Most Critical Resource
The most critical resource your young flutist needs is a fingering chart! The young flutist needs to memorize about 30 different notes their first year of playing. The different finger combinations can be confusing. A good fingering chart can help your child succeed.
Good Fingering Chart
A good fingering chart will tell the student important information as they memorize the fingerings.
- The chart will have the letter name of the note, and if needed two letter names for the basic enharmonic pitches.
- The chart will show the note on the staff.
- Finally, the chart will show an illustration of the fingering.
Apps can be a great resource if your student has their own phone. On Google Play you will find "Complete Fingerings for the Flute" app and others. On Apple "Fingercharts"
Below is a good one page flute fingering chart that can easily be printed or shared as a photo.
Tips for Using a Fingering chart
A visual fingering chart doesn't do much good stuffed in the back of the student's folder. Here are some tips to help students use their chart:
- Key Clicks: Place the flute headjoint on the shoulder for support. Finger the notes while listening for the "clicks" as the fingers move together.
- Octaves: Play a single note name, such as a low Eb, in all octaves or registers. The fingerings can be slightly different for each octave.
- Practice Leaps or Skips: Most music flutists play will skip around and the fingering patterns of these skips can cause the flutist to pause between notes. Using the chart to see the difference between two notes
The Advancing Flutist
Advanced fingering charts are equally important for the advancing student. Entire books have been compiled covering advanced techniques and important fingerings for difficult passages and demanding flute parts.
Most high school students will not need an entire book, but rather a good resource that covers their intermediate needs. One of the best resources can be found online for free. Any student can bookmark this on their phone and pull it up quick as a resource during rehearsals.
The chart should include alternate fingerings, trill and tremolo fingerings, and may include some 20th century technique fingerings including quarter tones and multiphonics.
The Woodwind Fingering Guide by Mark Charette is a great resource. https://www.wfg.woodwind.org/
Help your student continue thriving and learning
This simple resource, a flute fingering chart, can help your student thrive in band. Make sure they have easy access to a chart today.