More on the 19th century three-point flute hold

[Terry McGee]

I've been prattling on about this flute hold for some time. Indeed you'll find a few period articles on my flute page that relate to it:

http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Rocksto_on_ ... flute.html
http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Gunn%20on%20Tone.htm
http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Nicholson_on_Tone.htm

But I'm not sure they are using the right language to help you find the position. I'm not sure I have that language either, but I'd like to try something on you and see if it works. Go grab that pesky, slippery flute...

Set the finger holes all in line. (Easy for Pratten's players - you have no choice!).

Rotate the foot to make the Eb key lie under your fourth finger when you cover the right hand holes. (Ignore this, keyless owners.)

Now rotate the head back so that the embouchure is around 60 degrees back from the line of finger holes. (Yes, that instruction is different, isn't it! Normally they say less, but stick with it for now....) If you have a keyed flute, you might find the embouchure now lines up somewhere near the C key.

Now cover all the holes, in the usual way (not piper's grip). Top two fingers point down onto their holes, third and right hand use the finger pads.

Put the left thumb temporarily just to the left of the Bb key touch. Point the right thumb, slightly arched back, into the middle of the flute, between holes R1 and R2 and around 120 degrees around the flute from the finger holes. That's about 1/3rd of the way round the flute. Not under!

Now offer the flute up to your lip. Let your left arm hang down from the flute, with the elbow close to your chest. Don't expect the finger holes to face upwards, because they won't, they will face well forward. The C key or Eb key might face up. The Bb key will face your right shoulder, halfway up the side of the flute.

Try playing a scale. The flute should sit there, pinned in three locations, LH1 first joint, right thumb, and chin.

Your Left thumb should now let go, and is free to play the Bb key at will (try a Bb/A trill). You will never feel cramp in your left thumb again!
Your R4 is free to play Eb when needed and can just float around otherwise, freeing R3 in, say, an E roll.
The embouchure is at an angle to your lip that encourages the Hard Dark Tone.
Your left arm is relaxed, and the left wrist less cramped than normal.
Your right fingers are less curved and less cramped.

You may feel a bit odd with your right arm sticking out, but you will get used to it. But if it is annoying, now try rotating the RH section back towards you. (Sorry, Pratten's players!) This is the exact opposite of what Nicholson recommends, but hey, we're all different.

Monitor what's happening to the flute as you play up and down the scale. If you note it twisting one way or the other, you can make small adjustments to the hold to counter that. One of the adjustments is likely to be the embouchure angle.

If you find difficulty in closing the right hand holes securely, move your right thumb further down the flute towards the foot. Play the opening bars of Christmas Eve to test. That low D should come out strongly, and the pressure of the three fingers should feel equal.

When you get some confidence, try The Black Rogue, playing c# ooo ooo without putting your left thumb on the flute!

Does it work for you?

If you do, put some pencil marks on the flute to help you find that place next time. Or note which keys line up with the embouchure.

Terry

[benhall.1]

Thanks for that Terry. I used to have the headjoint rolled in. Nowadays, having seen how a few of my most admired flute players do it, I have the headjoint rolled out, with the nearside of the embouchure hole more or less in line with the tone holes. It means that the tone holes don't face forward. Works for me.

Other than that, I am using the three point grip, and it feels very secure. I think it's worth doing as you suggest and trying a few different positions for the various parts of the flute. I still find the three point approach to be the most logical, but some people do brilliantly with left hand pipers grip too.

[david_h]

It works for me if I adopt a 'good posture' with the flute more or less horizontal.

Most photos at sessions that happen to catch me playing have me slouching with the flute almost at 45 degrees, as is commonly seen in others (45 degres if not the slouch) . Doing that my right elbow is lower and my left forearm is more away from my body to be comfortable and the mouth-hole needs to be closer to the line of the finger holes.

I normally line up the far edge of the mouth-hole with the centre of the finger holes (because I read it on the internet...). At two workshops the leaders have commented on this and I don't think that had something more 'rolled-in' in mind as a suggestion.

So my first impression is 'easier to follow instructions that the 19th century ones but I think posture comes into it somehow'

Edit to add after having more time to review. When I started on flute I based my posture on J-M Veillon's because he looks so relaxed. That is more 'right-elbow down, left arm away from body' than Terry's instructions. Doing that Terry's mouth-hole postion is too much rotated for me. JMV's head is very upright; many Irish players, especially the flute-head-shoulder ones have their heads much more tipped forwards. I don't see how one can consider rotation of flute sections separatly from head and arm position. But I like the 'Mcgee hold'.

[Normski]

Sorry to be thick Terry but could you elaborate on the 60degree alignment. Are you measuring from centre of tone holes to centre of embouchure hole. 60 degree seems much more than is usually advocated is it not.?.