No more neck/shoulder issues when playing the flute

The Chiff & Fipple Irish Flute on-line community. Sideblown for your protection.
Post Reply
User avatar
Sedi
Posts: 993
Joined: Sun May 01, 2016 6:54 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: Practice, practice, practice. You're never too old to learn.
Keep on fluting.
---u---o-o-o--o-o-o--
-----------------------

No more neck/shoulder issues when playing the flute

Post by Sedi »

I just came up with this. The problem was, I really fell in love with the sound of my flutes but had an injury in my left shoulder a little while ago. Also the neck started hurting when playing for too long. I made a quenacho type flute but the sound is just not the same. So I came up with this prototype. Works pretty well even though it looks a bit crude.
Image
No I can also make the lowest hole much bigger than before and strengthen the E, which was always a problem on my cylindrical design.
PB+J
Posts: 1306
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2018 5:40 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: I'm a historian and the author of "The Beat Cop:Chicago's Chief O'Neill and the Creation of Irish Music," published by the University of Chicago in 2022. I live in Arlington VA and play the flute sincerely but not well

Re: No more neck/shoulder issues when playing the flute

Post by PB+J »

That would be way, way worse for me at least. I already find low whistles really difficult because they're hard to hold and play: this would seem to make the issues worse.

But then I've been lucky not to experience any discomfort from the tranverse flute. A while ago i even posted about a "transverse low whistle" that you could play in flute position. All bodies are different
fatmac
Posts: 1149
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2017 5:47 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: Kickbiker - at over 70!
:lol:
....................................................................
....................................................................

Re: No more neck/shoulder issues when playing the flute

Post by fatmac »

I like the way you think outside the box, square whistles, & now this..... :D :thumbsup:
Keith.
Trying to do justice to my various musical instruments.
User avatar
Sedi
Posts: 993
Joined: Sun May 01, 2016 6:54 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: Practice, practice, practice. You're never too old to learn.
Keep on fluting.
---u---o-o-o--o-o-o--
-----------------------

Re: No more neck/shoulder issues when playing the flute

Post by Sedi »

PB+J wrote:But then I've been lucky not to experience any discomfort from the tranverse flute.
Lucky you :) . If it wasn't for my shoulder injury it might not have occurred to me to do something like that. It is in fact a bit unbalanced but I will solve that by making the mouthpiece shorter to move it closer to the PVC-connector. But I am already pretty happy with how it plays.
fatmac wrote:I like the way you think outside the box, square whistles, & now this..... :D :thumbsup:
Thanks. I have an even weirder idea on how to combine the flute and the whistle. I am not sure it will work though and I havent't found the right parts so far.
Tunborough
Posts: 1419
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2010 2:59 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 10
Location: Southwestern Ontario

Re: No more neck/shoulder issues when playing the flute

Post by Tunborough »

Have you looked at the profile of the Jupiter vertical (or upright) bass flute?
User avatar
Sedi
Posts: 993
Joined: Sun May 01, 2016 6:54 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: Practice, practice, practice. You're never too old to learn.
Keep on fluting.
---u---o-o-o--o-o-o--
-----------------------

Re: No more neck/shoulder issues when playing the flute

Post by Sedi »

I don't know the name of the maker, but I am aware of the larger flutes with the head at an angle. I saw one in a video from Wouter Kellerman. I think he plays a contrabass flute in the video. The small one he plays in the beginning is the humble Yamaha YRF-21.
https://youtu.be/sz0bv9xz3ic
I have an idea of how to make it symetrical but I am not sure it will work the way I think it might.
User avatar
Conical bore
Posts: 505
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2012 7:12 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Location: Pacific Northwest USA

Re: No more neck/shoulder issues when playing the flute

Post by Conical bore »

Yes, I was wondering if the tube couldn't be curved even closer underneath the embouchure like the Jupiter bass flute:

Image
User avatar
Sedi
Posts: 993
Joined: Sun May 01, 2016 6:54 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: Practice, practice, practice. You're never too old to learn.
Keep on fluting.
---u---o-o-o--o-o-o--
-----------------------

Re: No more neck/shoulder issues when playing the flute

Post by Sedi »

Yes, that might be a better balanced solution. I was thinking about something completely different -- a t-piece in the middle with stoppers on both ends. But I am not sure it will even make a proper sound if you put a normal embouchure hole opposite the opening of the tube -- it might disturb the airflow. But if I find an aluminium t-piece with 25mm and the right length, I might give it a try. I think it would also look pretty cool.
Tunborough
Posts: 1419
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2010 2:59 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 10
Location: Southwestern Ontario

Re: No more neck/shoulder issues when playing the flute

Post by Tunborough »

See this thread on the Georgi flute: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=109041.
User avatar
Sedi
Posts: 993
Joined: Sun May 01, 2016 6:54 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: Practice, practice, practice. You're never too old to learn.
Keep on fluting.
---u---o-o-o--o-o-o--
-----------------------

Re: No more neck/shoulder issues when playing the flute

Post by Sedi »

Ah, yes, something like that. Too bad when you come up with an idea and someone had it before :D . However my idea is still slightly different. That Giorgi-flute looks not much different from a quena/quenacho. I made many of those but the "problem" is that the low D is not as powerful as on a normal flute because of the missing extra air-pocket between stopper and embouchure. The one I made just recently sounds nice enough but the timbre is still different from a normal flute.
Image
And next to a real quenacho:
Image
Post Reply