Flute

DISCLAIMER: The quality of equipment (instrument, head joint) has a very big impact on intonation. If the equipment is not in working order, the information and techniques on this webpage will not be as effective.

Embouchure Check!

Your embouchure formation can either help or hurt your pitch accuracy. Here is a brief reminder about how you should form your embouchure:

Set the lip plate strait against your lips so that there is 50% upper lip and 50% lower lip resting over the tone hole. Roll the flute down so that the embouchure hole is now facing the ceiling/sky. About 1/3 to 1/4 of the tone hole should be covered by the lower lip.
Make a silent "WHEE" formation with your mouth. This should flatten the lower lip and pull the corners outward.
While holding "WHEE," immediately say "TOO." This will bring the lip corners forward and down. This will also bring the top lip forward into their playing formation.

A Correct Flute Embouchure

Check Your Headjoint Cork!

Correct Cork Placement

To make sure that your headjoint cork is in the correct position, take your tuning rod (the opposite side is used for swabbing out the instrument) and put it into your headjoint. The line on this rod should be in the center of the embouchure hole. Adjust the cork placement by turning the headjoint cap to the right (pulls the cork out and moves the rod line to the left) or turning the cap to the left and pushing in. This loosens the cap. So, to adjust the cork, push the cap in. This will move the cork further into the flute and move the line to the right.

How To Tune The Flute

Once you have checked to make sure that you are forming your embouchure correctly, follow this procedure for tuning your instrument:

1) Play your instrument for a few minutes to warm up your embouchure muscles and your flute.

2) Check to make sure that you head joint is only pulled out 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch. This amount changes based on what brand of flute that you play.

3) Play low 'C' and then "overblow" this note to make it sound an octave higher (3rd space 'C'). Adjust the head joint until these notes are in tune.

4) Next, play diatonically from 5th line 'F' to 'Bb' above the staff three or four times. Tune this high 'Bb' 8 cents sharp.

5) Then, play 2nd space 'A' with your best tone at a mezzo-forte dynamic.
This note should require little to no adjustment.

These are the best tuning notes for flute alone:

These are the best for tuning the flute with the band:

Ways to Adjust the Flute While Playing

Even after tuning our instrument, there will still be notes that are naturally out-of-tune for various reasons. This makes it necessary for us to adjust, or manipulate, the pitch while playing. Here are some simple ways to adjust pitch:

Air Direction

To lower the pitch while playing, aim the air stream lower (towards your left elbow). Doing this will cover the embouchure hole somewhat more, also helping to lower pitch.
To raise the pitch while you are playing, aim the air stream more across the tone hole. Doing this will slightly uncover the embouchure hole, also helping to raise pitch.

Vowel Shape

To lower the pitch, drop the jaw into an "OH" or "AW" position.
To raise the pitch, reduce the amount of space in your mouth by saying "OO."

**Avoid thinking "Roll-In" or "Roll-Out" to adjust pitch. This changes your hand position in addition to covering far too much or too little of the embouchure hole. The more the embouchure hole is covered, the less dynamic range the flute has. The flute is already an instrument with limited dynamic range, and rolling in or out can be a detriment to tone and volume. Instead of "Rolling-In" or "Rolling-Out," think about adjusting air stream direction.***

Other Factors That Effect Flute Intonation

Pressing Flute Into Bottom Lip/Chin

Pressing the flute too hard into the bottom lip will cause the flutist to cover too much of the embouchure hole, causing them to play under pitch.

Breath Support/Air Speed

Breath support and air speed greatly effects intonation. When breath support is not strong enough, intonation will tend to be flat. This can lead to the player attempting to compensate for for the bad intonation by developing other bad habits (such as too much tension in the embouchure or directing air too far up or down). When the breath support/air speed is too strong, pitch will tend to go sharp. Adjusting the aperture size will also effect air speed.

Pads and Keys

Key alignment effects intonation. Certain notes can be airy and weak due to leaking keys. Many of the keys that you do not directly press will become leaky over time (Bb keys, keys between G and F, etc.). Have your flute aligned and adjusted once per year by a qualified technician.

Posture

It is difficult to have good intonation if you have poor posture. Here are some quick reminders about posture:

Turn your chair and body at a 45 degree angle to the right of the music stand.
Your head and flute should remain parallel to the music stand.
Sit tall, directly on your sitting bones.

Correct Posture for Playing the Flute

Temperature

When the temperature is hot, the flute pitch will be sharp. When the temperature is cold, the flute pitch will be flat. Playing the flute at room temperature will give you the best chance of being in tune.

PITCH TENDENCIES

Every instrument has notes that are naturally out of tune. Here is a list of common naturally out-of-tune notes for the flute along with ways to correct their pitch:

VERY SHARP

HOW TO CORRECT THIS:
For the C#/Db, Add all three fingers of your right hand and direct your air stream down. For the high D#/Eb, aim the air stream down.

VERY FLAT

HOW TO CORRECT THIS:
Direct your air stream upwards. Uncover the embouchure hole a bit more if possible.

SLIGHTLY SHARP

HOW TO CORRECT THIS:
For the C's, add the 3rd finger of the left hand and direct the air down. For the high E, do not use the right hand pinky Eb key.

SLIGHTLY FLAT