I've been playing low D whistles for a few months and feel very comfortable with the typical flat-fingered grip. With even less experience with flutes, I'm wondering what kind of grip works best. When I switch between a low whistle and a flute, shouldn't I be able to use the same hand and finger positions? From what I see others do (e.g., http://homepage.tinet.ie/~mandeflutes/hands.htm), it seems the two instruments are typically held and played very differently. One more thing--do you modify your grip for keyed flutes?
Dave
Gripping the flute versus the low whistle
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eskin
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Hi Dave,
You pretty much can do whatever you like. Some players use the typical classical flute finger tip style, some go flat finger on the right hand and finger tip on the left. A lot depends on whether you have a two piece or one piece body on your flute and can independently rotate the left and right hand pieces. Other factors include hand size, finger hole spread and size. Generally the flat fingered method doesn't work on keyed flutes, too much stuff gets in the way, but flat fingered on a keyless generally is fine. Find a method that is comfortable for your hands, doesn't get in the way of your ability to play the instrument, or cause you pain and you'll do just fine. I use flat fingered on the low whistles, finger tip on my keyed flute, and flat fingers on the right hand for keyless.
Cheers,
Michael
You pretty much can do whatever you like. Some players use the typical classical flute finger tip style, some go flat finger on the right hand and finger tip on the left. A lot depends on whether you have a two piece or one piece body on your flute and can independently rotate the left and right hand pieces. Other factors include hand size, finger hole spread and size. Generally the flat fingered method doesn't work on keyed flutes, too much stuff gets in the way, but flat fingered on a keyless generally is fine. Find a method that is comfortable for your hands, doesn't get in the way of your ability to play the instrument, or cause you pain and you'll do just fine. I use flat fingered on the low whistles, finger tip on my keyed flute, and flat fingers on the right hand for keyless.
Cheers,
Michael
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ChrisLaughlin
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Yup.... pretty much what he said. I played low whistle with a piper's grip for a while before moving to the flute and it was a real pain in the posterior to convert to fingertip playing, but my teacher at the time, a rather brilliant player named Mike McHale, insisted I learn to play with my finger tips. His rational was that:
1) It's impossible to play the keys on a keyed flute with pipers grip.
2) The keys get in the way even when you're not playing them if you use pipers grip.
3) You can't half hole as effectively on the flute with pipers grip
4) You can't feel the hole as well with pipers grip.
Now, I'm certainly not sure I agree with number 4, but the rest are pretty clearly true. However plenty of good players use pipers grip, at least on the lower hand. Mike McGoldrick is one of them and I'm not about to tell him how to improve his playing.... so, consider whether strugling through learning to play with your finger tips is worth numbers 1-3 (and maybe 4) and make your own decision.
Chris
1) It's impossible to play the keys on a keyed flute with pipers grip.
2) The keys get in the way even when you're not playing them if you use pipers grip.
3) You can't half hole as effectively on the flute with pipers grip
4) You can't feel the hole as well with pipers grip.
Now, I'm certainly not sure I agree with number 4, but the rest are pretty clearly true. However plenty of good players use pipers grip, at least on the lower hand. Mike McGoldrick is one of them and I'm not about to tell him how to improve his playing.... so, consider whether strugling through learning to play with your finger tips is worth numbers 1-3 (and maybe 4) and make your own decision.
Chris