Thumb Bb
We all know and love this key and understand how handy it is in many, many pieces of music. Although I was taught that you do not slide your thumb back and forth between the two thumb keys, here is a refreshing comment/lesson from Michel Debost from the May/June 2013 edition of Flute Talk magazine:
“… if the flute is well balanced on the left knuckle, this sideways move of the left thumb may be made quite easily. If bassoonists commonly work six, eight or more adjoining keys with the same finger, flutist should be able to juggle two.” He goes on to comment that he uses the “1 and 1” Bb fingering very little in his playing.
Alternate Fingerings
Used for long notes, out-of-tune notes, notes which have to “match” other instruments, facility – quick passages, movement between notes etc. etc.
“Different fingerings on the flute produce slightly different sounds. Sometimes they help facility or they tune better with other instruments or they change the note’s color for a more evocative character.” Michel Debost, Sept. 2013 Flute Talk magazine
Bb2: Finger Eb1 with the left middle finger (A) up. It is a little sharp – which may be helpful to match other woodwinds in a high, soft, long note and it comes out very softly, which allows you to save your air and hopefully not breathe. This is recommended by Michel Debost in Sept. 2013 Flute Talk for the opening five bars of Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony. The flute plays Bb2 for 20 counts at quarter = 66 or slower depending on the conductor, with two clarinets, two oboes and two horns.
Bb3: For high and soft – real fingering tends to be a little flat and hard to play softly. Try this – LH: THBb, R3 RH: 1st trill key, R3 (no pinkie)