Flute prostheses

[jim stone]

You know Nicholson made various alterations in his flute
to make it more stable and easy to hold. I believe there was a groove
carved out of it to make a more stable left hand position,
and seal skin for the rt hand thumb, I think it was.

Anybody trying this sort of thing? Add ons, doo-dads?
Results?

[tin tin]

The larger outer diameter of a wood flute (compared to silver) makes accessories like the Bo-Pep finger/thumb rests impractical, but something like this could be carved into the flute, a la Nicholson, I imagine.
http://www.fluteworld.com/index.php?act ... wart=13829
http://www.fluteworld.com/index.php?act ... wart=13831
However, contouring the flute would have to be done as a custom job, to account for hand size and other variables.

Here's a photo of Nicholson's flute, showing his customizations:
http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Nicholson%27s%20Flute.htm

I had a little pad of moleskin where my first finger supports the flute, but after a bit I decided it wasn't helpful or necessary.

[jim stone]

Thanks for the link. Sharkskin, not seal skin (mea culpa), and
an indentation for the rt thumb, so that the sharkskin
could be inlayed. Sharkskin being rough stuff.

a large indentation for the lowest joint of L1
#

a large excavation for the right thumb, to permit a sharkskin inlay

Rt, standard bopeps don't fit our flutes. One can fashion one
by buying clear plastic pipe, cutting a section off it, and
splitting it. Viola! A bopep!.

The good news is I no longer need the extension, but something
rough would help.

I also used moleskin where the flute contacts the left hand.
Two drawbacks. It's ugly. Looks like my flute has corns.
Second, it's smoother than the flute, so the slippery problem
remains.

I've addressed the second problem by putting glue on
the moleskin, which makes it quite rough. Still ugly.

I've put a moleskin piece where my rt thumb goes,
which helps correct my wandering rt thumb, and
some glue on the moleskin, to make it rough.
Unfortunately I used superglue and glued the flute
to my hand. Haven't put it down for several days.
Oh well, that's show biz.

I also have tried some moleskin where my rt pinky contacts
the (keyless) flute. May be a point to this, may not be.

I wonder what it's like to play a flute with Nicholson's
indentations in it? He was a great flautist, must have
known something.

[jim stone]

'Snaps onto flute, eliminated cramping of the left-index finger, eliminates extreme twisting of the left wrist, lessens the need for left hand pressure, improves technique, for medium to small hands'

So says the link for the bo-pep finger saddle.

These benefits, if they're real, would actually help a lot of
wooden flute players, yes? I wonder if somebody would
manufacture such a thing for our flutes. Or if we might improvise
one?

Also the standard bo-pep might actually fit a higher pitched wooden
flute, e.g. an F or a G.

[Jim Troy]

this is my add on as i had requested Hammy to do for me
it's probably a mortaler, but when youv'e started to play flute at sixty one and three quarters , you'll likely not bother too much with the proper way to hold the flute .
this allows me to rest the flute head on my shoulder , rather than into it .
i might even look at the possibility of fitting one of those Bo-Pep thingys , to allow me to raise my head for a better air flow .

Flute Head.jpg

i have no idea if this image is showing up , but all it is really , is the end cap , which is about 2 inches longer than usual .

if you are going to rest the flute head against your shoulder , and you will, you might as well make it easier for yourself , and don't mind the comments
(is that an extension you have on your pratten , or are you just happy to see me ? )

i'm all for the gadgets , and making life smoother , and sure , if i could get someone else to pump the bellows ....

[Cubitt]

The Casey Burns in the accompanying picture of yours truly has a groove cut for better support of the left hand forefinger. It's the first and only I've ever seen. Good for that flute because the lined barrel and head joint cause the flute to be a bit top heavy. Since Casey posts here, he might address this. Don't know if he still uses the groove, but I like it.

[Jennie]

Just back from Augusta. There was a fellow in our flute class who had a
beautiful support made from splint material. It wrapped below the
knuckles of his left hand and had an extension with a cradle for the
flute's barrel. Ingenious and comfortable! If I were to custom make one,
it'd have to be a little smaller. It takes all of the worries of holding up the
flute and lets your fingers be free.

Not pretty, but it seems it'd be really useful, expecially for someone with
hand problems. Maybe Dow can post a picture-- first I'll ask the one who
made it if it's okay with him.

He lost his left index finger a year ago. He had the top hole in his Olwell filled in, a thumb hole made on the opposite side. What a gift to be able to keep playing!

Jennie

[jim stone]

That's really neat. A picture would be welcome if you
can arrange it.

There is, in fact, a mini-industry of fashioning instruments
so that people with disabilities can play them, including
wind instruments that can be played with one hand,
and so on.

