Ask most any flute player and they’ll tell you: High notes can be really hard! I see questions about it all the time on Facebook flute groups.

“How do you get ____ note out? I don’t think I have the right fingering?”

“I can’t stay relaxed enough to play the high C without it sounding terrible!”

And the high notes are hard! Think about it. We don’t play them terribly often, or at least not as often as we do our middle and lower range, so we don’t get to practice them as much. The fingerings are more complicated. You need to have wonderful control of your embouchure and air steam. And you need to understand exactly what air support is and how to use it.

My favorite way to work on these high notes is with slow, deliberate practice (just like anything else!) by using a version of the Five Finger Exercise leading up to whatever note you’re trying to get. Recently my students have been working on the 3 octave C major scale in preparation for the NH All State Festival but you can use this exercise for any scale if you change the notes you’re playing.

Give it a shot and remember to always start slower than you think you need to! Go as slow as you need to to play it successfully and then start working on building your tempo from there. Keep your air support steady with constant pressure, let your jaw hang, create space within your mouth (think an “ooo” or “aahhh” syllable), and keep your chin up.

Practicing High Notes