Noobie....

[samoo]

Hi

This is my first post on this forum so hi everyone.

I'm a new player,... been playing and teaching myself around 6 months. I'm actually a trombone player but thought it about time to start learning something new, and the "starting at the bottom" is kind of exciting.

So, can you help with a problem I have... when I play anything with too many C# I loose the support of the flute and the embouchure goes to pieces as the lip plate is in the wrong position. I've tried rotating the head joint a bit so the weight is a bit more forward, but then I have difficulty with the keys.

Am I likely to be doing something basically wrong or is this just a common beginners problem?

Cheers

Sam

[pied_piper]

Most likely, you don't quite have the right hand position yet. The "trick" is learning the three points that allow you to properly balance the flute on C#. The three balance points are:
Left Hand - The flute should rest against the pointer finger at the joint and knuckle closest to the hand.
Right Hand - The right should be shaped like picking up a pencil. Use that thumb position under the flute.
- The right little finger should stay on the Eb/D# key for all the basic notes except for D.

Those three contact points form a tripod that create a stable platform for the flute when it is pressed to your lower lip. Practice holding the flute against your lip and finger the C#. Once you get the hang of this, you should be able to move around freely without worrying about dropping your flute. Until that happens, practice on a bed or large sofa so that if the flute slips, it won't fall to the floor.

For more info on balancing the flute while playing C#, Google "How to hold the flute". There are a lot of sites with diagrams and YouTube videos that explain it.

[samoo]

Thanks,

I didn't mean that there's any danger of me dropping the flute, it's quite secure in my hands even when only using the three contact points, but the issue is that it rotates towards me so it's at the wrong angle. But thanks for the advice, very useful.

But, I'll definitely Google on how to hold a flute, I'm probably missing something obvious

Cheers

Samoo

[frugal flutist]

Hi Samoo,
I don't think it's obvious at all, I think it's muscle memory. After you master the mid D to mid C# fingering, you don't think about it any more. If I were to try a C# without putting my pinky down for a tenth of a second, the flute would roll in.Your pinky can also roll the flute out, or in while blowing a long C#.

So, my R. pinky never gets far from the D# key. Every time I lift it and put it back, any small change in it's position is adjusted. (with out thinking)
When the other fingers are coming off the keys my pinky is coming down in the same motion. (with out thought) So the pinky stops the roll and helps put pressure on the lips.

I think I read on Jennifer Cluffs flute site, that she stabilizes her flute by using her Left hand pinky on the G# key when most other keys are up. Opening the G# key will not hurt the C#. It will stop the roll and make your flute more stable. Seems like a good Idea for those that need it.

https://www.jennifercluff.com/ I am not a 100% sure this is where I read it, regardless it's a good site.
I hope all your C#'s will be thoughtless soon.