Learning the Left Handed Flute

Curious about the emails I have been receiving from a German flute maker who specializes in entry level flutes, and has developed a left handed flute, I ordered one for the shop.

A left handed flute is played to the left side.  The right handed flute it played to the right side, and is how 100% of the flute players play and have played for centuries.

This dominant sided activity has led many of us to injuries to necks, shoulders, upper backs, tendons, carpal tunnels, and more.  The  German flute maker's theory is that this flute can be a sort of therapy for all of these strained muscles and soft tissue.  This sounded reasonable to me, and as I have some of these injuries (well actually all of them, but not just from flute playing)  I thought this left handed flute could help me and others.

It arrived today. Of course, I had to try it.  Right away.  Forget about packing for the Florida Flute Association Convention that starts Friday.  Here was this flute to try, although truth to tell, just looking at it made me dizzy.

Then I had to try to figure out how to hold the thing.  Balance was an issue.  Still is. Finding the keys is another challenge, as is using actual left handed fingerings, and not translating them into the right hand set up.

The other consideration is that I play out of the right side of my mouth, so the asymmetrical embouchure gets in the way when playing the left handed flute.

But, as I played, things got better!  The sound became more focused, the hands more trustworthy, the fingerings remembered.  Now, I am still only playing long tones. But I must be using a totally different side of my brain, which should reinforce what I am doing with the right handed flute, right?  Bach Sonatas, here I come!

Canine Obedience Class

My Labrador Retrievers and I have returned to Canine Obedience class in a move that has taken great courage for yours truly.

The way it will work is that I will take each dog every-other week.  Last week, Blitz was the candidate because he is a yellow lab = calm, zen-like approach.  Except for the recalls in which he broke through all 6.

What is a recall?  All of the dogs and handlers line up at one end of the room.  Every-other handler leaves their dogs, and goes to the other end of the room.  Let's say 20 feet away.  Your dog is to sit and stay while you are at the other end of the room, and wait until it is your time to call your dog to come to you.  Blitz came at the first call, not at my call, leaving me to take the walk of shame, say "no" firmly (ok...I did stifle a laugh or two because he looked so guilty, which means his forehead wrinkled in that cute way of his), put the dog back in a sit, walk back to the handler position, and wait to be instructed to call my dog.  You call.  He comes bounding back to you, whereupon he is to sit directlyin front of you, stare lovingly into your face, and come into heel position at your left side, when you are instructed to have him do so.

It was waiting for his turn that was Blitz's downfall.

My gentle yellow lab is 85 lbs of Labrador affection.  10 years old and still looking good.

My enthusiastic black lab is 104 lbs of Tigger-like bounce.  6 years old.  Perennial teenager.

Oh boy.  Tonight is his night.

You see, Maverick likes to show off. He anticipates the turns during the heeling exercises.  He rushes ahead in the figure 8's.  And now, tonight, the recalls, after our two year hiatus, will be another exercise in courage and keeping on my feet for me.  Because, in all of his enthusiasm, Maverick will joyfully, grinning, with that big pink tongue of his hanging out of the side of his mouth, come to me when I call him alright.  And in all probablility (because he does it when we practice at home where there is no audience) he will launch himself at me, sit in front of me for the barest of moments, and then race to sit at heel position. 

The thing to remember is that the canine does not make mistakes.  It is the handler.  With any luck I will get photos tonight.

Wish me luck.  And steady feet.

Preventable Flute Injuries

This is the time of year when we see all sorts of flutes coming in to the shop with completely preventable injuries.  Let's take some time and consider.

Case Injuries.  That's right, your case can injure your flute.  If the G# spatula rides too close to the crown of the headjoint, you may see small dents and scratches.  Some manufacturers attach a piece of velvet to the headjoint block in the case which helps tremendously.  Lacking that, you can use your own small piece of velvet.  Another sign of case abuse is a foot joint key riding much higher than it should.  When the flute is in the case, and the case is shut, there should be no sound of the flute moving in the case when it is gently shaken.  If you do hear the flute moving around in there, foam, velvet or other very soft material can make the case safe again.  If the case is broken down, the blocks are loose, the catches not working, then a new case is in order.  There are many varieties available.  My personal favorite is the Wiseman case, pictured below.

