This type of fingering chart includes those special fingerings designed for rapid alternation between two notes at an interval of a minor second or a major second apart. The surprise comes when you begin automatically using these learned fingerings for a quicker, cleaner and more musical approach in your playing.
You will find that it is an amazing part of performance technique is facilitated by memorizing trill fingerings not just for trills themselves, but for clean and more musical playing through passages in your music.
They are in fact alternate fingerings!
Trill notation
When a note has the letters “tr” above it, or a alternately a long squiggly line, these parts of notation indicate a trill. To play a trill, rapidly alternate between the written note and the next note-name above it, in the key signature. This second note is usually not written out.
As a rule of thumb, in modern music you should start on the written note and trill up. While in music written before 1800, the trill generally starts on the note above.
Examples:
- If you find an A with a “tr” symbol above it, and you have no sharps and no flats in the key signature, the upper note is B.
- If you find an A with a “tr” symbol above it, and B is flat in the key signature, the upper note is B-flat (Bb).
When the composer wishes you to trill to an upper note which is not in the key signature, above or next to the trill symbol there will be an accidental indicating what the upper note should be. That accidental can of course be a flat, a sharp, a natural, a double-sharp or a double-natural.
Trill speed
The speed of a trill should be related to the overall speed of the music. If a piece is marked “Adagio”, the trills will be played more slowly than in a piece marked with a faster tempo.
For ease of learning, leave out the trills in a new piece of music and then add them in later in your practice.
ETUDES FOR PRACTICING TRILLS ARE LOCATED ON THE TRILLS PAGE.
TRILL FINGERING CHART FOR BEGINNERS:
Here is a great one page, limited range flute trill fingering chart.
TRILL FINGERING CHART FOR ADVANCED PLAYERS:
Chart of Regular and Trill Fingerings for Flute
Digital Flute Fingering and Trill Charts
And for those Apple product users, here is an Apple app for fingerings and trill fingerings which allows you to also store special fingerings you have worked out yourself.
- All four octaves.
- Half and whole-step trills for every note.
- Simply swipe your thumb to find notes
- Takes just seconds to find any fingering
- One click to see the trill fingerings
Fingercharts Pro: This is an in-app purchase in the Apple app shown above. The sound component is an extra charge. Sound – You can use the sound like a tuner and compare your sound to a professional flutist.
- Sound for every practical note and trill
- Exclusive studio recordings. These are NOT MIDI sounds
- Playing along easier with repeating sound
Alternate fingerings – Improve your intonation. Extend your technique.
- Average of 10 alternates per note.
- C# and G-A trill key fingerings.
- Includes symbols and guide
Practice list – Save all your fingerings in one place
- Save unlimited fingerings.
- See your fingerings together
- Makes practicing easier
More Flute Fingering Apps
Here is a site which includes downloadable apps for both android and Apple users. Fingerings over four octaves, trill fingerings and alternate fingerings are included.
Summary
Just Google any type (insert your adjective) of flute fingering chart or app you think you want and you will be handed a great number to choose from. There are fingering charts for beginners, for teacher resources, ones to be printed, those to be purchased and those that are free. With a few hours of work, you will find exactly the right one for you.