Newbie Key of F mayday

[Marvout]

How do I properly finger a b flat? I've got a bunch of options on my Gemeinhardt fingering chart. I've been doing the two-button thumb, but as I start playing some of the lines after the note is introduced, that seems quite clumsy, especially if I have to go from a b to a b flat, or verse-visa. I can't hear any discernible difference between the right finger key (F key) and the right finger lever, so they seem equally good options as far as sound is concerned. Are there rules for ascending and descending or a primary fingering where the others are secondary? Keep me from learning it the wrong way! <grin>

Marvin

[pied_piper]

You may have heard the expression that opinions are like a$*&(&^(&*, everybody's got one. That applies here too. Some flute teachers insist upon one fingering or the other, but that's just crazy and fortunately there seem to be fewer of those these days.

Each of the three Bb fingerings is useful in various circumstances. The thumb Bb can be very useful when playing in flat keys. The 1 and 1 Bb is often useful in sharp keys. The Bb trill lever is useful for (you guessed it) trills! However, none of those are absolute rules. Sometimes the thumb Bb is easier to use, sometimes one of the others is better. The best advise I can give is to learn all three Bb options and then start by applying the general guidelines I mentioned above. After that, adapt according to what works best for you in any given musical phrase. Let common sense and ease of playing rule your choice!

[fluteguy18]

I tend to agree. You MUST know all three of them. I tend to favor the thumb Bb version, but I alternate fluidly between all three and various harmonic/alternate versions (something to worry about many many years from now).