I have noticed, if I turn the right hand part of my keyless flute slightly out, it’s easier to relax plus the sound seems to improve.
I have the right arm elbow a bit raised and a bit to the back then, to keep wrist straight.
If I drop my elbow, my wrist bends.
Are there more people on this board who have longish fingers and do this.
What are your experiences.
What would it mean when I would switch to a keyed flute, am I looking into trouble then or could I do suggestions to the maker? If so, which ones.
Nicholson advocated turning out the lower body/R-hand section, and he played 7-key (no long F). I doubt it would cause any major difficulty with later acquisiton of a keyed flute - less so at any rate than playing with a piper-ish hold with the fingers projecting past the flute tube and possibly fouling the keys. It might make a standard long F touch too low for the L little finger - I have seen (actually have one at present) examples of long F’s with an up- rather than down-turned touch presumably precisely to accomodate such a usage.
I don’t think there is any issue with having some flexion of the R wrist - in the vertical sense, anyway. It is the lateral bending of the L wrist that can cause some people problems. For all except folk with very short arms (or children), on a standard concert D flute the line from point of elbow through the centre of the dip between the projecting bones on top of the wrist to the middle finger base will be more or less straight viewed from above. Slightly cocking the wrist up or down from that line viewed from the side shouldn’t be harmful or restrictive of movement. Personally, if I turn the lower body tone-holes away I have to bend my hand forward and play with more curvature of my fingers as well as raise my elbow. It’s not ideal for me, but I don’t find it a major problem trying out on the flute I mentioned with the up-turned long F. These things are all personal and peculiar to individual physique - find what works for you and go with it, provided it doesn’t introduce strain or tension.
Berti - I turn the RH section of my 6 keyed flute out…with no problems at all. I play with a semi-piper’s grip of the RH. It’s turned enough when other flute players try my flute most move it back inline. I like it…give it a try.
interesting…I dunno what I have with nicholson, have felt drawn to his style flutes since I saw and heard one.
I will go back to read his texts again…maybe I should leave out the long f too? since there is a short f already…
yeah but that is not what I have
my love is a tom aebi own design (wide bore large holes) and has a joint between the hands.
I think the sound is close to a pratten though…maybe more like a nicholson…who knows.
that might explain everything
Add me to the list of those (long arms, big hands) who likes to roll the head joint in, and therefore needs to roll the bottom (RH) joint out to maintain a comfortable hand position. If I have the top and bottom holes lined up, I tend over time to relieve discomfort in my right hand by rolling the whole flute out, and then I don’t have the correct relative position of lips and embouchure. This way I end up with lips and hands in the right position.
