I’m playing a six-keyed flute a good deal now, after a long while playing a keyless with
a C natural thumb hole. I wonder if folks will tell me where they put their left thumb?
The B flat key touch is right where I’m used to putting my thumb, so I can’t put it
there. What do you’all do?
Normally I put my upper hand thumb on the side of the flute nearest the mouth, about opposite where the base of my left finger contacts the far side. I use the 3 point method (push out with bottom hand thumb, use base of left finger as a fulcrum/pivot, which holds the head joint against lower jaw. The result is that I don’t need to hold on with the left thumb, and thus anywhere out of the way of the bottom key works. My second favourite place to put my left thumb is to just leave it hanging it so it doesn’t contact the flute at all. This has the happy side effect of reducing tension in hand and fingers, and thus making rolls and other twiddles faster and easier.
Thanks. Hey gang, I really could use this info. If you will be so kind.
Right hand tip of my thumb sits just beside the lower edge of the Bb key - I kind of roll the thumb up a couple of mm to touch/open the key, so my thumb doesn’t move from left to right or from it’s usual position.
Thanks. That’s really interesting. I don’t think I can do it your way. My left thumb cramps.
Does anybody else have a take on where to position the thumb in relation to the Bb key?
I just let my thumb rest naturally where it falls when relaxed, which is slightly up-bore (in the direction of the head) from the tone hole and the tip of the index finger. That’s well out of the way of the Bb key but means that I can reach the Bb key easily whenever I want to. I just lift my thumb and place it on the key when required.
I don’t really know if that’s what you’re “supposed” to do. But it seems natural to me.
(Note: I’m using what I think is basically a ‘Rockstro’ hand position for my left hand.)
For me my thumb needs to be mobile.
It has no fixed place as it moves depending on context
And to hit the key.
It’s not involved in supporting the flute.
This is why I would not recommend the c nat thumbhole.
As you have done on numerous threads over the years here, Jim.
I’m not sure what the problem is supposed to be for the C natural thumbhole, though.
The thumb isn’t involved in holding or supporting the flute, anyhow, since it’s
often off the flute entirely (and if it was supporting the flute the flute would be
unstable). Maybe the difficulty is that the thumb isn’t as mobile as you would like?
Anyhow thanks to you and to everyone else who responded. This is exactly the info
I needed.
The problem being it forces the thumb into a particular place that may not be the right place as you are now experiencing.
The moment I realised that fingering should be fluid and that there are so many options such as leaving certain fingers down and whether your pinkies are up or down was the moment my playing started to ‘click’
Like having keyed, half holed, rising, two finger or oxoxxx c natural all going on depending on context.
Because all flutes are slightly different you may need to change on the fly.
It also ‘colours’ the playing to use different approaches to different notes.
Nothing forced when the thumb hole’s in the right place! Which for me (with my big L3 offset) turned out to be at a different offset from most. And also why I love the thumb hole on flutes but dislike it on whistles (because it can’t be in the right place on whistles!).
Like having keyed, half holed, rising, two finger or oxoxxx c natural all going on depending on context.
But you can do all of that with a thumb hole flute (for which read thumb hole C as equivalent to keyed). You don’t have to use the thumb hole any more than you have to use the key!
It also ‘colours’ the playing to use different approaches to different notes.
As above.
Forgive my ignorance (only been playing ITM for around 30 years) - what does a thumb hole do on a “simple system” flute? - what’s the advantage/disadvantage?
I’ve never seen or heard a wooden flute with one, are there any well known ITM flute players who use these?
I can’t see the point on a simple system flute. It has all the keys you need and cross-fingerings available as an alternative. I suppose I might see the point on a keyless flute …
Same as a C key, but without the key.
what’s the advantage/disadvantage?
Might suit some players (like me) better, but is non-standard (though not without historical precedent) for playing/buying/selling other flutes. Also great for venting C#s Boehm-style should you feel the need.
I’ve never seen or heard a wooden flute with one
How do you know you’ve never heard one?
Thanks for that
How do you know you’ve never heard one?
Ok should have said I’ve not heard one that I’ve seen or I’ve not been aware of hearing one.
Also the c nat thumb hole, once you are used to it, is very agile and also opens up lots of
possibilities for ornamentation. It’s of course a lot cheaper than some of the alternatives.
If you are buying a three keyed flute, the thumb hole gives you the equivalent of a four keyed
flute for 30 dollars more.
Interesting. Your thumb is lower down the body than mine. I didn’t expect that. I’m not worried by it - mine works for me.
Unless the Bb thumb key is unusually placed, my thumb usually rests just far enough up-tube of it to clear it. My thumb would usually naturally/most comfortably fall just a little farther down-tube if the key were not there, but rarely so far as the pivot point of the key, so resting my thumb thereon and rolling/lifting it up-tube to operate the key is not usually a viable choice for me, though I have met a few flutes on which it worked best for my hand.
I try not to use my L thumb as part of my flute-support, though it is inevitably an auxiliary support or stabiliser, especially for certain fingerings.
Yes, that was what I was saying. At any rate, trying to …