I`m just another respondent saying to blow across bottles & try different sizes. I also used to blow across hi-calibre gun cartridges, empty of course. Try some of these from a sporting or hunting person or store. Strat man Dwight

Flute lover wrote
"The moral of my story is just maybe the flute isn`t for you..."

I don`t think there is much truth in that. I taught about 400 beginners, non-selected, and every one could quickly get a sound.

I think the blowing over a bottle concept can be somewhat misleading, because one can play a bottle with the lips in a pout (although not efficiently), which is quite the wrong concept, and a difficult one to overcome once started.

"Confused beginner" seems to have left this thread, so we are possibly talking to ourselves.

because you are blowing in the hole or you have not so much air , and then you can`t get sound or you cover your`s flutes hole

maybe you cover your`s flute`s hole blow to high. I play 9 years and two other flutes and i can`t get sound at begining. so try and then you will get a sound no one at the first time can get a nice sound.

you`re just made for clairnet

Some people just can`t get a sound out of flutes no matter what they do. A friend of mine is an awesome clarinet/alto sax player (best in the school on both), but she can`t for the life of her get a sound out of my flute. I don`t know why that is, either. Just go with what you do well - you may find you like clarinet better than flute after some time.

"Some people just can`t get a sound out of flutes no matter what they do."

Not true. They just need a teacher who is more conscious of the many parameters that can prevent a sound being made. A teacher who is capable of teaching rather than relying on chance!

Hey ive been platying flute for 12 years now and i have some tips. If you`re having trouble grtting a sound try thinking of blowing in an arch. as if the air just dips down toward the "blow hole". if this doesn`t work think of yourself as a fountian of air, and the hole splits the air in half. If all lse fails you might have a cupids bow, thi is the shape of the lip which couses the player not be able to create the proper sound or no sound at all, although you can take classes on how to hold your face to lessen the cupids bow. Once you do get a sound you shold use several articulations to get your face used to playing and to stengthen you new skill!!! remember evey flute and flutist is different.

I started flute two months ago (play clarinet and sax) and I still have trouble at times getting a good sound, but it`s a matter of pracitice and trial and error. I bought the book "How To Play the Flute" by Howard Harrison (10.95) and I find it very well written and helpful with a logical progression of pieces to practice on. It took me quite a while and a lot of practice to get a decent sound out of the clarinet also. Probably true of most instruments.

Good luck.
Leonard

My band has a geust director who comes in sometimes that caanot make a sound on the flute, though he can play al least a b flat scale on every other insturment. His problem is that he has a little nob of flesh on the bottom of his top lip called a
"Cupid`s bow" that inturrupts the air stream. Also, try "kissing" your flute and then blowing as you role down- it`ll help you find youre sweet spot.

A small lump in the centre of the lip does NOT affect flute playing. It is no trouble at all to blow slightly out the side of the lip.

For evidence see:

http://www.larrykrantz.com/embpic.htm

If you cannot make a sound then you need a good TEACHER! - not somebody who just offers you trial and error, and likely failure. A good teacher will quickly pinpoint why an embouchure does not work, and tell you ways of successfully dealing with it.

Have you tried slighty rotating the flute back to front until you get some form of sound and make turns smaller and smaller until you find the right position for you?

hey I couldn`t get the sound and then all of a sudden my
flute had broke some pieces