BLOWHOLE

FLUTE LESSONS ON CARNATIC MUSIC.:

cl = close the hole.

h.cl= half close the hole.

LESSON NO. 1

o= open the hole.

YOU ARE AWARE THAT CARNATIC MUSIC IS FOUNDED ON THE

FOLLOWING 7 SWARAS(NOTES-SABDASWARAS.)THEY ARE:
S
R
G
M
P
D
N
FLUTES MAY HAVE 6 OR 8 HOLES.YOU MAY BE PLAYING IN ANY FLUTE.
BUT THE BASIC LESSONS REMAIN THE SAME.
THE NOTES IN CARNATIC MUSIC ARE AS FOLLOWS.
FLUTE
O
MOUTH HOLE

O O O
1 2 3

O O O O
4 5 6 7

O
8

TO START THE FINGERING FIRST CLOSE ALL THE HOLES.OPEN

SIMULTANEOSLY H.NO4&3 TO GET THE FINGERING OF Sa.
Sa
Re1
Re2
Ga1
Ga2

cl cl o o
cl hcl o
cl o o
h.cl o o
o o o

o
o
o
o

Ma1
Ma2

o
o

Pa

Da2
Da1

o
o

Ne1
Ne2

o
o

Sa*(high)

cl cl cl
o
o cl
cl cl
o cl
cl cl
o cl
cl cl
o cl cl cl

o
o
o
o

o cl cl cl cl cl cl
cl cl cl cl cl hcl o
cl cl cl cl cl o o

cl cl cl cl o o cl
cl cl cl cl hcl o cl
cl cl cl o o o cl
cl cl hcl o o o cl
cl cl o o o o

o
o

cl

o
o
o
o
o

Fingering Chart :
0

SA
RE1
RE2
GA1
GA2
MA1
MA2
PA
DA2
DA1
NE1
NE2
SA(*)

Before trying to get the blow,you try to practice the

fingering of each note atleast 50 times.

After finishing the above exercise, you may try blowing in

the following way.
1.place the mouth hole of the flute below the centre point of
your lips.
2Hold the flute horizontally like-------------------------------.
3.gently give the blow downwards into the mouth hole.
4.your blow must be very gentle and you should not exert
much to get the sound.
5.take a pause for 10 minutes and repeat the above process.
6.you may not get the blow immediately.it took 7 days for me
to get the sound.you may develop sensation of head ache,but
it is only temporary.
8. in case you do not get the blow even after 7 days, do not get
dispirited. You concentrate on fingering exercise as fingering
is equally very important.
9. the blow tends to come bit late but once it has come, you
are certain to develop faster.
All the very best.
YOU CAN ALSO IMPROVE YOUR BLOW AS FOLLOWS.
1. OPEN ALL THE HOLES . 2. PLACE THE MOUTH HOLE ON
THE LOWER LIP
2. SLOWLY TRY TO GIVE AIR DOWN INSIDE THE HOLE.
3. REPEAT THE ABOVE PROCESS BY FIRST CLOSING HOLE
NO1.NEXT,
4. CLOSE HOLE NOS 1 &2, AND TRY BLOWING.
5. THEN CLOSE 1, 2 & 3 and repeat the above steps.
6. Like this,you can try by closing one hole after another
until you close all the
7. Seven holes. Afterwards, open one hole after another and
blow.
All the very best.
K.T.DASARATHY. ktdasarat99@vsnl.net

ktdasarat99@yahoo.com