Playing "on the shoulder"

[Sylvester]

These days I mostly play the flute inside my head:



Easier with a keyless flute for obvious reasons, but the music sounds good in there regardless.

Brad, this is what I call "playing by ear".

Closing your nostrils will surely add some interesting subtleties to your Cnat.

[bradhurley]

Brad, this is what I call "playing by ear".
Closing your nostrils will surely add some interesting subtleties to your Cnat.

In fact, while that looks like a flute in the picture it's actually a pair of prototype iPod ear buds that I developed for listening to traditional Irish music. I tried to get Apple to sell them but one of their product testers was injured when he forgot to turn his head as he was walking through a subway door, and another one had a nasty accident with a passerby who was carrying an umbrella on a crowded street.

[Cathy Wilde]

These days I mostly play the flute inside my head:



Easier with a keyless flute for obvious reasons, but the music sounds good in there regardless.

!

Thank you, Brad!

[Cathy Wilde]

Brad, this is what I call "playing by ear".
Closing your nostrils will surely add some interesting subtleties to your Cnat.

In fact, while that looks like a flute in the picture it's actually a pair of prototype iPod ear buds that I developed for listening to traditional Irish music. I tried to get Apple to sell them but one of their product testers was injured when he forgot to turn his head as he was walking through a subway door, and another one had a nasty accident with a passerby who was carrying an umbrella on a crowded street.

And of course, there's the problem of cracking in cold weather. Bet that plays havoc with the noise cancellation feature.

[Jayhawk]

I think Brad may have already cracked...hence the picture (which I enjoyed thoroughly - much less spooky than his avatar which freaks me out for some reason).

Eric

[Ro3b]

Teachers and musicians who argue too much for one position or other do so because they haven't got a lot to say about the music.

Excuse me?

I tell students not to rest the flute on their shoulders for the reasons Brad states in his first post on this thread. It's just not a healthy way to hold the instrument. Ask any Alexander technique teacher. I'm aware of the legions of players who do it who are fine and healthy, just like I know plenty of people who don't exercise who haven't had heart attacks. But it's just common sense to develop good habits.

I've got plenty to say about the music, too. Wanker.

[cocusflute]

Sticks and bones can give me stones
But harms will never name me.

[Ro3b]

, he repeated.

[Cathy Wilde]

Lalalalallalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala .....

[Jim Troy]

nice one Cathy !

meanwhile , back on the hard shoulder...

has anyone gone from playing on the shoulder , to freefall , prim and proper , head up , and often as not ,peer pressured acceptability ?
i do understand , very well from other instruments , the benefit of a full , open airway , and that the likes of clarinet or sax do need that throat expansion , but the flute sound comes more from the embouchure , no ?

i'm sticking with the shoulder . who's going to notice ?
i even make sure i sit in the chair with arms on it .
and hey ,if i could , i'd get harry to play the thing .

[Cathy Wilde]

My favorite position: the left elbow propped on the pub table, a full pint glass of Diet Coke at the right.

OK, seriously ... actually, an open windway is a good thing, and sitting up with a flat back, arms relaxed, and both feet flat on the floor really IS the best way to go. But it's funny ... I played with lovely posture (at least in concerts or rehearsals or whatever), for what, close to 35 years? And in fact, when I pick up a Boehm flute, I still do. But then I play one of these things and I go all over the place -- I sit curled in on myself, I cross my legs (a big no-no in my flute playing day!), I put my arm over the back of a chair, I put one or both elbows on the table, I put the flute on my shoulder, you name it.

FWIW, I don't think it makes me a better flute player, and I do have a sore neck or shoulder after long sessions sometimes now. Though that could just be being 43! But anyway, I personally think the Boehm flute is much better balanced or ergonomic or something, at least for female hands, because all that junk doesn't happen when I play it. But when I play the simple system? Ugh, my college flute teacher would DIE!

[johnkerr]

i do understand , very well from other instruments , the benefit of a full , open airway , and that the likes of clarinet or sax do need that throat expansion , but the flute sound comes more from the embouchure , no ?

No. The embouchure shapes and defines the sound, but it can only shape and define what it has to work with. It's like a nozzle on the end of a hose. If there's a crimp in the hose, or if the water's only turned on half way at the faucet, the quality of the spray coming out of the nozzle is going to be subpar. If playing on your shoulder crimps your airway, your embouchure will have less air to work with and your sound will not be as good as it could be. Or you'll have to blow a lot harder from the diaphragm in order to get your airflow up to snuff. With other wind instruments this isn't an issue, because they are end-blown and one can't really rest them on the shoulder to play anyway. But yes, even then as you say it's important to expand the throat and open the airway, so the single or double reed or the fipple can shape the sound just like the embouchure does on the flute.

If you can be totally relaxed, keep the airway open and the airstream supported while you play in the on-the-shoulder position, then more power to you. You may be one of those who can get away with playing in this position without long-term ill effects. But if playing in this position makes you work harder (even unconsciously, as you may not even realize you're working harder) that is probably going to lead to tension (which again you may not realize) and down the line you may find yourself having ergonomic problems. For most people, it's just much easier to play without tension in the upright posture, which is why any responsible flute teacher will recommend that to their students. (Even teachers like Catherine McEvoy who play very successfully on their shoulders don't urge their students to imitate them.) Relaxation is the key thing, and if you have to work at being relaxed...well, I for one would not say you're relaxed. Playing powerfully while being totally relaxed about it is a very hard thing to do, in any posture. But the on-the-shoulder posture seems to me to add a few extra hurdles to be overcome, which is why I wouldn't really recommend it. But as they say on the internet, YMMV.

[Harry]

... Harry played flute on shoulder for two whole previous lifetimes with no problem...

Actually, I always considered my meagre flute talents as a small reward for giving up the banjo in a previous life.

Regards,

Harry.

[dow]

I am but a vessel.

"Captain, we've spotted a strange wessel."

[crookedtune]

Having suffered with shoulder tendonitis due to poor fiddle posture, I'm now much more mindful of how I relate to my instruments.

You'll find people who have success with all kinds of weird postures, but your objective should be to find the one that allows you to relax. To me, playing flute off of the shoulder causes tension in both the neck and shoulder, and I wouldn't think of building on that foundation. If your body-style allows this to be relaxing, then I say go for it. Just be sure you're doing it for the right reasons.