The Indian traditional flute, also known as the bansuri, has a very old origin as far as musical instruments are considered. The bansuri has carved its own specific niche over the years from among the music lovers. Many music enthusiasts these days are searching flute lessons online for beginners.
For those of you seeking flute classes for beginners, this is the place for you. Before we dig into that, let us first go through some basics first. Simply speaking, a bansuri is a side-blown flute that is created from bamboo.
The length of a typical bansuri comes somewhere between 12 and 13 inches, while its thickness is equal to a human thumb. Unlike a modern flute, the design of a bansuri is devoid of any mechanical keys. In case of learning the flute for beginners, these basic details will come in handy.
The type of musical note that this long-established Indian flute produces is extremely intricate. Bansuri has the power of creating an enthralling and spiritual effect on its listeners. That is why, you must practice utmost reverence when dealing with bansuri, even when you learn to play flute online.
So, as part of our flute lessons for beginners, we present some important learning steps below.
Attaining a proper grip
First of all, before we begin anything else, you must understand the most appropriate way of holding a bansuri. Many of you may quickly underestimate this particular aspect, but it is crucial to becoming a bansuri expert.
Consideration must be given whether you are right or left-handed. In case of right-handed, cover the top 3 holes with your left hand while simultaneously holding the bottom of the flute with the right hand. Do the same procedure in the opposite manner if you are left-handed.
Understanding the style of the legendary bansuri genius Mr Hariprasad Chaurasia may come in very handy for beginners. He also happens to be the guru of our very own Mr Nash Naubert.
Mr Hariprasad Chaurasia’s style is such that he covers the holes by using his finger pads rather than fingertips. With such a style, you just need to keep your fingers flat and relaxed. The little finger or the pinkie is not used according to Chaurasia’s style.
An alternative holding style we feel worth mentioning here is that of Pannala Ghosh, another giant in the classical Indian music industry. Here the holes are covered by the fingertips. Although effective, this particular style can be difficult to master for those with small hands and fingers.
Creating the sound
Now that you know how to properly handle the flute, it’s time to up the scale a bit. The next step in the process of learning flute for beginners is the production of sound. After all, this is why you all came here, right.
For beginners, making a sound with a bansuri can be a really frustrating experience. This is where most beginners give up and quit. So, our first advice when learning to make sound is to have considerable patience.
Always ensure that the blowing hole is right under your lips. Raise the flute to your mouth such that the hole is perfectly aligned with your lips. Place your bottom lip on the nearest blowing hole’s edge. Essentially, you must cover around one-fifth of the hole.
With the position set, it’s time to blow into the hole. Take a deep breath and blow into the hole such that most air from your mouth enters the bansuri. This blowing creates an air whirlpool that ultimately produces the sound.
One common mistake to avoid is blowing too hard into the flute. Remember, your blowing force must be lower in intensity than that used for extinguishing a burning candle. This is the standard you must always keep in mind when producing bansuri sound.
Playing Basic Notes
Once you are able to create a sound, the next step is to play some basic notes. In this early stage, the best approach would be to cover one hole at a time. So, begin from the top hole that is closest to the blowing hole.
Keep a basic Indian notes chart in front of you with colour indication. Now, start blowing and creating notes as per the chart. Make sure to keep each basic note as clear as you possibly can.
Begin covering the holes in the order as given in the chart. The sound being produced must get deeper as you cover the holes. In case you hear a screeching sound, then it means the blowing is excessively hard. So, relax down your blowing a bit whenever this happens.
Conclusion
Practice all the steps mentioned above for a sufficient amount of time. This could take several weeks or even months, but don’t worry about that. Proceed to the next level of learning bansuri only when you have mastered these beginning steps.