I’m an avid whistler, and I’ve just recently started to pick up my dad’s flute and play around. When I actually started to get it, I decided that I have to learn to play, so I bought a few cheap flutes and fifes to mess around with. Now to the questions…
Just what is the difference between a flute and a fife, is it like the difference between a soprano, an alto, and a tenor whistle? Meaning a higher keyed flute is really a fife?
And should I use the pipers grip on the big ones like I do with a low whistle. It feels more natural to me but that could be just because I’m so used to playing whistles.
A flute is a large fife? I’d go along with that, though some of the more avid fifers here may find some points of distinction that I, fluther that I am, overlook.
As far as the grip, you should use what is comfortable. Do a search on this forum for the word “grip” or “piper’s grip” (or, dare I say, “Irish grip?”), and you’ll uncover pages and pages of juicy debate on this topic. Most of these discussions end up concluding, correctly I’d say, that there’s more than one way to skin a cat. Best of luck,
Piper’s grip is virtually inevitable on low D whistle.
Not so on flute. Following Rob’s good advice, you might
also search on ‘classical grip.’ Also if there is a way
to get a lesson or two at the beginning anyway,
it can be quite helpful. Even if you have
to travel. But I don’t think it’s necessary to get
locked into regular lessons.
Jim raises an interesting point about lessons. I’ve taken several classes a part of a group. I’m guessing that a group may not be the way to get the help one initially needs, especially if the class is composed of students at different levels of ability.
What should a beginner ask for help with in their first few lessons? What can a teacher teach that would be hard to figure out by one’s self?
Holding the flute, for one thing.
Also how to place fingers and
position the mouth. How to relax.
Increasingly I feel flute playing is a bottom-up
affair–one is only as good as one is from
the bottom up. Very simple things done well
add up. So it can be a good idea to continue
to practice and review very simple things.
Anyhow a lesson getting started, from someone
good, can be very helpful and spare one
some pain and frustration.
Speaking personally it took me a couple of years
to figure out how to hold a flute without
hurting myself, mostly because I disregarded
the instructions of my teacher.
Wow, that’s pretty basic and yet, given my tense grip on the thing, I can see how critical learning that art would be. Thanks, Jim, I’ll add that to my list.
I agree, with one catch: when playing, you don’t hold a flute or grip a flute as much as you balance a flute.
You should be expending almost no energy at all to hold the flute in a playing position. Arms, hands, wrists, thumbs, fingers–everything should be pretty relaxed.
If it’s not, you might benefit from finding an experienced flutist to help you.
My advice is to have the flute in a balanced position in your hands, but you had better hold it, at least enough to keep it from rolling off on the floor. Now if you happen to own a pvc or delrin flute, that isn’t going to be any problem. But if you have a silver or wooden flute, that sudden trip to the floor may be disastrous.
But again, a bit deceptive: you don’t so much “hold it up,” as you take away every direction in which is could possibly fall.
It can’t fall forward–the knuckle of your left hand first finger prevents it falling that way.
It can’t fall backward–your chin prevents that.
It can’t fall sideways–your chin and right thumb prevent that.
It can’t fall straight down–your right thumb and left index finger knuckle prevent that.
The flute isn’t alive–it’s not going to try to crawl or jerk out of your hands. And, really, flutes aren’t very heavy, even the metal Boehm system flutes are pretty light as musical instruments go.