Hi, could someone please answer this basic question for me. My daughter has just got a Yamaha YFL211 flute. Why is it when she fingers and plays G4 it sounds A4 =440Hz. I thought flutes were non transposing instruments?

The flute is not a transposing instrument. If fingering is correct, G4 should sound G4 (392 Hz). If not, there may be a problem with the flute or her embouchure.

http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/flute/fl_bas_1.html



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Is she a beginner?

Hi, thanks for the quick response. Yes she is a beginner but to lip a full tone upwards would take some doing? So I must suspect that we are not understanding flute fingering chart conventions!?

That could be, but the flute is an extremely flexible instrument when it comes to pitch, so a good chunk of it could be just her air usage/embouchure. It's entirely possible to manipulate pitch a half step in either direction with just the air (sometimes more or less depending on the specific note in question), so that may be part of the issue, along with an incorrect fingering, or a malfunctioning flute, or a tuner set incorrectly. Just to take the fingering chart out of the equation, check that to play G1 (G4 on a Piano), she's using her left thumb (for this particular note it doesn't matter which thumb key she closes), as well as the first 3 fingers on her left hand, and the right hand pinky. Is this the fingering she's been using for G1, or was it something else?

I think she may be fingering G incorrectly.

I think she's fingering the three left hand keys in a row. I played an A with this fingering.

It should be fingered as - hold down key with index finger, skip a key, hold down next two keys.

Check out the following web page for additional information on fingering.

http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/flute/fl_fing.html

For G4 fingering 1, 2, 3 as stated above plus B natural and E flat.

OK, thanks for the help but I am a trumpet player who is only used to three valves. There is a lot of keywork on this silver pipe. I am now sure we are not understanding the charts correctly. A tutor would sort this out quickly but my daughter wishes to gain some skill before going for lessons. I will now stop drinking and give it some serious thought. I will let you know how we go on. Am I the only brass player who can't read these charts?

If your daughter doesn't already have a teacher, I would stongly suggest you get her one now rather than waiting. It sounds like she's already having some issues, and depending on what she's ingraining, it can be VERY difficult to unlearn and learn properly. Quite aside from helping her playing improve, a teacher can spot potentially damaging bad habits and correct them. For instance, a bad hand position can lead to serious problems with carpal tunnel or RSI's down the road. Teachers are there to help you learn, so why try to teach yourself when there is someone with more knowledge and experience there to help out? There's no reason to wait for a teacher...The teacher isn't going to take knocks at her for not being able to play yet. That's why she's a beginner. We all start there.

Yes, you are absolutley right. I will take steps to get her a tutor. Thanks to you all for taking the time to post. I must admit I am sat here looking at the keywork and I do not understand the most basic of your instructions. i.e 1,2,3 plus B natural and E flat.
All the best
Steve

The Yamaha is actually tuned to A=442 and if it's pushed in all the way and played way over the top, it could overblow a half step to Ab easily.

If the instrument needs a fix, like a bad Ab key sticking down, then the G overblown 1/2 step with a bad Ab key T123 could sound an A.
I'd have another person who knows flutes try it with a tuner.

What ny band teacher told me is to slided the head joint until i got the right pich

Unfortunately, HP, that's not a good way to tune, as we've discussed several times in the past. If you're interested, give this a read:

http://www.langemusic.com/Articles/flutetune.htm