Flutes etc. How do you play the flute?

[stefank]

I recall a Monty Python sketch that gave instruction on how to play the flute. Not that it was of any use.

 

[BigMartin]

Nex week : How to build box girder bridges, and so on...

 

[sushidushi]

I sometimes pick up a flute at my local music shop and blow through it. It seems to make a reasonable sound, but it always makes the same note, regardless of which keys I press down. Does anyone have any thoughts on why that might be? Not important, but I'm a little curious about it.

 

[aldevis]

Does anyone have any thoughts on why that might be? Not important, but I'm a little curious about it.

Maybe you don't press the very first key to be pressed on the left?
Or maybe you did not put together headjoint and body: the part with keys is supposed to be taken out of the box 🙂

 

[Jamesmac]

I sometimes pick up a flute at my local music shop and blow through it. It seems to make a reasonable sound, but it always makes the same note, regardless of which keys I press down. Does anyone have any thoughts on why that might be? Not important, but I'm a little curious about it.

Just play the verse of One Note Samba.

 

[BigMartin]

Maybe you don't press the very first key to be pressed on the left?

Yes, take a look at a fingering chart. It's not immediately obvious which keys the left hand should press.

 

[Greg Lee]

I just started a month ago, and I'm still preoccupied with the problem BigMartin mentioned at the beginning of this thread: how to keep the flute from rolling out of my hands when I get to a C or C#. I went through a period when I thought the answer was twisting the headjoint toward me (that is, clockwise, looking from the headjoint end). But I decided that was not working.

So what I'm doing now is returning to a normal position of the headjoint, and trying to follow the advice of Nina Perlove on flute sound production , which is put the flute lower on my chin, roll it forward, and blow more downwards. Rolling forward lets me get the heavy rods and key mechanism balanced on top, so it won't so readily roll the flute toward me.

But I dunno. The sound comes and goes.

 

[gypsy]

Greg,

Nina Perlove does not take into account the relative thicknesses of peoples' bottom lips. A person with a thick bottom lip would have to take up an unusual jaw position to blow down into the flute if following her method. The top lip would also be to far away from the embouchure hole, causing an airy sound. Take a look at this video by James Galway for an alternative view, and notice how close to the embouchure hole his top lip is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQg0vScnQ8E

You can buy gizmos to help steady the flute.

http://www.justflutes.com/flute-thumb-and-finger-rests-category1237.html

 

[stefank]

You should be able to securely hold the flute just using your right hand. Make sure all fingers are curving on to the keys (not flat). The thumb position is important. It should be opposite and between the E and F keys, and should stick out far enough to give a reasonable grip. My thumb makes maximum contact just about level with the base of the thumbnail. I can confidently wave a flute around using only that right hand grip.

Now, add the left hand and put the flute to your mouth. The side of the upper joint of the first finger of the left hand should be pressing the flute into your lower lip.

Go to third space C# (ie take off all keys except RH little finger). The flute should be held quite securely between four points, the lip, side of LH first finger, RH thumb and RH little finger. If it doesn't feel safe, adjust things! The LH first finger and RH thumb are most important.

 

[Greg Lee]

The top lip would also be to far away from the embouchure hole, causing an airy sound.

I'm aware that there are differing and conflicting views about this, and airiness is definitely a problem (Perlove mentions it). But I find I can sometimes find other adjustments that avoid the airiness -- for instance directing the airstream to the left (which sounds odd and counterintuitive, but seems to work).

 

[Greg Lee]

If it doesn't feel safe, adjust things!

Right, that's what I'm trying to do. Well, I can hold the flute steady, but I don't like it that I have to keep compensating for its tendency to roll toward me. It doesn't feel right. That's why I keep looking for a way to balance it so it doesn't want to roll.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Oh, does your right hand thumb press forward on the flute, upward, or diagonally somewhere in between?

 

[stefank]

Oh, does your right hand thumb press forward on the flute, upward, or diagonally somewhere in between?

For me (I have smallish hands) it is pretty much up, opposing the fingers on the keys. It takes the weight of flute and acts as a pivot, with the RH little finger mainly balancing the thing, while the LH first finger and lower lip then lock it all in place.

 

[Ads]

to answer the original question of the title, I haven`t a clue, had 2 goes in the last decade and my current one is in the Yard sale and not going to try a third time .

 

[selkie]

Greg,

Nina Perlove does not take into account the relative thicknesses of peoples' bottom lips. A person with a thick bottom lip would have to take up an unusual jaw position to blow down into the flute if following her method. The top lip would also be to far away from the embouchure hole, causing an airy sound. Take a look at this video by James Galway for an alternative view, and notice how close to the embouchure hole his top lip is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQg0vScnQ8E

You can buy gizmos to help steady the flute.

http://www.justflutes.com/flute-thumb-and-finger-rests-category1237.html

That is very useful. I need a knee support for curved soprano sax. No luck on just flutes. Saw an s shaped knee rest for disabled players somewhere but lost the link. My flute is adpted but to steady it I have to have ribbon at right end and wrap it round a bar on microphone stand.

 

[Greg Lee]

Nina Perlove does not take into account the relative thicknesses of peoples' bottom lips.

Maybe she doesn't, but then, she does have students, and she claims to have taught her method successfully. Personally, I try not to be committed to any particular idea about how to play, but instead I want to know a variety of methods and views that I can experiment with. Especially when things are going wrong. Now, when I'm unhappy with the sound, one of the things I try is moving the flute down on my chin and rolling it out.

 

[ArtyLady]

Right, that's what I'm trying to do. Well, I can hold the flute steady, but I don't like it that I have to keep compensating for its tendency to roll toward me. It doesn't feel right. That's why I keep looking for a way to balance it so it doesn't want to roll.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Oh, does your right hand thumb press forward on the flute, upward, or diagonally somewhere in between?

Re the rolling forward, have you tried lining the edge of the hole (the furthest edge away from you) with the middle of the B key, or are you lining up the middle of the hole with the keys (or little arrow if one is there)?
I find the former method helps me balance the flute so it's not so inclined to roll.

 

[aldevis]

It does not sound like an easy and elegant solution. Have you talked to some experienced repairer about possible modifications?
Watching Roland Kirk videos could give some suggestions: you only have to play an instrument at a time, after all.

[QUOTE="selkie, post: 164445, member: 2760"My flute is adpted but to steady it I have to have ribbon at right end and wrap it round a bar on microphone stand.[/QUOTE]

 

[ArtyLady]

This is interesting http://www.jennifercluff.com/hdjointset.pdf

 

[Greg Lee]

This is interesting http://www.jennifercluff.com/hdjointset.pdf

Yes, it's a very clear exposition of the problem. Also here,

, Jennifer Cluff explains her idea about the difficulty and her fix, which is to rotate the headjoint inward, clockwise. I tried it, but so far, I haven't gotten it to work for me. It doesn't sound good.

 

[stefank]

You shouldn't need to be making anything but very minor adjustments in regard to rolling in/rolling out. If this seems necessary, something else is probably not right. It's a bit hard to give any more specific advice than the general information I mentioned above without being in the same room as you, with at least one flute between us. I can't see what you're doing properly from the other side of the world!

The best thing to to would be to engage a good teacher. If that's not an option, find as many Youtube videos as you can of professional flautists (not Ian Anderson, much as I like him), and see what you can glean from what they are doing.