kkrell wrote:
Mike Clougherty wrote:
I wonder why there seems to be a plethora of lefty flute players? If they are playing keyed flutes, they would most likely have to be specially made seeing as it's not the norm, would they not? I know some makers must make them, but I don't know how common it is.
Keyed lefty flutes are not so common, but some makers do offer them. Some flutes also have a symmetrical embouchure hole - others may require a special cut to faciliate left-handed playing. Usually, the left-handed player is either playing a keyless flute, or a keyed flute in which they do not use all (or any) of the keys (or some really strange reach-arounds).
Historically there has been a market for "left handed" instruments. From the earliest days, keyed instruments had "swallowtail" keys that facilitated playing the low notes with either left or right hand. These weren't "left handed" instruments per se, but their symmetricality lent themselves to play in either direction.
http://forums.chiffandfipple.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=46493&start=195#p1151448Scroll down a bit to the picture of the three flageolets. There's an actual "left handed" English flageolet there. On this instrument, the keywork is set up specifically for a "left handed" player.
http://forums.chiffandfipple.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=46493&start=210#p1179450Scroll down to the curtal, and you can see the swallowtail key --- though I'm not sure how easy it would be to play left handed! (Haven't tried!)
Note below the curtal the old oboe. Many early oboes continued the practice of the swallowtail C key; and often sported symmetrical left and right handed D# keys. This old Potter marks a break from the old tradition in having only a right handed D# key and a C key with its touch to the right.