I had a question about my flute. Um, I got it a while ago and its a keyless pratten style and all, but it’s obviously made for a rightie player, and I play it leftie. People are always telling me that I don’t blow right, cause I’m not getting the right sound to come out, but when I flip it around to rightie I can make it sound as clear as a bell. So, I mean, it’s either my lips like right and my fingers like leftie, (reverse that), or my flute’s ombesher (however its spelled) needs to be adjusted or somthing. Yeah so, if someone could tell me a bit that’d be most greatly awsomely… appreciated!
The embouchure is usually assymetrical on any flute, wooden or metal. The “far” edge is usually sharpened; the “near” one is often rounded, for comfort. You have several choices:
Learn to play with the flute to the right. I’m left-handed and have always played the usual way. Both hands have plenty to do.
Have a new headjoint made for your flute. The original builder would be the best choice, but any flute maker should be able to do it.
Sell the flute and buy a lefty one.
I doubt that you’re “blowing it wrong” if you can get a good sound in the usual direction.
Yeah, I’d contact the maker if you know who it is. He/she could surley re-cut the embouchure for a lefty without making a new headjoint.
If you don’t know who the maker is I’d contact another maker. I had Pat Olwell recut an embouchure for me once. Johnny Gallagher would also be great. Any good flute maker could do it for you.
Recutting the embouchure to convert a right handed flute to a left handed just doesn’t work. Unless the embouchure is undersized to begin with (I doubt this is the case on a Pratten copy) cutting away more of the embouchure leads to an oversized embouchure that would play sharp, require more air than is comfortable, and have much less focus. Don’t try this at home!
It would be better to fit the flute with a left handed headjoint with a properly cut embouchure.
Knowing who made it, and how old it is would help.
Selling it and buying another flute would probably help even more.
Mr. Burns who’s already contributed to this thread makes great flutes (from hearsay, I haven’t tried one myself). Michael Cronnolly (M&E flutes) is what I play myself, and if you order from him, you’ll get a great flute playable both left and right. Plus, he’s a great man to deal with.
About the maker, I’ve no idea who made it, but I do believe it was made in pakistan. Heh, and that tells a lot right there does it not? Then again, it does play suprisingly well for that fact. Even so, I am considering purchasing a new/better one. I’m just afriad that I’ll probably make very little on it if I sell it. And I’m already trying to save up for some uileann pipes, and I mean, lets not forget that I’m only still in high-school, and us high-schoolers usually run a bit low on that stuff we all call money. So, I don’t think purchasing a new one is an option (right now at least). Thanks for all the advise. I’ll try to decide what I’m going to do, but for now I think I’m just going to have to live with it.
So, I don’t think purchasing a new one is an option (right now at least). Thanks for all the advise. I’ll try to decide what I’m going to do, but for now I think I’m just going to have to live with it.