Handling Posture

1. Xiao can be play in two posture; seated or standing position. When played in a seated position, once should relax the body, sit straight with both legs open, and look to front, both side of the shoulder must be at same level, also left and right triceps arrange to an angle of 45 degree with the body.

2. When played in standing position, the body must be relax with both legs open, push out the chest, left hand on top while right hand at the bottom, both triceps and arm base in a relax position, the xiao being hold at an angle of 45 degree with the body. The xiao must not be hold lopsided.

3. To hold the xiao, both arm must be relax and ensure all finger holes are close properly. When lifting the finger, take note not to lift your finger too high or the fingers may be too static and affect the speed of playing. It is advice to lift your fingers 2-3cm from the xiao.

4. The 8 fingering holes can be cover by two areas of the fingers. The finger base or joint areas.

5. To use your finger base, the baby finger cover the first hole, ring finger at second hole, middle finger at third hole, index finger at fourth hole and your thumb supporting the xiao by placing it in between ring and middle fingers.

6. To use the joint area, the baby finger must cover the first hole using the base area of the finger while the second, third and forth holes are cover using the joint area of the fingers.

7. Note that the first, second, third and fourth holes are count from the bottom of xiao and are cover using right hand. Using your left hand, the fifth hole cover by ring finger, sixth hole by middle finger, seventh hole by index finger and the eight hole by your thumb. The baby finger must be place naturally on the xiao.