There are beautiful French cases by Northwind which can be custom fit to your flute. The more affordable ProTec cases are case and case-cover all in one.
Here is  a link to some of these cases that are available at Flute Pro Shop : Cases

In addition to cases, experience has taught us that flutes carried in gig bags tend to be dropped less often, and when they are, the damage rate is very low.  Altieri instrument bags are insulated, with inside and outside pockets.  They can accommodate flute, piccolo, lap top and more.

Many flute cases and covers are equipped with shoulder straps.  We discourage the use of the longer shoulder straps.  When you walk fast the flute case bounces on your hips, the flute rattles in the case, and you end up with preventable injuries!

Well intentioned relatives, band directors or friends may want to "help" adjust the regulation of your flute with jewelers' screw drivers, or worse. Trust us, Uncle Ernie is not equipped to make these adjustments!

So who is qualified?  Check with your teacher and use their repair specialist.  Be in touch with the manufacturer to find out who in your area is a certified technician for their flutes.  Call a local pro and quiz them about who takes care of their instrument.  A good rule of thumb is to take into account the relative expense of your flute.  If it has cost an amount that is dear to you, then take it to a flute specialist.  Will it mean shipping your flute?  Yes, it might.  Shipping has become so sophisticated that your flute is better off with Fed Ex than a well-meaning general all-around repair tech.

And here's my favorite repair tech, David Kee of Flute Pro Shop.

The Labrador Zone, or, Canines without Borders

Our family has been blessed with two generations of Yellow and Black Labrador Retrievers.  Our first set was Chester (yellow) and Turbo (black) and now we have Blitz and Maverick, pictured above.

Living with Labradors is the source of much love, companionship, training and of course, humor.

Our family has come to learn that the yellow labs are mellow, love to cuddle, and follow their person's every movement.  The black labs will retrieve until they collapse, can tell time (as in when it is time for a meal), are very smart, and very funny.

In our house, we have an area of the kitchen counter tops known as the Labrador Zone.  That is to say, if you place any food item, or potential food item, within the LZ, it will be gone, perhaps even before you leave the room.  As time has gone on, the LZ has increased in size, making us think that Maverick stands on Blitz's back to reach all the way to the back of the counter.  Last week when Maverick consumed an entire bag (restaurant size) of Toastitos, three bags of cookies, a bag of wrapped chocolates, a bowl of creamed onions, and 1/4 cup of butter  (the last two were consumed out of the sink) he set a new record.

The clean up was a heroic task performed by yours truly.

To get to the food in the sink, Maverick stands to the left side of the sink, hooks an elbow in the corner of the counter top, and reaches back with his head.  Very reminiscent of the "Fosbury Flop" style of high jumping.

There are other Labrador Zones that don't have anything to do with food.  Really.

The sofas, for instance.  Both Blitz and Maverick rarely get up into them when we are in the room.  But there is ample evidence that they break that rule when we are not around.

The bed.  A new Labrador sized bed must be in the works somewhere, because our California King will not accommodate two humans and two Labradors.  Someone has to go.  The other reason to relocate?  Snoring.  From the canines....

Some of the other Labrador Zones: The fish pond.  Any muddy spot in the yard, which right now is the yard.  Anyone who is brave enough to come into the house.

And, yes, flute practice.  Blitz, my sweet, award-winning obedience and therapy dog, accompanies me each time I practice.  Long tones are his favorite.  Listen to the following clip, and you will hear that he does sometimes match pitches, and has a sense of rhythm.  Sort of.

This recording was made by my son, who had to sneak up on the performance, as Blitz will not perform if anyone else is in the room.  I was so grateful for Christopher's efforts on my behalf and the inspiration for this blog

https://soundcloud.com/joanflute/flutelongtoneswlabrador




From the kitchen, to the living room, to the bedroom, to the practice room,  the Labrador Zone is sometimes shared with the humans.  But in our house, Canines without Borders is the rule. 


Happy New Year to all!

Repair, Restore, Renew for 2013

As yet another Nor'easter bears down on the Mid-Atlantic, and I have some time to think of what the new year will bring, I have decided to raise my own flute playing bar for 2013.

The holiday season is wonderful for all those free-lance jobs that bring in welcome income at a time when finances are difficult to balance. It certainly is wonderful to reconnect with musicians one may not have seen for quite some time.

But it comes at a cost for personal flute technique.

For all the flexibility needed to play your best with many different ensembles and players, taking various parts, and blending with all levels of musicians, it can be difficult to maintain one's own technical approach, let alone scale!

