I wonder if anyone else has this problem - I’m having to press my fingers hard down on the holes to get a seal when playing. Seems like the pads on my fingers have dried out (I think they need repadding 
) I’m using hand cream which helps a bit - so any advice?
I’ve been playing for some time but this is a recent problem probably age related.
Age probably has something to do with it. I’ve noticed in the last year or so as I get into my later 60’s, the skin on my fingers are developing persistent crack-like lines that show up more in Winter when the humidity is low. The underlying flesh also isn’t as flexible as it used to be. It takes longer for an indentation like the impression of a flute finger hole to disappear. Then again, maybe that’s a good thing for sealing? I dunno.
One thing I’ve been doing in addition to hand cream after washing dishes, is applying a tiny swipe of cork grease on my fingers before playing. Not enough to feel greasy or waxy, just a tiny bit of lubrication. I use the same stuff – D’Addario “natural ingredient” cork grease – as a protective outer coat on the flute barrel, so there are no issues with something on my hands that the flute won’t like. Maybe it helps a little with sealing the holes, and I also like the way it improves “stiction” with my lower hand thumb pressing against the flute.
Also, should go without saying, but don’t let your home’s humidity drop too low in Winter from heating the air. I use room humidifiers, so it never drops below around 40 rh even during a cold snap. It helps keep your skin from drying out.
I often wonder about Nicholson’s approach - flattening the top of the tube around the two sets of fingerholes. Intuitively, you’d think that it would be easier to seal onto a flat surface than a round one, especially as our fingertips are curved in the other direction.
Interestingly, my Prowse Nicholson original only features the flat on the right hand holes.
Do you sense a difference between your two hands, Gromit?
– D’Addario “natural ingredient” cork grease
Thanks Conical bore I’ll try the D’Addario cork grease (thought they only made guitar strings) - yes I’ve got the same indentation problem that you describe.
Terry - Interesting about the flattening around the fingerholes. I have more of a problem sealing the right hand holes F#, E & D. So perhaps Mr. Nicholson and Mr. Prowse had old codgers like me in mind.
It is interesting that we go to a lot of trouble to provide our keypads with the best possible guidance and seating surface, but leave our poor fingers to find their own way to the holes and seal holes that curve away in the opposite direction! Here’s a key hole that Potter put on an 1851 model Clinton flute:
Are you playing a large hole flute?
If so perhaps the time is right to “down size”. I find my medium hole Rudall and Rose so much easier to seal.
I have an early Chris Wilkes purchased new in 1990. It looks pretty much the same (hole wise) as Terry’s Prowse Nicholson but without the flattening around the fingerholes. I think the answer is what I’m doing - using cream/grease on my finger’s before and during playing.
Thanks for the advice folks
I have the same problem with the right hand fingers so raise my elbow. That works until next time when i forget to elbow up …
Best wishes all,
Keith.
I’ve heard that the Old Timers licked their finger pads before playing.
Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.
Heh heh, keeps the immune system working at full capacity too!
Old & young timers
Wet fingers make my flutes slippery!
Big or small holes don’t seem to make any difference.
Fortunately the problem doesn’t arise often anyway.
Best,
Keith.
A little experiment to investigate and give us some numbers.
I took a newly made Pratten keyless body, plugged the bottom end and attached the top end to my Magnehelic Flute Leakage Detector.
8 Magnehelic set up point for open air
4 Dry hands, holes lightly covered
2 Dry hands, holes firmly covered, (also Magnehelic recommendation for maximum permissible leakage in a whole flute)
1 Fingers licked then lightly covered
0.5 Fingers cork greased then lightly covered
0.4 Dry hands, squeezed hard
0.2 All holes bunged
0 Cork greased fingers squeezed hard
0 Magnehelic tube squeezed off
Playing with the cork grease felt awful, but wiping fingers and flute with a rag after seemed to retain the benefits without the goupiness.
In a previous discussion someone mentioned highland pipers running their fingers down the side of their nose to get a light greasing.
As mentioned earlier as I get older, and my skin gets drier, it gets harder to seal the holes. I have the same problem with trying to swipe my phone and touch screens. Moisturizer is my friend. I never used it but I do now, especially when playing the pipes.
And pipes have the benefit of small holes (more easily sealed) and a more robust sound generator (the pressure-driven cane reed compared to our wafty flow-driven “air-reed”)!
Despite living in a cold, dry climate, I’ve never really been a lotion guy. I rarely even use chapstick unless my lips get really dry.
However, just yesterday I found a hand lotion that is very nice. Not greasy at all, soaks in and then leaves the hands soft for hours. I put it on at night, and my skin was still soft and smooth the next morning. Pleasant, light, inoffensive smell.
This product was a modestly price lotion from Whole Foods:
Everyone for everybody
Nourishing lotion
coconut + lemon
It might be an in-house Whole foods product, but the company is called:
EO Products
Small World Trading Co
San Rafael, CA.
Although holes are smaller I have a harder time sealing them on the pipes than the flute. Perhaps it is because the end is sealed on most of the notes.
Depending on size and shape of ones fingers, sometimes bigger holes that naturally follow the curvature of your fingers can be easier to seal. At least that is what I found after making a couple of instruments with different hole sizes from very small to very large.