The Flute Instrument: A Beginner Guide to Parts, Types and How It Works
Published October 19, 2026 · by Flute Fingering Chart
The flute is one of the oldest musical instruments, and one of the most popular for new players. Unlike a clarinet or a saxophone, it has no reed. The sound comes from air splitting across the edge of a hole, much like blowing across a bottle.
How the flute makes sound
You blow a narrow stream of air across the embouchure hole in the head joint. The air hits the far edge and starts the air inside the tube vibrating. Pressing keys closes holes along the tube, making the vibrating column of air longer and the note lower. That is the whole idea: more holes closed, lower pitch. A fingering chart simply tells you which holes to close.
The three parts
- Head joint: the top section with the lip plate and embouchure hole. It shapes your tone.
- Body: the middle section with most of the keys, played by both hands.
- Foot joint: the bottom section, with the right-hand little finger keys. Some have an extra B key.
The flute is usually assembled with the keys in a straight line, and the lip plate lined up with the first key.
Types of flute
- Concert flute (C flute): the standard, used in schools, bands and orchestras. All charts on this site are for this flute.
- Piccolo: half the size, an octave higher.
- Alto and bass flutes: lower, richer voices for flute choirs.
- Bansuri: the Indian bamboo flute with six finger holes and no keys.
- Recorder and tin whistle: different instruments, with different fingerings.
Open-hole and closed-hole
Closed-hole flutes have solid key cups. Open-hole flutes have holes in the middle of five keys, which the fingers cover. Beginners usually start on a closed-hole model. The fingerings are largely the same, and you can switch on our chart.
Getting started
- Learn to hold the flute and place your fingers.
- Make a sound on the head joint alone, then on the full flute.
- Learn your first notes, B, A and G.
- Play an easy flute tune.
If you are still choosing an instrument, ask a teacher or a music shop to help you try a few. A good student flute holds its value, and a poor one can make early practice frustrating.