I tried to learn the viola and learned the basic music reading for it, similar to the guitar music sheet, plus the basic rules of naming the lines of each bar. For whatever reason my flute says its “A” is normally where the “D” is.
Do they assign each line a different note for a flute? That should be a dumb question, but my book says “A” is where “D” is for normal music reading.
Thanks for the help ahead of time.
Nope, same system.
Lines, from bottom to top are Every Good Boy Does Fine, (EGBDF). Spaces, from bottom to top are FACE. If you have a regular ‘D’ flute, your ‘A’ note is sounded by stopping only the top two holes. If that’s not working for you, then you don’t have a standard ‘D’ flute.
Edited: Whoops, I just realized you’re playing a Boehm flute, not a simple-system Irish flute. Sorry, can’t help ya with the fingering, but the notation info is still correct.
Actually not, CT. Viola usually uses alto clef, which is a C clef on the center line of the staff.
Scarlet, for your flute music you need to read treble clef (= G clef).
So the notes are in different places on the staff from the viola. They are as crookedtune described them. And/or take a look at the Wiki about clefs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clef
Added: Actually, it sounds like Scarlet is describing mezzosoprano C clef on the second staff line (mezzosoprano D = treble A). But the basic problem and solution are the same.
I stand corrected. I guess my eye caught the guitar reference. I never did the orchestra circuit. 
Lucky you! 
You’re right, of course, about guitar. And your fingering description is also correct for C Boehm flute (with the thumb key also down).
MTGuru:
What???
A C is still a C no matter what clef you’re in - I’m really confused by your reply! I play/read both treble and bass clef (I sing bass and play bass recorder in a consort). In bass clef, a C looks like an A in treble, but it’s still a C…
Confused in Wheeling
if the OP is used to reading music here
and is now reading this
without allowing for the different clef then
Thanks. I thought everything I ever read in music after all these years must have been wrong or this book was seriously wrong. That explains things, so I’ll just continue as normal. This tells me about the book, but not about my flute. I’m reading from a book called:
“How to Play the Flute: Everything you need to know to play the Flute” by Howard Harrison.
It’s supposed to be good and I agree it’s nice, but really so far even though it is a strange comparison to a guitar, the flute doesn’t seem that bad, especially compared to trying to play the viola.
I spend over a hundred and fifty dollars I’m sure on books to play the viola, with cds, and still couldn’t keep my mind on it. One book on flutes and I can say it sounds better than I ever did on the viola. I’m just starting the book, but still sounds better.
How do I know what key my flute is in? I guess a tuner would tell? I wonder how?
it’s in C…
This is a folk forum. There are a few people that play Boehm and more that have played it. The focus is Irish Traditional music and the weapon of choice might look more like this.
these are in D…folk D…what is a lot like yer C
this is gonna get confusing for a bit, if ya stay 
Dear Confused in Wheeling,
First, that’s probably the most succinct question anyone has ever asked me.
Second … Right, C is C. But where it’s located on the staff depends on the clef. As you said, in treble clef it’s 3rd space, and in bass clef it’s 2nd space. In alto clef it’s 3rd line, tenor clef 4th line, and so on.
In sight reading class they would give us a line of notes on a staff, without a clef. Then they’d drop a movable clef somewhere on the staff, and tell us play it. I’m convinced this exercise is the source of most of my emotional problems, including my pathological fear of violas.
Yours truly,
MT “Lonelyhearts” Guru
P.S. I was once confused in Wheeling, while driving from New York to Indiana on I-70. I exited to look for Gas, Food, and Lodging, and somehow ended up in California. Ever since, I figure that confusion is not necessarily a bad thing. Which is just as well in my particular case.
Oh yeah, you were hinging on Pennsyltucky at that point. There’s a college down there called California State College. We call it “Harvard on the Mon”. Mon being the abbreviation for the Monongahela river.
Regards,
Kirk
Yes, that’s the third option: resigned temperament.
not much left is there
I’m resigned to the fact that I’m getting older. I have adapted to my new condition by being grumpy.
I have a viola, and I started to learn to read music written for the viola. I also had trouble adapting to the different clef than what I was used to. Viola wasn’t going to be my main instrument, and I didn’t want to spend that much time learning a new clef. Of course, I understood the reason for the different clef for the viola. Viola music placed on the treble clef, which is what I was most used to, tends to be mostly on leger lines below the staff. This would be hard to read and write. And if you wrote the viola music on the bass cleff, you would have far too many notes on leger lines above the staff. Right now I play the viola as a viola de gamba, with the viola sitting on my lap. I feel sorry for the viola players in the orchestra, as they look uncomfortable holding the large fiddles under their chins. With my viola I play by ear and don’t refer to music at all.
That’s the spirit, Doug!
Hear, hear!
Feadoggie
That’s a proper attitude, Doug.
Fair play to you!
Steve
Viol de gamba has 5 strings? The Viol is the one that is played between your legs? Or is it that viola de gamba can be played propped between your legs?
It’s pretty music, but the bowing techniques are what’s important mostly to even make a proper sound. I have my cheap viola and I plan to get a few more strings for it, try again since I’m in music mode with the flute. The flute makes a better sound.
I wasn’t aware there wasn’t a Boehm category. I searched asking for help with my flute and found this place. I’ll look into that type of flute. Last night I must have watched 10 videos on you tube. None of them played a Boehm. I thought this was a basic flute, and never would have thought to buy a wooden one. I see now I’m in the minority and in the wrong forum.
What is the name of this type of flute? Irish flutes are not shown as these.
The flutes pirctured on the table are Irish flutes with keys. Also common are Irish flutes that do not have any keys and have 6 or 8 open holes.
This has a lot of good information on learning classical flute.
http://jennifercluff.com/
http://www.markshep.com/flute/index.html#Sound
It might be worth looking at.
Steve
Actually, you’re not. The vast majority of flute-players use the modern Boehm flute. However, if it’s Irish traditional music you want to play, then you would indeed be among a few who use that instrument. The most notable Irish trad player using the Boehm is Joanie Madden, and many of us marvel at how adept she is at making it sound like a wooden simple-system flute.
Also, don’t be put off by any attitudes you encounter here — it’s all in good fun (mostly). You’re very welcome to hang around and try to siphon off whatever good information you can!