Any tips from all you cool cats out there for going from playing flat-fingered like I do to playing curved-fingered in the left hand? I’m thinking of making the switch in case I ever want to play a fully-keyed flute that I can’t play with flat fingers. I know there are custom flutes out there that can be had that can accommodate flat fingers - anyone recommend any particularly good makers for this? Otherwise, I think it’d be cool to learn curved, since it seems that’s how a lot of the greats play - I’ve always played flat though, and it’s worked fine. Just curious.
Hi Ben, maybe you should talk to Frank Simpson or Nicolas Buckmelter at the next session. Did my Hammy prompt this concern about interference from key blocks?
Yea, after not being able to seal your flute properly it got me to thinking that playing flat might be limiting to me in the future when wanting to try other flutes like yours. I went & watched some video of Molloy and Barou and Crawford and such and was studying their left hand technique, and it seems that once you get it down it could be a whole lot easier anyway. I find that my right hand pinky tends to get a little cramped sometimes because I tend to use it to help stability.
As it turns out, I’m sadly unable to come tomorrow night, but will most definitely be there next week. Sorry I couldn’t make it yesterday either. I’ll try and remember to bring CD $$$ next week in case I see you.
Interesting. I use Pipers’ only on the right hand probably because some of my flutes - especially the Healy - have such a long stretch for the D. Also, I think coming from Boehm left me with curved left fingers. When I tried PG on the left hand the flute rolled around too much and I had a problem keeping it aligned.
I think that is the most common for Keyless players. Last session I was at both the other Fluters were using that grip. Hornpiper, my tip is to practice the other style until you get it. That is what I did when switching my right hand i used to play full PG but not anymore.
When I switched from pipers’ grip to curved on my left hand, it was a drawing that helped it make sense. In the liner notes of The Water Boys - Fisherman’s Blues there is a drawing of a flute player. In the drawing his left hand is turned so that the palm is at steep angle to the flute. I tried it and found turning my palm to about a 45 degree angle to flute relieved most discomfort from this new posture.
That and practice got me to where pipers’ grip is now uncomfortable, even for playing low whistles.
Hmm. Yeah, Ben, I can help you with that when you’re back in town, not that any of the fine folks out your way can’t. In my own humble experience, PG works great on the bottom hand on just about any flute, keyed or otherwise, but you’re right that PG on the top hand makes it hard to use the keys.
The strange thing for me is that even though (as you know) I piped for a long time, and use piper’s grip on the pipes, it never felt right on the flute and I still can’t make it work.
I think your best bet would be PG-modRockstro on the bottom and curved-almost tips on the top. You’re still not going to want to play with tippy tips like a clarinetist or hautbois-ist, but there it is.
It is certainly a huge help for a fully keyed flute. And having keys will help develop it, like freeing your left thumb to play an easy Bb. At least I find that necessity makes the best teacher. But I admire your motivation to start changing now even when there is no apparent need yet.
I find traditional curved grip onboth hands a help,
thought it took some doing to convert from pipers.
Distances traversed are slighter, finger pads
are more precise and shaped to cover holes.
The position is ultimately more relaxed.
My experience, FWIW.
Jim, didn’t you come from traditional grip and then move to piper’s grip first? And now you’re back to traditional?
I’d be interested to hear how you decided to move back to traditional grip. Forgive me if you already discussed it and I missed it. I appreciate your comments because you seem very deliberate and thorough; I will definitely take advantage of your experience. Maybe I can skip some of the in-between steps and come to your level of expertise sooner!
I work at it then quit and revert back to PG on the right hand. The Healy I play has a big space to the D hole make the reach almost painful. Your comments are encouraging, though, even as I’m not going to a keyed. A friend of mine, also on this list and from Long Island, had the same problem with his Hammy but overcame it. I guess I’m just a whimp. Its taken me much to long to get a good sound from the Healy (my fault, not he flute’s) as it is.
BillG
