Good to keep in mind that Boehm had tried to introduce a different approach to the same challenge:
The handle part of his “flute crutch” was intended to nestle into the gap between left thumb and forefinger, providing an anti-rotation device for the flute and support for the flute independent of the left thumb. That would leave the left thumb free to press any of the keys provided for it.
I don’t know what sort of reaction that received on the Continent, but from memory, Rockstro was a bit scathing of it:
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It may be noticed that the name of Boehm does not appear on the list: he was > one of the very few > [my emphasis] who placed the mouth-hole in a straight line with the finger-holes, and, because he did so, he was unable to hold his flute without the aid of his “crutch.”
But Rockstro was happy with the three-point hold, so didn’t need the additional support of the crutch. He goes on:
…I regret to say that a most reprehensible movement has recently sprung up, amongst a certain few English players, against the true system of holding the flute. I consider it my duty to protest emphatically against this innovation.
rykirk, is it possible that you are placing your left thumb under the flute
rather than on its side? When you find the right position you should be able to
hold the flute with the left hand alone (with your right hand off the flute)
in a very stable and comfortable manner without any tension anywhere, and play
the notes from G to C# (all holes open) and the trills freely. This way, the flute
rather rests in your left hand firmly without any need to grip it. The base of the
first finger and the thumb form a V form (if looking parallel to the flute)
where the flute “lies”, the two are however offset in the longitudinal direction
of the flute (the thumb is close to the second hole). Pay attention not
to let the flute “sink” into this “V”, the “V” should be “closed” enough so that
the flute remains relatively high. The thumb should be curved inwards (toward the
flute) and touch its side with the fleshy part (although curving the thumb a bit more
and using the tip rather than the fleshy part also works for me). Do not press the
thumb against the flute, let the flute’s weight do all the job.
Here’s how Tromlitz describes it (almost identical to Quantz but a bit more precise):
“The best placement for all eventualities is therefore to hold the flute,
as already noted, so that it rests on the knuckle of the
lowest joint of the first finger of the left hand, and the thumb placed on the
inside in such a way that the fleshy part of the first joint is on the flute, just
a little behind the second finger, though not quite equidistant from both
fingers. This way of holding the flute is not only secure, but convenient for
everything.”
Now that should work perfectly for the left hand notes, but when the right hand is
used actively it will inevitably destabilize the left hand and make it grip too much
(maybe even deathgrip as you say). This is where the “Rockstro grip” comes into play
and prevents any tension in the left hand. As you say, the “Rockstro grip” was probably
always part of the tension-free way of playing the flute, but it was used only when
needed to compensate the destabilisation that the right hand would otherwise produce
in the left hand. This must be the reason why the flutists of that time were convinced
to hold the flute exclusively with the left hand, which could not be exactly true,
in my opinion.
As to Hotteterre’s pinky, I don’t think he was using the right hand pinky for stabilisation.
Like the others he says that the flute should be held between the first finger and the thumb
of the left hand. I think his pinky was touching the flute’s side, behind the key, actually,
for whatever reason, but without any impact on the balance. In his famous picture, there’s
quite a space between the fourth finger and the key, too.
My skype flute teacher has been telling me to play with neither right pinky nor left thumb touching the flute. The goal, he says, is to prevent the flute from moving at the embouchure hole. It does work but I end up putting a goodly amount of pressure below the lower lip, which feels like too much work. Tunes I know well I can play this way, but tunes i don’t know well fall apart quickly. It’s been interesting as a practice exercise but I’m not sure I’d ever end up playing that way all the time.
I have to turn the blow hole waaay in to get it to work
On the boehm flute (which was what I first learned but it was ages ago) the right pinky rests on the flute at all times except for a few notes. That’s because it has the D# (or Eb) key to press to keep it open. If the pinky is not depressing this key, another finger of the right hand is pressing a key and does stabilize the hold.
What’s good for the boehm can probably do no harm on a flute of the romantic era. So I always leave the pinky on the flute (but I play keyless anyway). And sometimes I also use “piper’s grip” for some tunes as it gives me more dexterity for the upper hand. But mostly I use a classical “boehm hold” (as skap described it for the upper hand). Works fine for me. I think everybody should find his own comfort zone here. There is no absolutely “right way” to hold the flute. Apart from that – if you need to use any keys with the upper hand thumb – what skap says is the best way.
If I try to hold all holes open, no pinky, and my thumb on the bottom of the flute and just gripping with the left hand the flute is going to roll and dip unless I really deathgrip with my left hand, which seems wrong.
Three point hold: If your right thumb presses outward (from the inside of the flute), then it provides leverage to work against left index base, and chin. If your right thumb is on the bottom, then yes, the flute won’t be supported.
