Playing "on the shoulder"

Irish Flute
1

When I first started playing the flute, I played “on the shoulder” and used piper’s grip. For me, this seemed a very natural way to hold the flute and I never experienced any excessive tension, cramping, or whatever. Later, I read (on C&F among other places), that piper’s grip was not the preferred grip and that resting the head of the flute on the left shoulder was a big no-no.

So, I endeavored to break myself of both habits. First I tackled the shoulder bit, which took a few weeks, but I persevered and soon felt at ease with the head floating free in space. Switching to standard grip was quite another thing. Try as I might, I could never get the hang of it. I blame this on my small and unusually inflexible fingers (for example, I can’t touch my pinkie finger and thumb together on either hand). So I reconciled myself to playing piper’s grip, but was quite proud that I had cast-off the crutch of playing on the shoulder.

The only thing is, I’ve found that piper’s grip isn’t the best for keeping the flute stable, which often results in deterioration in my tone, especially after a couple of minutes into a tune. This wasn’t as evident earlier on, because my tone was sketchy for a whole host of other reasons (embouchure, breathe control, etc.). But as these things started to sort themselves out, I concluded that I needed to get the flute stabilized in order to achieve a more consistent and sustainable tone.

I also play with my RH pinkie finger “up” versus resting on the flute. Keeping that pinkie down would help to stabilize the flute when using piper’s grip. However, when I place my RH on the flute so as to get a good seal on the holes, my pinky finger is not long enough to rest on the flute! To get the pinky to reach, I have to shift my RH to an unnatural angle that both causes a lot of tension and doesn’t allow a good seal, particularly on the bottom tone hole.

Recently, I broke down and tried resting the flute on my shoulder again. Voila!! With the flute stabilized, the quality and consistency of my tone improved. I didn’t feel that my airway was in anyway restricted, as is often cited as a drawback of playing on the shoulder. My fingers were a lot more relaxed and freer to move. I could play C# with confidence. Overall, it just felt natural. I recently saw some video clips of a few great players (Gary Shannon, Catherine McEvoy, and Harry Bradley) who appear to use their shoulder as well, which makes me feel better.

However, having broken myself of a “bad habit”, I now have a niggling sense guilt about going back to playing on the shoulder. Am I doing myself as disservice in the long run? Should I give changing my grip another try? Of should I just relax, go with what works, and concentrate on playing music? Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.

2

Steve,

Try to get hold of a Boehm flute and put your fingers on that. There’s no discussion on the way to hold a Boehm: no pipers grip nor shoulder resting.
If you are able to hold a Boehm than you should be able to hold any flute in a ‘standard’ way.
My own daughter started playing Boehm flute when she was 6 (!) and although she played a Jupiter with a curved head (her arms were a bit too short) she never rested the flute on her shoulder and used normal grip. Surely your hands are bigger than those of a 6 year old girl!

Luc

3

The conventional wisdom is that playing on your shoulder is bad for two reasons: it impedes the free flow of air and it causes long-term musculoskeletal problems. But like most conventional wisdom, we have examples of brilliant Irish flute players who prove it wrong by playing on their shoulder for decades with no apparent ill effects on themselves or their playing.

Still, if you can train yourself to avoid playing on the shoulder it’s probably a good idea. I would be more concerned about the effects on your neck and back than on your airflow. Playing on the shoulder may feel more comfortable to you now, but in 10 or 20 years you could find yourself with severe back or neck problems. There’s really no good ergonomic way to play the flute, but the general consensus is that playing on your shoulder is more likely to lead to bad things down the road than using a more open posture. Also be sure to let your elbows drop naturally; I met a good flute player who plays on the shoulder AND who splays his elbows out so they’re almost horizontal. It’s painful to watch, and you can see how his body has become deformed over the years by playing that way.

4

Play from the hip.

Regards,

Harry.

5

You could play with your legs wrapped round your neck for the rest of your days, and as long as you aren’t storing tension anywhere, if you were relaxed and not beating yourself up, you’d be fine.

I know people with ‘perfect’ posture who injured themselves. Stored tension is not solely a physical issue.

Regards,

Harry.

6

Harry, by the same reasoning you could jump off a cliff, and as long as you were able to fly, you’d be just fine.

I concur with Brad that the neck muscles need to relax as much as possible while holding the flute. This means that you need to drop the shoulder that you have been using to support the flute. To further help release any stored tension in my neck muscles, I like to rotate my head and play from various angles. I do the same thing with the back adjustment on my car seat.

Another factor in holding the flute has to do with the balance of the flute. The flute should be balanced as it is craddled in your left hand with your thumb under the flute at the pivot point. Flutes that are head-heavy are harder to hold.

Lastly, I think that there is a need to use the little finger of the right hand to support the flute. I don’t see how you can support the flute with your pinky sticking up in the air. If you pinky is short (I know from experinece) then you need to adjust your right-hand fingering so that the pinky can touch the flute. This is very easy to do if you use the piper’s grip for the right hand, because the holes do not need to be covered with your fingertips. The piper’s grip allows the right hand fingering to be self-adjusting.

7

People need to relax. RELAX! PEOPLE! RELAX!!!

