Left-handed flute player question

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I have a couple of nice keyless flutes. One is a Casey Burns blackwood Folk Flute, and the other is a delrin Copley, both in the key of D. Both are great flutes for me. Being a left-handed player, I requested the embouchure hole be cut for a lefty. My question is can a regular right-handed flute's embouchure hole be altered for a left-handed player? There are lots of nice used flutes out there, but no mention of them for which type of player. It is assumed they are for a right-handed player, but maybe can be modified for a lefty? Thanks in advance!

[paddler]

I think the answer to your question is: its depends on how the embouchure was cut initially. I have the impression that most makers, by default, cut their embouchures for right hand players and take more care in setting the angle of the embouchure wall and shaping on that side (the front side of the embouchure for a right hand player), then adjust the back wall of the embouchure hole for tuning/voicing with a little less precision. Some makers cut their embouchure slightly off-center in order to accurately and predictably set the angle of the front side wall to the desired 7 degrees or whatever they target. This leaves the back wall of the embouchure hole with less undercut than desired, usually even for a right hand flute. So the maker then works that back side wall by undercutting it as necessary for voicing/tuning, but not generally with the goal of supporting a left handed player optimally.

So, so long as the back side of the embouchure hole has not been undercut too severely, I suspect that some careful working and shaping of that back wall could make a right handed embouchure work well for a left handed player, but it really depends how the back wall has been shaped initially.

So, maybe the right answer is "probably/often but not always". For the flutes I make it would just require a bit of work refining the shape of that back wall, because it generally will not be undercut too much. Based on many other flutes that I have studied, this tends to be true, but I'd be curious to hear what other makers have to say about this, and if there are other factors involved, such as varying the alignment of the embouchure hole with the axis of the flute for improved ergonomics.

[DeTerminator]

Thanks for your detailed reply, Paddler! It looks like buying a nice used right-handed flute and configuring it for a lefty might or might not be a good idea, depending on the flute in question. Good to know, anyway. Much appreciated.

[kenny]

I've never thought about this before, but I suppose that it would make a difference. I have heard of course of flutes with the keys configured for a left-handed player, but don't ever recall any maker specifying that the embouchure was cut to suit same. Does that / has that happened with makers such as Hammy, Murray, Olwell, Grinter, Wilkes and co ? Terry ?
I have a great photo - possibly unique - from a Ballyvourney "Cruinniu" maybe 6 years ago or so. I was watching, listening to and thoroughly enjoying one of the evening sessions where no less than 5 young flute players, all in their teens, if even that, were playing some lovely music together. After a few minutes it occurred to me that all 5 in a row were playing left-handed. Anyone else come across that ?

[an seanduine]

In answer to the first part of your post: Hammy on his blog speaks about trying to mirror his embouchure for lefties.
The older generation saw lefties with some effort adapting to R&R and other older flutes to good effect. Tansey is notable here.
As a 'natural lefty' I have had to live my life adapting to the Right-handed world, and in consequence am somewhat ambidextrous (equally bad with either hand!) I learned the flute as a youth right-handed.

Bob

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In answer to the first part of your post: Hammy on his blog speaks about trying to mirror his embouchure for lefties.
The older generation saw lefties with some effort adapting to R&R and other older flutes to good effect. Tansey is notable here.
As a 'natural lefty' I have had to live my life adapting to the Right-handed world, and in consequence am somewhat ambidextrous (equally bad with either hand!) I learned the flute as a youth right-handed.

Bob

I write with the left hand, but learned to play guitar and other stringed instruments right-handed. But the flute is a left-handed instrument for me. If given a choice, it would be best for a beginner of any instrument to start out as a right-handed player, in my opinion. Many more choices of available instruments to purchase, as well as being cheaper usually. Thanks for your comments, Bob.

[Terry McGee]

I've never thought about this before, but I suppose that it would make a difference. I have heard of course of flutes with the keys configured for a left-handed player, but don't ever recall any maker specifying that the embouchure was cut to suit same. Does that / has that happened with makers such as Hammy, Murray, Olwell, Grinter, Wilkes and co ? Terry ?

