How to play an open-holed flute
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 มิ.ย. 2019
- Have you recently (or not so recently) acquired an #open-holed flute and are you struggling to play it? Do you struggle to get your fingers to close the holes properly and get a good sound? Or perhaps you haven't even taken the plugs out yet and you are not quite brave enough to do this. This video looks at the how and why of open holes.
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Thanks, because I just got an openholed one. It's been challenging :D
I m an Indian Bansuri player.. our bamboo flute has only one option, i.e. open hole, makes life tough for beginners, so I know what it means when you say Lot of patience. But later, I can't think of a melody without sliding notes/ half notes / stroking notes. In fact, they create a completely new genre of music. open hole has several advantages.
0:47 dinosaur claw, yeah, that's me all the time, :D
Nugroho same here and I play on an open hole. 👍
Losing the plugs in 1 week is soooooo true... At least it forced me to get used to open holes
I played flute WAAAYYY back in high school and loved it! I dropped it, along with piano and most other hobbies, when I began working, married, had children, and life got otherwise “real.” 😑
I am now married to a high school band director and incredible musician who has inspired/encouraged me to get back into playing. 💗 He surprised me with a beautiful open hole flute a few months ago. I’ve been thrilled to pick it back up again, despite the horrible shape my embouchure is in after 30 years! In addition, though, the open holes have also brought my horrible finger position to my attention! It has been terribly frustrating and discouraging, but I feel so much better after watching your video. Hearing you say that this is a common problem for ANYONE when they first begin playing one has definitely given me reassurance that I can do this! Thank you so much!
I feel REALLY stupid but relieved at the same time.. As a little girl I always loved the way the flute sounded and wanted to learn how to play well my grandma bought me one and when the plugs came out I thought something was wrong so I put it up hopein to go have those pieces replaced.. I didn't know an open hole flute even existed 😁
Ahhhh. That is very sweet! If no one explained it then how could you know! I hope you started again?
I started playing the flute back in the early 70s, when all concert flutes seemed to be closed holed and made by Yamaha. A girl showed up at band practice with a an open holed flute and I asked if I could have a go. I could not get a sound out of it! The odd thing was, she could not understand this - I think she thought I was putting it on. To her, a flute had holes in it, and if you couldn't cope with that you weren't a flute player.
I got my open-holed flute(which I still have) near the end of my first year of college. I got it used, and it did not come with plugs.... I had a concert coming up in which I had a solo, so I had to learn to use it very quickly. My teacher made a suggestion, and I went to a local instrument repairman who rummaged around in his little parts drawers and came up with some round pieces of cork that were the right side. He plugged just the two 4th finger holes (the left hand G and the right hand D) and that worked for me. The teacher had suggested those two because those are the two weakest fingers, and thus the hardest ones to manage. I don't remember how long I kept the corks in, but I eventually took them out, and haven't looked back since. That was (gulp) more than 45 years ago! I totally agree about the open holes forcing a better hand position. That was definitely my experience.
Good tips! I actually started on an open hole flute, an older 1970’s in-line model. I definitely agree that it helped me with having a better hand position. I will admit, I do look forward to the day when I can purchase a new one 😀, and I’ll definitely check out Flute center. Thank you!
omg tysm i js upgraded to an open holed flute today. THIS IS SO HELPFUL OMGGGGG
Hey Tatiana, its Isa, you gave me a couple lessons 2 years ago. I havent played since then. Im back now. And im borrowing a open holed flute. This is perfect for me.
I'm an Italian amateur flutist. Well, I love you! I love your passion, I love your videos... you know I love you!
I'm getting an open holed flute so this is really helpful!
Same!
05:23 Thanks a million for this tip because I came accross the problem of covering properly all the holes for lower register C... some air was escaping out under one of my right hand finger, and yes, I also started squeezing the flute tighter. You really know all about our bad habits before we raise questions! ^_^
I'm glad you found it helpful! 😊
I wish somebody would have told me this 5 years ago when I got my first open hole. I thought the plugs were shipping material and threw them out the day I got the flute. Then I didn't have my fingers covering all the holes so when I tried to play I got nothing but air.
hey Tatiana i own 2 flutes; one Pearl 650 B open holes..and a Sankyo Etude C closed holes...and i prefer the sankyo. that flute cost me twice the price of the Pearl and its still a closed holes flute and i love it.and its alos a C joint...less resistance to air..love it too ! Cheers from Montréal !!
Wow you’ve been in my head. Love this. !
Great video! Very helpful for players of all skill levels.
I got an open holed flute a few years ago and didn't have plugs in mine but my teacher said playing the F major scale helps
this was a super super useful video for me. thank you so much
Absolutely amazing!!!!!
Very good advice! Thanks!
U are my light! Thanks !!! Greetings from Chile!!
You are a awesome tutor....... Lots of love and respect from India...
Really good👍
Nice guide by the far!
Fine useful tips
Hello, greets from Peru. Im gonna start whit the flute, i dont even have an instrument yet but im watching all ur videos. You r an inspiration
Hope it helps you for when you get one!
Thank you!! I just got a gymanheardt model three (oof I really can’t spell that name) yesterday and This video is so helpful!!!!!!
Brooklyn S. hi! i just bought a gemeinheardt model 3 as well, but it hasn’t shipped yet. how has yours been working out for you? i’m really excited for mine to get here.
You are a nice teacher, pretty smart and very pretty!
