This question came to mind when I read the thread about lefties. I went to the Catskills Irish Arts Week and there were a couple lefties there; Catherine McEvoy an John Wynne. (Did I miss anyone else?) Both of them used their right shoulders while playing, I guess to stabilize their flutes and I’ve seen Mike McGoldrick do the same thing. I’m sure right-handed players do it, too, but I was just curious what the actual reason is for using the shoulder like that?
A lot of people play flute on the shoulder like that, not just lefties, and as far as I can tell it’s done to help stabilize the flute.
While ergonomically it’s pretty stressful on the body, and theoretically could reduce your airflow and affect your breathing, the fact that some of the greatest flute players in the world today play on the shoulder stands as evidence that it’s not necessarily a “bad” thing.
Still, if you haven’t already developed the habit, I’d avoid it as it could lead to long-term musculoskeletal problems if you play that way for years on end.
Recent thread on this question:
Thanks for the link. I was out of town for a week while that thread was being discussed and I guess I missed it. Sorry! Too many unread threads for me to go through when I got back. 