Whoops, sorry for the slow response, Kenny. Can't talk for the other makers you mention, of course, but this might help. If we go back to Herr Boehm, circa 1850, he recommended a slope of 7º under the edge, and 10º under the lip. So, that would make the embouchure directional, but not very much! What's 3º in 90º? 3.3%? Whether we would notice that small change, I don't know. I've tried playing flutes backwards to try to answer that question, but you confront so many differences, it's not easy to tell if you are detecting real change or imagining it!

And what's the logic? I don't remember if Herr Boehm attempted to rationalise this, but my experience seems to suggest that too great a slope under the edge makes it harder to get a full tone, but the greater slope under the lip helps the returning pressure wave to sweep the air jet over to the edge to work the switching mechanism.

So what do I do? This is a point where, perhaps uncharacteristically, I devolve to art rather than science. I do cut the underlip a smidge more than under the edge. But how much more I don't really know. You might point the finger and say, hey if Boehm could define it in his day, why are you failing so dismally now? And my excuse is, Boehm also came up with the Rounded Rectangle embouchure (my name, not his!). It has straight edges along the edge and the underlip. It's easy to set up any angle you want and then cut along the whole side of the rectangle. That's what I do with my Rounded Rectangle holes. But I mostly use an elliptical embouchure. Much harder on an ellipse - you can only cut it at one point, the centre of the edge or lip. Then what do you do? So that's why I leave it to hand and eye.

I have a great photo - possibly unique - from a Ballyvourney "Cruinniu" maybe 6 years ago or so. I was watching, listening to and thoroughly enjoying one of the evening sessions where no less than 5 young flute players, all in their teens, if even that, were playing some lovely music together. After a few minutes it occurred to me that all 5 in a row were playing left-handed. Anyone else come across that ?

Baines, in his book "Woodwind Instruments and their History", says of the 8-key flute: "This flute is still regularly to be seen in Irish country-dance bands - usually a family heirloom, played left-handed with the keys plugged up." A point made a long time ago is that Irish flute players typically start off as whistle players. Nothing on the whistle demands which hand is above the other. Ditto the keyless flute (excepting possibly the embouchure cut that is our topic). You only face that question when you hit the keyed flute. So I imagine if the local flute or whistle hero was a lefty, chances are you end up a lefty too!

[Mr.Gumby]

So I imagine if the local flute or whistle hero was a lefty, chances are you end up a lefty too!

That still holds true to the present. A neighbou,r for example, is a left handed whistle and flute teacher who has large volumes of players go through her hands. She teaches by example (and to great effect). A lot of her pupils play left handed, even when not true citeógs.

[david_h]

I wonder if some people find it easier to follow a teacher as if looking at a mirror. Apparently it is convention in some disciplines (some yoga, some forms of dance teaching) for the teacher to mirror the students (and instruct 'left' when they themselves are doing 'right').

A friend who is used to doing that (as student and teacher) commented that it made a beginners whistle class confusing. I suggested playing 'left-handed' as I didn't think it was ever going to matter to them which way they played. I guess it might bother their teacher though!

[Nanohedron]

I wonder if some people find it easier to follow a teacher as if looking at a mirror.

This is true for some, as different people learn best in different ways. Some are visual learners, some more mathematical, some auditory, and then mental facility and flexibility within those categories comes into it as well. Flutewise I would place myself in a hybrid visual/auditory category, although mirroring was never a requirement for me. Back when I was teaching a physical art, with some beginners I would do the mirroring thing, but only as "training wheels" to be abandoned as soon as the student grasped what they needed to.

[david_h]

Reading that I now remember that when I was starting out on flute someone here recommended J M Veillon for a relaxed posture and I taped a reversed photo of him onto a wardrobe door mirror.

[david_h]

Reading that I now remember that when I was starting out on flute someone here recommended J M Veillon for a relaxed posture and I taped a reversed photo of him onto a wardrobe door mirror.

[DeTerminator]

Reading that I now remember that when I was starting out on flute someone here recommended J M Veillon for a relaxed posture and I taped a reversed photo of him onto a wardrobe door mirror.

That's dedication!

[david_h]

Only whilst practicing.

[kenny]

Thanks for your reply there, Terry, thoughtful and informative as always. In fact when I showed the photo of the 5 "lefty" flute players to my flute class at the time, someone did actually suggest that "maybe their teacher was left-handed", although I don't know that they all had the same teacher. They did seem to all know each other, and also seemed comfortable all playing together, so that is a distinct possibility, and whoever that teacher is, he / she is doing a damn good job.