I’m trying to increase right-hand agility. I’ve tried various ways of holding the flute and settled several years ago on what I was taught–using the right-hand pinky.
However over the years I’ve found that I’ve used R3 on the D hole, along with the pinky, to stabilize the flute. Also this is a form of ‘lazy fingering’ that sometimes facilitates playing difficult passages. So R3 and the pinky tend to be down together.
It increasingly seems to me that this is slowing me down. R3 is usually out of position, a bit too extended out over the flute, so that my whole right-hand is out of position, slightly.
So I’m training myself to stop putting R3 down unless I’m playing a note that requires it, and to rely just on the right pinkie. R3 goes down closer to the ball of the finger, though not exactly on it. As goes R3, so seems to go
the rt hand.
I wonder if others have had this experience? I’ve been playing about seven years and I would especially like to hear from experienced people.
Also I’m playing various exercises on the right-hand. Anything about increasing agility is welcome.
Have you tried the Nicholsonian approach of turning out the right hand section (assuming a Rudall-style flute), or the whole body (if Prattens style), placing your right thumb halfway up the side of the flute, pointing in toward the centre of the flute, thus extending your right hand fingers to be straighter, and more free to move? Also frees up the right pinkie, no longer requiring it to be grounded, and thus reduces its stiffening effect on R3.
The logic of this approach, used while our flutes were the flute, is impeccable. Completely separate the tasks of holding the flute and fingering the flute. In the modern system (which was making inroads in Rockstro’s time, against his better judgement), the two are combined. In the early 19th century system, the load is taken on the chin, edge of L1 and Rthumb. All the fingers and the left thumb are completely free to twiddle keys and holes.
I’m new to the flute so please excuse a perhaps ignorant question. In this approach, what portion of the right hand fingers cover the holes? Is this a form of “piper’s grip”?
The usual fingertips, so, in that regard, it isn’t what the piper’s grip approach does. However it confers the same sort of benefit as the pipers grip, in that it straightens out the RH fingers, making them more free. But more, the fingers are playing no part in holding the flute.
This is an interesting illustration of how it works. Hold the flute the usual modern way in the right hand (holes upwards, fingertips on holes, thumb under to oppose fingertips). Wiggle the fingers to detect any resistance. Now move the thumb towards the audience, so that the flute is resting on the middle joint. Wiggle the fingers - much less free? Now move the thumb back so it’s tip is halfway up the driver’s side wall. Wiggle the fingers - much more free?
I’ve seen an add-on (to jump over to Jim’s other current topic) at Edinburgh that was obviously designed to assist this approach further. It was a silver disk, about an inch (25mm) in diameter, mildly concave, and faced with 10 concentric grooves, screwed to the flute where the right thumb would point, when using this approach. Poke your thumb into this target and it couldn’t slip, no matter how clammy your thumb might get from stage nerves! The flute was by Cornelius Ward, but it’s not possible to tell if he made and fitted the contrivance. The other flutes I’ve seen by him were not thus fitted.
Ah, I should add that Ward’s flute has a one-piece body (like a Prattens). But Ward builds in bias for the RH holes towards the audience, and indeed has his R2 hole further around than the other two. So, even without the target, it was clear he wanted you to hold the flute like Nicholson (whom he greatly admired).
I need to do more with the images I have of Ward’s work. (Come on retirement!) He was a crotchety old b-----, but a fine workman and an innovative thinker.
Right. Classical grip for me. I can use piper’s but prefer classical.
I find that bending the right hand fingers and come down, not on the ball but on the pad near the ball,
facilitates agilitiy. Or so it seems. Which is why I am training to no longer use R3 to brace the flute,
cause the finger so used tends to extend. Also it’s slightly out of tune. Also I find that
I seem to pay a price for ‘lazy fingering’ sooner or later in precision and agility.
I’ve tried the Nicholson ‘roll out’ and it doesn’t seem to work for me. Maybe if I used it for awhile.
Also I tried really hard to use the right thumb on the side of the flute to brace the flute,
thereby leaving the rt pinky to waggle free and/or use the Eb key. But I couldn’t do it,
never got enough stability.
So finally I returned to bracing with the rt pinky and the rt thumb mostly under the flute.
This is very stable for me. I lift the pinky when all the rt fingers are down, but then
the flute is secured by the rt fingers. It was using R3 too to brace the flute,
in conjunction with the pinky, that I think now may have been a bad habit.
I don’t know if you use keys (I don’t) but what helped my right hand is to turn the right hand part of flute out a little bit.
Pinky became an anchor point slightly lower then and now I can move slightly faster and keep fingers closer to the flute.
Thumb is under the flute.
But then, your hand anatomy should allow you, I do have long slender fingers…if you got short stumps it won’t work.
I’m not an expert Jim, as you know, but don’t forget to look at the axis of support in your left hand. That might be the root of your difficulty. Try balancing the flute to see where the natural centre of gravity is (without dropping it!). If the flute is well balanced it shouldn’t need too much ‘holding’ with the right hand. Try securing the flute in the left hand (just a bit of forward pressure with the base of R1 to keep the embouchure pressed onto your lip), leaving you free to crann away merrily.