And there was a 19th century violinist of considerable
accomplishment, born without arms. He played
violin with his feet.

There was some years ago a movie, Whose Life is it Anyway,
starring Richard Dreyfus, a painter who is left quadriplegic due to
an auto accident. He is presented flat on his back on a slab,
pleading eloquently for the right to die. His life is finished,
he is no longer alive, he explains, let him complete
the dying process, and so on. His beautiful doctor
falls in love with him, but he begs her to leave him
alone because his life is finished...

It was painful for me
to watch because, having a lot to do with such people,
I knew that in truth he would have been whizzing about
in an electric wheelchair--you blow in a tube to go forward,
turn your head left and rt to steer. People in his condition
(not half so eloquent) are attorneys, they get married
(amazing things you can do with the human tongue),
I've been in a rehab ward where the woman running
the whole unit was like him. And I would bet that, with a bit of
ingenuity, it would be possible to rig something up
so you can paint with your tongue. And he
could sing.....

[Terry McGee]

Here's an interesting one - an RH thumb rest by Cornelius Ward



Assumes the grip popular when our flutes were new in the first half 19th century (sometimes called the Rockstro grip, although he was but a pup at the time).

I find this way to hold the flute very effective. It enables you to straighten the RH fingers, giving them greater flexibility and speed. It does increase the risk of the RH thumb slipping off, which would be reduced by using this thumb rest. Possibly, though, Ward (or someone in the flute retrofit industy) included this thumb rest on this flute to avoid the thumb snaring on the three pull wires used to drive the foot keys by the left thumb.

Terry

[jemtheflute]

Interesting, Terry. Any chance of photos of the whole flute? I see this flute has rod-axles and other Boehm features, so must be post 1840s? More the era of Rockstro's prime, innit?

[clark]

For what it's worth a Bo Pep can be made to fit an "Irish" flute. I found a sanding drum that fits into the chuck of a drill that was about the radius of my flute (available at Lowes). A little careful grinding and it fit perfectly. Now the grinding removed the snap-on-ability so I experimented with various double sided tape which would work for awhile. When I was satisfied over time that the position was right and that it solved my arthritis cramping problem I afixed it with some epoxy. Occasionally the thing pops off (probably from wood expansion/contraction vs. rigid, brittle glue) and the wood underneith is undamaged. I guess I tell myself that if needed I could remove it without damage to the flute. It is a moot point, however, as I plan to keep playing this instrument till I'm too sennile to care.

Clark

[clark]

Here is (I hope) an image of the BoPed I modified per above.

[/img]
Click on it and you'll get a larger version.

Clark

[Terry McGee]

Interesting, Terry. Any chance of photos of the whole flute? I see this flute has rod-axles and other Boehm features, so must be post 1840s? More the era of Rockstro's prime, innit?

For some reason, I neglected to take an overall image of the flute, just a few interesting details. Duh!

But yes, circa 1847.

Ward had made a few Boehm conicals and then decided he could do better. So he came up with a most unusual flute that used some rod'n'axle mechanism, and some bell-crank and wire mechanism. He was a crusty old soul, but I think a much smarter than average maker - perhaps a bit too smart for the times. Whatever, the flute didn't catch on. I haven't been able to find one restored, so I've never had the opportunity to try it (the few museum examples are in real bad shape).

He published a booklet to promote his flute - you can read it at: http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Ward.htm. It does include a sketch and description of the flute at chapter 5. He makes it sound very good.

I particularly love the bit (ch 7) where he slings off at (I asssume) Rudall & Rose:

"The quack vendors of these instruments mystify the pretended effects of what they term chambering the bore, to convert to the best account their deficient skill, or their want of proper implements; as well as to cover a large amount of ignorance and pretension. "

Ah, they don't write flute books like that anymore!

Terry

[I.D.10-t]

He published a booklet to promote his flute - you can read it at: http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Ward.htm.

The period near your link causes problems, it works here http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/Ward.htm.

[jim stone]

I have a G boxwood Bleazey flute, a nice flute, that's
skinny enough that the Bopep thumb rest fits it,
but not the left-hand piece.

Today I bit the bullet and bought one of these--ten bucks
for a 35 cent piece of plastic. I clipped it on
my flute and, it works. The rt hand is more stable,
technique is improved.

So here's the deal:

These things work. That means they can help a number
of us play better and stay out of, or get over, pain.
Like the left hand piece reduces wrist bending,
which would be quite good for a lot of people.
I've been told by wise people this can lead
to carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.

How do we get them to fit our flutes? I'm not handy
but there must be a way to fashion clip on pieces
to fit.

Clark's work is splendid and it would be nice to avoid
gluing the piece to the flute.

Somebody, JonC, Terry, Doug T, can you help?
There would seem to be a market for such things,
if they become available.