Hi.
I only recently took up flute playing (9 month´s). I am a singer and Uilleannpiper . I have found since the beginning of winter that I have had a lot of vocal trouble , more than usual , and also some chest problems. Could it be connected to the flute ?. I read in a recent thread that flute playing is similar to singing and this got me thinking. I love the flute , and would hate to have to stop because of vocal issues , but singing is how I make my living so it must come first . I will see a throat doctor soon . Before that do you have any thought´s.
Just about a week and a half ago I was in Sligo, in The Border Collie pub and met Colm O’Donnell there, a great flute player and singer. He played the flute very well and also sang lovely during the very same evening, so I guess flute playing won’t be that bad for your singing.
When playing the flute, you normally support the air column with your diaphragm, which is what you do while singing, but that’s it with similarities. But I certainly would look into possible allergies to wood - they can have all sorts of effects and there is quite a number of flute players who are allergic to certain woods. This doesn’t apply if you have a Delrin flute, though.
Legitimately, flute playing can only improve your wind power & control for singing. I have done both since I was a young 'un. I would look to other causes for your malady.
Are you doing anything weird with your throat? If so, best work on relaxation. Playing should be like breathing; I’m wondering if you’re trying glottal stops and your method is not agreeing with you. However, this does not address your chest.
Is anything weird growing in your flute? Or your house? If so …
I’d see a doctor, especially if my living depended on it.
In fact this is worth checking. Before I played a “real” wooden flute I had a toy plastic fife that I used to play a lot (in the first two octaves only), and because it was plastic I never swabbed it out. I noticed that I was getting sick a lot with respiratory infections and eventually looked inside the fife and found all kinds of red, black, and white mold growing in there, a regular ecosystem! I was inhaling the spores whenever I played.
This is just one of several good reasons to swab out your flute, but I’ve noticed that many people don’t bother, especially flute players in Ireland for some reason.
My guess is that your vocal problems are an independent issue and have nothing to do with taking up the flute, but it’s worth having a look in your headjoint to be sure there’s nothing growing in there, especially if you’ve been lax about swabbing out the flute every time after you play.
I’ve never seen anything growing in mine, but as a dedicated flute recycler I’ve got a couple that came to me smelling like potential “hosts” – so I’m a religious swabber (I wipe the tenons and insides of the sockets, too).
And Delrin flutes … oi! My Forbes in particular gets a monster stink to it; I guess because I leave it out all the time. So I rinse and air-dry it fairly regularly and sometimes ratchet things up and use a rinse with a spot of antibacterial dish soap. I’ve also been known to do a weak vinegar and water rinse. Don’t know if it does any good but the vinegar smell beats old sweat socks!
I would vote against that! I make whistles and flutes when I have the time. I use a variety of plastics like CPVC, PVC and delrin/acetal. There was a similar thread on the whistles board where someone asked if it was ok to put a Water Weasel in the dishwasher. I didn’t want to offer up one of my Water Weasels but I had plenty of instruments of my own making to experiemnt with. So, I tried it. In the dishwasher they went!
There is a fair amount of heat in the dishwasher and the cleaning powders are pretty caustic too. The CPVC and PVC parts changed shape some and came out pitted. Lathe turned joints were no longer smooth and firm fitting. The blades on the whistles didn’t fair too well either. I didn’t notice any change of shape in the delrin heads but the finish was no longer smooth and polished. Anyway, that was my little experiment.
Yikes! Sorry you had to go through that. Meanwhile … a friend melted the rubber O-rings on her Burke whistle in the dishwasher. Being as the Forbes is of similar construction … nah. I’ll hand wash, thanks.
I’ve never seen anything growing in mine, but as a dedicated flute recycler I’ve got a couple that came to me smelling like potential “hosts” – so I’m a religious swabber (I wipe the tenons and insides of the sockets, too).