How to Place Your Fingers on a Flute: Hand Position and Finger Positions
Published October 19, 2026 · by Flute Fingering Chart
Good flute finger positions start before you press a single key. If the flute is held badly, your fingers will not reach the keys, and your wrists will start to ache. Here is how to set up, then how to place each finger.
Step 1: Hold the flute
Hold the flute across your body to your right, with the lip plate against your lower lip and the keys facing up. Three points of contact keep it steady: the lower lip, the left index finger, and the right thumb under the body. Do not squeeze. The flute should feel balanced, not clamped.
Step 2: Left hand
The left hand sits closest to your mouth, and it is wrapped around the flute from below.
- Thumb: on the long B key on the underside. Angle it slightly so it can also reach the B♭ lever.
- Index finger: on the first key.
- Middle finger: on the second key.
- Ring finger: on the third key.
- Little finger: hovers over the G♯ key and stays curved, ready for G♯.
Step 3: Right hand
The right hand sits further from your mouth and is turned so the fingers curve naturally over the keys.
- Thumb: under the body of the flute, supporting it. It does not press a key.
- Index, middle and ring fingers: on the three keys, as on the left hand.
- Little finger: rests on the D♯ key and moves to the C♯ or C keys for low notes.
Step 4: Use the pads of your fingers
Press with the fleshy pad of each finger, not the tip. On an open-hole flute, the pad also needs to cover the little hole in the key completely, otherwise the note will not speak. Closed-hole flutes are more forgiving, which is why most beginner flutes use them.
Reading the chart
On a fingering diagram, a filled key means press it, and an empty key means leave it open. Our interactive chart labels each key with the finger it belongs to, so you can read it quickly. The first three notes to learn are B, A and G, which add one finger at a time on the left hand.
Common mistakes
- Fingers flying away. Lift them only a little. Big movements are slow and noisy.
- Locked wrists. Keep your wrists straight but loose, not bent sharply.
- Squeezing the flute. Tension in the hands travels up to the shoulders and air.
- Slumping. Stand or sit tall with the shoulders relaxed.
Practise by placing your fingers silently, checking each one in a mirror, before adding the sound. Then follow the beginner fingering chart guide to learn your first six notes in order.