Often people play music all wrong, in the wrong headspace, I think this is what musicians should be being taught about, not posture so much.

Regards,

Harry.

8

Do what ever makes you feel most comfortable or works for you. I do.
My grip is personal and it works for me.

9

10

I agree that being relaxed is key; it’s the death grip and the hunched shoulders, straining muscles, etc. that are most likely to lead to problems down the line. But one good way to stay relaxed is to maintain a neutral posture so your muscles aren’t doing more work than they need to. Your head weighs as much as a bowling ball. Keeping it unbalanced all the time keeps your neck muscles working constantly and they never get a chance to relax.

The thing about musculoskeletal injuries is that they take a long time to develop, sometimes 10 years or more. Just because something feels comfortable now doesn’t mean it’s not doing damage behind the scenes.

Another issue is that some people are more susceptible to repetitive strain injuries than others. I know people who’ve played piano or typed on a keyboard for many years with “horrible” posture and too much physical intensity but they have no problems. Others with good posture come down with permanently debilitating injuries after five years or less, and I don’t think those differences boil down just to relaxation; they boil down to individual differences in anatomy.

11

Excercise is important I think too, some movement.

It helps the body/mind relax.

I do Aikido, people throw me a round a room for a couple of hours, and then I throw them round a bit too. Lots of rolling.

In Aikido we stretch a lot, and we lock and stretch joints a lot to perform pinning and throwing techniques.

An awful lot of people are too stressed out, and they don’t move enough to realese stuff and take their minds of their worries. Tension is a real killer.

Regards,

Harry.

12

I agree completely with the above. In addition, flute is such an unergonomic instrument that one has to find the “most natural” position. There isn’t one that is completely healthy for the body over the long term.

Dana (who’s had rotator cuff repair on one shoulder and is trying to avoid it with the other shoulder).

13

BTW, I’m left handed. I’ve read somewhere that this can make a difference as to how much strain is caused by turning one’s head left and hunching the left shoulder. A simple test - try kissing your right shoulder and then your left. If your right handed, you’ll probably find it more natural to the right. If you’re a lefty, it’ll likely seem easier to the left. The fact that the flute must rest on the left shoulder (except of course if you play left-handed - let’s not go there!) while the vast majority of people are right-handed, may contribute (in part) to the general consenus that playing on the shoulder is very bad ergonomically. That is not to say that playing of the shoulder will not cause problems for a lefty. But it seems plausible that being left handed may make it a little less likely.

Perhaps I should avoid the whole dilemma and switch to the harmonica.

cheers,

SteveB

14

flute makers are going to hate me for this . but hey , i’m thick skinned with it .

there are not many naysayers when it comes to shoulder rests , or even chin rests for that matter , when it comes to fiddles .
nor are there any boo hoos when you see a guitarist with a shoulder strap .

so , try this .
if you HAVE to play on the shoulder , and i do , being 60 years of age , and not having to follow the rules any more , then place the flute on the shoulder rather than into the shoulder , and imagine the embouchure hole to be further along than it really is . say an inch and a half , or even two .
it would be no big deal for a maker to have the the cap end that length , and Hammy has agreed to make something for me on that , which will be aesthetically pleasing , and will not cause me any odd looks .
well , no more than usual .
having the flute ON the shoulder allows you to have the throat open more , for a better air flow , as with the head up higher , there’s less constriction .
you can now relax , or relapse , or reconsider the option of going back to the sax , complete with the neck strap .

15

All true stuff here. Relaxation is the key, and good posture makes relaxation more attainable.

I taught myself to play fiddle during a period in my (young) life when I had a stressful IT career, home renovation projects and two young children. It was important enough to me that I MADE the time. It was an aggressive process, in which I pretty much beat the bloody thing into submission. I did learn to play, but in the process I struggled with various forms of tendonitis, which I attribute directly to stress and bad headspace. I could have avoided those injuries, lifestyle not withstanding, through proper mind control and a better attitude.

So, stretch, relax, think peaceful thoughts, breathe deeply, and play your instrument. Not only will you improve, but it will become your stress-buster.

16

Using the Rockstro grip would take care of your pinky problem–you use the right thumb to press against the inner edge of the flute instead of your pinky. You can find out all about it on Terry McGee’s site.

17

not sure if I agree jon, it depends on your hands if you are able to do this. everybody has a different anatomy, for some it would work and for others it would be a completely different story…

I have become a strong believer to use what works for YOU.

berti

18

I play on the shoulder too. No pain or stress so far. I feel confortable playing this way, it gets my very often erratic tone better.

From a musical point of view, no matter how you grip, posture or blow as long as you are happy with it. I agree that alternative exercise is important. As many others, I can’t play as long as I would, but after some days of longer periods playing (weekends, holidays, Fleadhs…) my whole body (and not only my neck) thanks heartedfully some sports activity.

Except swimming. All those chemicals make my nose, lungs and eyes go crazy.

19

All other issues aside, if you don’t rest the flute on your shoulder, it looks much cooler.

20

i used to be cool ( 40 years ago ) but i’m resting now .

it’s so refreshing to be uncool. such a weight off .