I’m working on my melodic and harmonic minor scales. I noticed that in the E flat melodic minor scale, when it goes up you can use the B flat thumb while when you go down you have to either use the lever or long B flat. How do you handle this scale?
Hi Viktoriya! Eb melodic is such a great scale! A bit nerdy of me - but I love it :) I use my Bb thumb on the way up, and then on the Db just after the top note, I switch my thumb back to the natural and use the long Bb on the way down. You could use the lever too, but I prefer the long one in this scale. Good luck learning your minors!
Trevor Wye, in his method, "Beginer's Book for the Flute - Part 1", suggests to use the second option and never actually mentions the first one. I had a really hard time playing a "strong" Bb note using the second option. It sounded similar to the "weak" F# you showed us. A few weeks ago, I accidentaly discovered some graphic at the beginning of his book where it had "Bb" written on top of the left-hand thumb lever. This made my life so much easier! The B flats finally sounded "strong" and I could use (almost) the same fingering as for B natural. But the questions still remains: is there something wrong with my flute, or there was something I was doing wrong, since I wasn't able to get a decent tone by using the second fingering of Bb? Thanks!
Both fingerings should produce the same tone for the same player. If you're worried that it might be a leaky key issue causing the weaker tone, it might be a good idea to get your flute looked at. Hopefully it is nothing serious! 😀
My first flute had a jammjammed Bb, so it never worked. I got used to playing right hand lever Bb and it's all I've ever used. Come to think of it, I don't know where I learned it, but I've used alternate fingerings since as well. Right hand ring finger for f#, pinky off for high E, high Ab with right middle and ring fingers ... there may be more but I can't remember now.
Thumb B flat is so much better in a flat key like you said in the video. I just wish the band class method books would teach this from the onset. Essential Elements, which is the most widely used class method book in the U.S. teaches 1 & 1 B flat, even though most middle school kids are going to play music in a flat key. Doesn't make sense. So private teachers are forced to correct this habit after kids have used this fingering in band class unless the band director is teaching the thumb B flat fingering from the very start.
Yes definitely agree with you! Essential Elements is used in Australia too in majority of band programs - so most of the time I have to introduce the thumb Bb way later on due to this band book method.
I have a question so in the fingerings of flute my teacher has showed us to play the Bb thumb key in all fingerings on the staff, ive been playing for almost 3 years and someone told me that i should be using the B natural key for the notes on the staff, etc, im kinda confused bc i have been using the Bb key for a long time so idk if im playing correct with the Bb key or the natural, which one should i be using for my thumb?
Hey there - good question! The best way is to use the RH Bb for notes that are next to B naturals. I only know 1 or 2 pro players (out of hundreds) that use the RH Bb for all Bbs. You just want to avoid sliding your thumb between Bb and B natural because you just don't have a lot of control that way. Good luck!
Very helpful description of when to use the Bb lever key. Thanks.
Glad you liked my tips! 😊
I’m working on my melodic and harmonic minor scales. I noticed that in the E flat melodic minor scale, when it goes up you can use the B flat thumb while when you go down you have to either use the lever or long B flat. How do you handle this scale?
Hi Viktoriya! Eb melodic is such a great scale! A bit nerdy of me - but I love it :) I use my Bb thumb on the way up, and then on the Db just after the top note, I switch my thumb back to the natural and use the long Bb on the way down. You could use the lever too, but I prefer the long one in this scale. Good luck learning your minors!
@@JaneFluteSchool thank you so much!!!!
Trevor Wye, in his method, "Beginer's Book for the Flute - Part 1", suggests to use the second option and never actually mentions the first one. I had a really hard time playing a "strong" Bb note using the second option. It sounded similar to the "weak" F# you showed us. A few weeks ago, I accidentaly discovered some graphic at the beginning of his book where it had "Bb" written on top of the left-hand thumb lever. This made my life so much easier! The B flats finally sounded "strong" and I could use (almost) the same fingering as for B natural. But the questions still remains: is there something wrong with my flute, or there was something I was doing wrong, since I wasn't able to get a decent tone by using the second fingering of Bb? Thanks!
Both fingerings should produce the same tone for the same player. If you're worried that it might be a leaky key issue causing the weaker tone, it might be a good idea to get your flute looked at. Hopefully it is nothing serious! 😀
Thank you for this video!
What is you reasoning for starting flute students with long B-flat, and then switching?
This is what is written in most band books which is what most kids follow in Australia when starting off learning the flute. 😊
An awesome teaching by an awesome teacher, thanks Jane, God bless
So glad it was helpful Jorge!! Jane
My first flute had a jammjammed Bb, so it never worked. I got used to playing right hand lever Bb and it's all I've ever used. Come to think of it, I don't know where I learned it, but I've used alternate fingerings since as well. Right hand ring finger for f#, pinky off for high E, high Ab with right middle and ring fingers ... there may be more but I can't remember now.
Hey AB! As long as the Bb fingering that you're using is working well for you, seems like a good work around - good on you! jane
Great teacher 💐👌👍❤️👏👏👏👏🙏
Thank you, that's lovely! 😃
Thumb B flat is so much better in a flat key like you said in the video. I just wish the band
class method books would teach this from the onset. Essential Elements, which is the
most widely used class method book in the U.S. teaches 1 & 1 B flat, even though most
middle school kids are going to play music in a flat key. Doesn't make sense. So private
teachers are forced to correct this habit after kids have used this fingering in band class
unless the band director is teaching the thumb B flat fingering from the very start.
Yes definitely agree with you! Essential Elements is used in Australia too in majority of band programs - so most of the time I have to introduce the thumb Bb way later on due to this band book method.
Amazing. Thanks.
You're welcome Russ!
very interesting video!
Thank you!
Yeah, that first Bb isn't even in either of my books, or on my fingering chart. I learned it from a Dr Selfridge video 🤔.
Brilliant
Thank you Mark! 😊
I have a question so in the fingerings of flute my teacher has showed us to play the Bb thumb key in all fingerings on the staff, ive been playing for almost 3 years and someone told me that i should be using the B natural key for the notes on the staff, etc, im kinda confused bc i have been using the Bb key for a long time so idk if im playing correct with the Bb key or the natural, which one should i be using for my thumb?
Hey there - good question! The best way is to use the RH Bb for notes that are next to B naturals. I only know 1 or 2 pro players (out of hundreds) that use the RH Bb for all Bbs. You just want to avoid sliding your thumb between Bb and B natural because you just don't have a lot of control that way. Good luck!
💫
Thank you! 😊
Hey I am new to your channel and I play the flute
Hi Michael - welcome! Jane