Activity 1: Learn the Parts of a Flute
Study the parts on the labeled picture of the flute.
Activity 2: Study How to Hold and Play a Flute
Examine the picture of the flutist and answer the following questions:
- How does the flutist use her right hand?
- How does the flutist use her left hand?
- What do the flutist's fingers press down?
- How does the flutist use her mouth and lips?
- How does the flutist change which sounds the flute plays?
Activity 3: Quiz Yourself: Identify Flute Parts
Quiz yourself, and identify the following parts from memory on the flute:
- Embouchure Hole
- Head Joint
- Middle Joint
- Foot Joint
- Keys
Activity 4: Can You Find It?
Study the lesson print, 'Young Man Playing Flute,' by Japanese woodblock print artist, Suzuki Harunobu, and find the following:
- Young Man
- Flute
- Sword Hilt
- Geta (Japanese clog/flip-flop)
- Screen
- Japanese Characters
Activity 5: Make Your Own Pan Flute
Materials: Bottles of Different Sizes, Water, Dyes (optional)
Instructions:
- Placing your bottom lip against the rounded lip of the bottle, practice blowing across the top of a bottle to make a sound.
- Add water to the bottle. Does the pitch become higher or lower?
- Add more water to the bottle. Does the pitch become higher or lower?
- Remove water from the bottle. Does the pitch become higher or lower?
- Try with additional bottles, if desired. How does the size and shape of the bottle affect the pitch?
- Line up multiple bottles together to make your own pan flute, and play a tune for your family.
- If you wish, add dyes or colorings to color the water. Be careful - some dyes stain clothes permanently.
Examine the pan flute image.
- How are the bottles similar to a real pan flute?
- How are the bottles different from a real pan flute?
- Based on your bottle experiment, which tube in the picture will produce the highest pitch?
- Based on your bottle experiment, which tube in the picture will produce the lowest pitch?