and keys on it. Push the foot joint into the bottom end of your flute and twist it in place to secure it. Rotate the foot joint so the long metal pin running down it lines up with the bottom key on your flute body.^{[11]
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- You’ve now fully assembled your flute!
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Clean your flute before disassembling. When you’ve finished practicing, always take your flute apart carefully in the reverse order you assembled it, clean it, and put it back in its case to avoid damage. Slaughter provides a detailed breakdown of the cleaning process: “Take the cleaning rod that came with your flute and thread an absorbent, non-abrasive cloth through the eye. Then, push the cloth and rod through the foot joint and body sections individually after taking your flute apart. To clean the head joint, you push the rod and cloth to the top of the head joint and twist around to ensure all the moisture is collected.”^{[12]
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Flute Expert

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- She continues, “To clean the outside of the flute, including the lip plate or mouthpiece, use a different non-abrasive cloth to remove any debris or oils from your skin that may have adhered to the flute.”^{[13]
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Section 3 of 4:

Holding the Flute

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1
Control the keys closest to the head joint with your left hand. Bend your left elbow with your palm facing toward you to grab the flute from the side farthest from you. Rest your left thumb on the long, flat key on the underside of the flute, with your other fingers draping over the top keys in a relaxed, slightly curved shape. Place your index, middle, and ring fingers on the 2nd, 4th, and 5th keys from the top of the instrument, respectively. Rest your pinky on the side key that looks like a paddle without pressing it down.^{[14]
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- Use your thumb and the lowest knuckle on your index finger to support and balance the flute.
- On beginner flutes, all of the circular keys will be close-holed (filled). On more advanced flutes, the keys are open-holed, and the holes must be covered all the way for notes to come out.
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Use your right hand to control the keys at the end of the flute. Locate the bottom 3 keys on the main body of your flute (closest to the foot joint). Put your index, middle, and ring fingers on each of the keys, with your thumb supporting the flute from underneath (approximately underneath your index finger). Use your right pinky to press the first key on the foot joint.^{[15]
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- Unlike the left hand, your right palm should face away from you. “You can check by holding the flute vertically like a recorder or clarinet. The hands should be facing opposite directions,” Slaughter notes.^{[16]
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- Keep your fingers long, curved, and relaxed so they can easily reach the keys (think about making a C- or U-shape with your hand). Try not to let them flatten out or bend too tightly at the knuckles.
- Don’t press down on the keys immediately. Instead, keep your fingers resting on top of them for now.
Tip: Your fingers will not move to different keys while you play. Never shift your fingers to press different keys, or else your fingering will be off for other notes.
3
Hold the flute parallel to the floor. “The flute is held parallel to the ground and off to the right side of your body,” explains Slaughter.^{[17]
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Jennifer Slaughter
Flute Expert

Expert Interview} You can stand up or sit on the edge of a chair so your back is straight and you’re looking ahead. Keep your arms relaxed and away from your body as you raise the flute up to your mouth (do not lower your head or bend your neck to meet the flute). Make sure the flute is parallel to the ground rather than angling it down.^{[18]
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- If you want to play your flute standing up, keep your feet shoulder-width apart and firmly planted on the ground.

Section 4 of 4:

