Hello all, new guy here with a Q about flute ergonomics.

[MikeM70]

Thought I'd pop in and say hi all, so hi all. I'm an adult learner thinking of taking up the flute (kinda again, I did play briefly in school). While new to flutes, I am not new to music, been playing guitar for about 20 years, and mandolin about 4. However, at the age of 48 I have started to develop a touch of arthritis, mostly in my left hand (a legacy, I suspect, of a misspent youth boxing and all that hitting the heavy bag) which is kinda an important hand for a player of fretted instruments, so it looks like I may have to give up the guitar.
As playing guitar etc was becoming painful I thought I'd give wind instruments a try, So in the new year I picked up a saxophone, which I am having a fair amount of success and fun with, but my 1st love is folk music, and the sax doesn't really fit in well with that, so I thought I'd try flute. However, because things are never easy, I also have a bad right shoulder and I was concerned that holding the flute would put undue strain and was wondering if this is the case, do flautists suffer from flute shoulder? Sadly, in a fit of uncharacteristic generosity, I gave away my old school flute, so I have nothing to try while I find out, and I don't really want to shell out money for something I may not be able to play.

[SylvreKat]

Why not see if any of your local music stores has a curved-head student flute to rent? Or try wwbw.com, or any of the other online stores--most will give you at least a few days to try out an instrument. The curved head joint will make the flute considerably shorter, which might help prevent any issues for your right shoulder.

And a thought re: your guitar--can you have it restrung and swap directions?

>'Kat

[SylvreKat]

Just did a quickie google--

https://www.flutes4sale.com/products/gem-2spch (if you're in Am)

https://www.alangregory.co.uk/music/Cur ... lutes.html (if you're in Eng)

Probably others, if you look a bit harder.

Good luck!

>'Kat

[collie]

This is a little late, but we do have a flutist in our band who has shoulder issues from playing flute over the years. She now only plays piccolo. If there is no actual piccolo part, she just plays down an octave unless the director tells her otherwise. I did hear about one professional flutist who plays the flute in front of him/her like a clarinet. S(he) must have had a headjoint custom made. Good luck to you!

[pied_piper]

There is a compant that specializes in ergonomic flute headjoints. Maybe this would help.

http://flutelab.com/flutelab.com/ergono ... eadjoints/

[MikeM70]

There is a compant that specializes in ergonomic flute headjoints. Maybe this would help.

http://flutelab.com/flutelab.com/ergono ... eadjoints/

that is an interesting idea, not cheap but then they are not going to make large numbers of them, so they never will be, but I can see straight away how that would place less stress on the shoulders.