Thank you for this! I recently finally took out the plugs on my open-hole flute and can play it pretty well but some notes (specifically D) are not coming out correctly which I realize is my hand position. I’ve been playing 14 years and learning a lot from this haha
OMG ACTUALLY SAME.!!
Hello there. I am finding that my RH2 finger lifts when I’m reaching for C or c#. Any I’m getting frustrated, I am keeping the E and D plugs in while I’m warming up and then removing them to encourage correct finger position. When I’m not reaching for C or C# it’s closing fine, but I’m beginning to wander whether there are biological reasons for my difficulty. Are that any hand or finger exercises that I can do to limber up my fingers to aid this problem. I’m 48yr old so not so flexible any more
Hey where do you get colored plugs?
Just purchased an open hole flute, I'll need to practice my finger positioning, I really struggle with that
I am having trouble with middle C. I just can not get a good tone. Do you have any tips?
I just moved off my student model to a open holes flute with a b foot and CAN NOT get my lower register. I can play c and b natural but that's it! I have no clue what I'm doing wrong or if I'm doing anything wrong!!! I need help!!
Why are there only two open holes for the left hand yet three for the right hand?TIA 🙏
I had often just ignored this variety of open-holed instrument, thinking that the bother of having to provide a seal as well as depress the finicky key. Since beginner's don't have the finger memory down from the start it just seems whatever benefits the other variety offers is negligible as polish in one's playing appears only long after we become comfortable with playing well.
i got A and F taken out today and i have a concert tomorrow and i can’t play 😭
Used to play flute really well and can’t play an open hole at all. So weird!
I started playing flute in march (I’ve played clarinet for almost 2 years I know what I’m doing😂) and I will be going into eight grade and I was wondering how long should you wait to get an open hole flute
CakePeace 33 I have practiced flute everyday for about 2 months but thank you for the tip
I would say if you’re going to buy a new flute anyways get it open hole and even use plugs if you need so you don’t have to rebuy. Since you did play clarinet you might be able to move onto open hole much quicker.
emma03 I was thinking that too
braxen b good luck!
Should a begginer like me purchase a open hole flute?,
What do you think😊?
I’d say no. I’ve play for 7 years and it’s difficult for me
I was a beginner when I got my open hole flute and I think it is easier to learn if that is what you start of with first. Also help with pitch and fingering.
i think you should start with a student flute, i played a student flute for two years before getting an open hole. this just makes it easier to adapt to a flute with open holes.
I have trouble having a good hand position because I have very short fingers. Therefore my fingers are usually straight. If I plan on getting an open hole flute, is there anything special I should do? I’m worried
If you're still considering it, make sure you get an offset G key. If you already have a closed hole flute, it's most likely offset. An inline G key will demand that you stretch your left hand's fingers more.
Von D thank you so much!
when your flute didn't come with plugs
I have both open and closed flutes.
But I DO find open holed flutes hard to play due to my swan neck double joints and my deformed pinkies.
Subtitulos en español sería estupendo que tuviera para informarnos los que no sabemos ingles
Free shipping does not work to France :( Thanks for tips ! :)
Do you know French?
Is it just me or does the flute seem to lengthen and shorten?
I have a yamaha flute. It is not an open hole one.
Can't play open hole on alto flute. They don't make them. That being said it's restricted to the C flute and smaller instruments. Inline is harder than offset. Good info tho. Cheers.
Blue Eyed Soul Man ok then..?
Any flute can be an open hole flute if you own a drill.
Well you didn't loose your flute for 10 years I wouldn't call that not particularly good at not loosing stuff
Yeah but her flute probably means so much to her that she brings it with her everywhere like a pet or a child.
Proper glissendo and sliding ornamentations are impossible on the Boehm flute, open holed or not.
I understand that Boehm's design was necessary for ease of playing in fast chromatic classsical music. However, it simply ruined the essence and spirit of the flute and created a portable piano with a "flute-like" sound.
That's why, you will usually only hear Chinese dizi, Irish whistle, Turkish ney, Indian bansuri, or similar traditional instruments in best instrumental music such as newage, meditation music, etc. In contrast, the sound of Boehm flute is too mechanical, devoid of any spritual effect.
In this regard, simple system flutes of the 19th century are far superior than the Boehm flute. There is a need to return back to these conical flutes, which are nowadays used only for Irish folk music. What a pity!
Why is it “ a pity?” . Surely in a discipline like music , there is room for both wooden flutes and the Bohm concert flute ? I don’t think it’s a “ mechanical piano “ - for a start , it’s very hard to play well because any excess air makes a Bohm sound dreadful whereas excess air on the wooden flute sounds “ folky” - you can get away with poor hand position on a wooden flute, need them in various keys in order to play different pieces and a lot of them are so badly made that you cannot get them to play in tune no matter how much adjustment you make with your embouchure . You’re very quick to knock down the Bohm system but it’s been successfully transferred to other reeded instruments . The man was an engineering genius .
Of course , the original ( and in my humble opinion ) and best flutes of all are now known as recorders “ fipple flutes” engineered in the same way as organ pipes . If you want a truly authentic sound for any Renaissance or Baroque pieces , forget the Bohm , forget the myriad of wooden flutes you’d need to play the pieces and buy a beautiful applewood or pear wood descant , treble and tenor recorder ( mine cost as much as a decent Bohm flute ) and you’ve covered all bases .
All musical instruments are amazing ; it’s as wrong to criticise the Bohm system as it is to get snitty about electric guitars imvho .
Should a begginer like me purchase a open hole flute?,
What do you think😊?