Learning Your First Notes on the Flute

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1
Press your left thumb and index finger to play B. Push these keys down fully while gently resting or hovering your other fingers over the flute, using your thumbs and chin to balance the instrument. Blow through the embouchure hole in the head joint to make the note B.
- This is the first note that most flute players learn.
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Add your left middle and ring fingers to play A and G, respectively. With your “B fingers” still down, add your left middle finger to make the note A. Practice going back and forth between B and A a few times to get used to how your fingers feel on the keys. When you’re confident in your B and A, try playing a G—with your A fingers down, add your ring finger.
- With these 3 notes, you can play your first simple tune! Here’s a quick tutorial on how to play “Hot Cross Buns.” Note that when you see the same note multiple times in a row, you’ll have to articulate (tongue) to hear each note.
  - B- A- G—
    B- A- G—
    BBBB AAAA
    B- A- G—
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Add your right index, middle, and ring fingers to play F, E, and D, respectively. With your left hand still fingering a G, add your right index finger to play F, middle finger to play E, and ring finger to play low D. “Low notes on the flute require slower, warmer air” than you need to make noise on just the head joint, Slaughter explains. “Make sure your lip opening is relaxed and open enough to allow the air to exit slowly. Aim the air in a downward direction using your top lip to guide it.”^{[19]
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- Conversely, when you play higher notes, Slaughter says you’ll need “fast, cool air” to achieve a full, supported sound.^{[20]
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4
Refer to a flute fingering chart to learn how to play more notes. The flute has far more than 6 notes! Fingering charts can help you learn how to play notes through the entire range of the flute. They show a diagram of the instrument with keys filled in to show which fingers you need for a given note (they also show you where the note is on the staff to help you learn to read music). Once you’ve mastered B, A, G, F, E, and D, begin expanding your range with new notes and fingerings.
- Many instructional flute books will come with a fingering chart so you can easily reference them.
- You may notice that there are multiple Bs, As, and other notes with the same fingerings. This is because when you “overblow” a lower note like B (AKA, use faster and more focused air), the sound jumps up an octave. (An octave is the musical interval between two notes of the same name, like from low B to high B). Practice alternating between high and low notes so you can learn where the “sweet spot” is for each.
Tip: Print out a copy of the fingering chart so you can keep it on a music stand while you first learn to play.
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Practice scales to build up your technique and finger speed. In music, scales are ordered sequences of notes that span an octave. “Learning scales is vital to playing the flute,” Slaughter explains. “Scales appear in so many pieces and include all the notes you will need to learn, as well as patterns that frequently appear in music. Start with the key of C Major since this scale utilizes all the 'natural' forms of notes (as opposed to sharps or flats). It is best to already have basic tone production, hand and finger placement, and positioning in place before attempting scales.”^{[21]
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- To play a C major scale, for example, you’d play the notes (low) C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and (high) C (it will sound like singing “do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do” from The Sound of Music).
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Tune your flute by adjusting the head joint. To play in an ensemble, you have to make sure your instrument is in tune (AKA, the pitch of your note A exactly matches the A played by other instruments). After you’ve warmed up and played a few notes or scales, play an A into a chromatic tuner or a tuning app on your phone. Check the display to see if your note sounds too high (sharp) or too low (flat), and adjust the head joint accordingly:
- “If you are flat in pitch, you should push the head joint in to raise it. Conversely, if you are sharp in pitch, you should pull the head joint out to lower it. The normal placement of the head joint is pulled out anywhere from ¼ to ½ an inch,” Slaughter explains.^{[22]
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- Once you’re warmed up and tuned, you’re ready to rehearse, practice, or perform!

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Why is it difficult for me to blow into the flute?

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To improve your blowing technique, you need to find the right spot where your mouth should be positioned on the flute. This can take about a week or more of daily practice, as it varies for each person. After some practice, this will become second nature. Also, ensure you are blowing directly towards the hole; if not, adjust your mouth's position.

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Is Yamaha a good brand for an intermediate flute player who wishes to continue playing flute for a long time, and wants the flute last for a very long time?

Kim G

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Yamaha has a wide variety of flutes, ranging from beginner to professional models. They have received good reviews online and have a reputation for durability.

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Where can you get a flute book?

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You can get them online, but a good book to start with is the Essential Elements Book 2000. It's really easy to learn from.

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Some starter flutes cost as little as $50, but they may not be the best quality instrument. Renting is a good option if you’re not sure how long you’ll stick with the flute.^{[23]
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You can buy or rent-to-own a quality beginner model flute at most band and orchestra stores. Or, if you’re joining your school band, your school may provide an instrument for you as long as you’re in the program.

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Consider taking private lessons to help improve your form and playing.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Use just the flute's headjoint at first to practice making an embouchure and producing sound. Once you can consistently make a tone, add in the rest of the instrument. Taking it step-by-step makes learning easier.
Consider taking lessons from an experienced flute teacher, especially when you're first starting out. They can guide you on proper technique and help you avoid developing bad habits early on.
Work on breathing exercises to develop your lung capacity. Take full, deep breaths and use a controlled, steady airstream as you play. Good breath support is vital for playing the flute well.
Don't get discouraged if you struggle at first! The flute has a learning curve but regular practice will quickly help you improve. Stick with it past the initial challenges.
Print out a fingering chart and keep it handy as you learn which keys to press for different notes. Having a reference diagram makes memorizing finger positions simpler.

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