Hello,

I've been wondering about the fingering for the lowest F#. Fingering charts tell me that the third finger on the right hand is used, but I find it easier to use the middle finger, and I get a slightly clearer note. Is this wrong?

It also makes a trill between E and F# very easy, whereas using the ring finger, as suggested by the charts, doesn't make it easy at all. The only problem is moving from F to F#, where there's often a little jump up to G or down to E between the two.

Can anyone tell me what they do, especially concerning trills between E and F#?

Thanks a lot

Jack

this fingering is usually used for rapid passages and for the E-F# trill of course. It usually sounds very flat and fuzzy for longer notes...

I don't hear any significant difference between these alternative F# fingerings on my usual flute and neither does my meter - but this might be different on another flute. Depending the harmony it may also be desirable to have slightly sharper or flatter F#s but alternative fingering is not usually the most convenient way of achieving this.

A note can have a poor tone because of a leaky pad. For instance if the RH3 finger doesn't adequate close the F# key.

I've been wondering about the fingering for the lowest F#. Fingering charts tell me that the third finger on the right hand is used, but I find it easier to use the middle finger, and I get a slightly clearer note. Is this wrong? It also makes a trill between E and F# very easy, whereas using the ring finger, as suggested by the charts, doesn't make it easy at all. The only problem is moving from F to F#, where there's often a little jump up to G or down to E between the two. Can anyone tell me what they do, especially concerning trills between E and F#? Thanks a lot

The ring finger should be used in most circumstances, because as Patrick noted, the middle finger will produce a flat F# with a poorer tone. If you're playing a rapid transition from E to F# such as in a fragment of a G major scale (which turns up pretty often in Baroque/Classical music, as well as more modern pieces), or a trill, then the middle finger should be used. You need to become comfortable with both options, as they different uses.