I have designed a set of exercises I plan to do to repair and restore my own personal flute aesthetic and technique.

1.  What are your musical values?  What is a good musical credo for you and your style of playing? Write it down.  Change it, of course, because as you actually write these things down, your thoughts will become more focused and clear to you.

2.  List the adjectives of the most perfect flute sound for you.  Be as precise as possible.  Avoid words such as nice, or pretty.  Remembering that the flute is an heroic instrument can make those descriptive words flow!

3.  Begin doing daily breathing exercises.  Power Lung is ideal.  Also swimming: I always sound better when I am in good swimming shape.

4.  Long Tones!!  A must for all serious players.  A good long tone exercise should involve intervals, intonation studies, and move from low-to-high.

5.  More Long Tones!  I like to choose a melody that really speaks to me, and transpose it into all 12 Keys.

6.  Intervals.  Scales in 3rds, 4ths, and more.

7.  Harmonics.  Make sure you gently manipulate the air stream to create the next partial.  No over-blowing allowed! The skill is in the raising and lowering of the air stream.  If you want more of a challenge, diminuendo as you ascend, and crescendo as you descend.

8.  Taffanel-Gaubert No. 4.  Enough said!

On January 2, Flute Pro Shop is offering a Restorative Long Tone Hour at 7:00 PM East.  Please join us!  We will start at the top of this list and go as far as we can in one hour.  Our first Long Tone exercise will be Tonic-Dominants, and the second will be the theme from the 2nd movement of the Rodrigo Concerto.  We will take the interval exercises from the Marcel Moyse Daily Exercises book.  Harmonics will go from middle C to C1 and back down again.  Please send an email to info@fluteproshop.com if you need info regarding these exercises.

Renewing ones commitment to musical excellence is a great New Year activity.  Raising the flute bar is fun and inspirational!!

Please share with us the techniques you use to repair and restore your flute technique.  All ideas are welcome!

Where do YOU Practice??

On Sunday evening, I played a wonderful concert for woodwind quintet, harp and SATB choir at Grace United Methodist Church in Wilmington, DE.  We'll attach a sound clip soon, because the arrangements are absolutely stunning.  All of them were done by the church's extraordinary organist and choir director, Neil Harmond.  And I must also say that the instrumentalists were of the highest caliber.  It was a real joy.

What, you may be wondering, does this have to do with practicing?

As the choir warmed up in the sanctuary, I needed a place to warm myself up.  The only space available was a closet.  The contents of this closet were fascinating.  "Silk Flowers Only" greeted me when I walked in.  (There must be a story behind this one.) Boxes of used wither coats, a carpet steamer, picture hanging rods, a step ladder, shelves of vases, large candles, used candles, lecturns, music stands....I had the better part of 45 minutes of long tones to take a through inventory.

As I left the closet, the Pastor said, "I'll bet you've never practiced in a closet before!"

I replied, "Well, actually..."

I have practiced and performed in some very strange places, and her comment provided me with the topic for this blog.

I have practiced in:
Countless closets
A Stratford-upon-Avon phone booth.
Locker rooms
The filter pump room for a swimming pool
A restaurant kitchen
Any number of bathrooms at places like a radio station, retirement community, and a train station.
In the car.  I was not driving.
A garage
On any number of porches.

One time, Anne Sullivan, harpist, and I played a wedding on an ultimate Frisbee field.  It was misting rain, so we had to set up under the tailgate of an SUV.

Another time a presenter wanted me to play Debussy's Syrinx from the back of the darkened hall.  The only problem was that the hall was under construction, and I had to walk through the construction mess to get back there, ducking through a hole in a brick wall.  Now, I always scout out any route I am asked to take with my flute in my hand.

Many years ago, I was asked to play for the funeral for a public figure.  What was not disclosed was that I was to stand at the head of the open casket and play as the mourners passed by to pay their last respects.  It was a cold, dark, rainy day, and the door of the tiny chapel was open the entire two hours.  I was chilled to the bone.  My memory says I played the Syrinx the entire time, but that doesn't seem reasonable...

Here is a photo of where I practice these days, at Flute Pro Shop.  This room overlooks a parking lot.  Who knew the drama that plays out in a parking lot??  Apparently not I.  Everything from fistfights, lovers' trysts, car crashes, near-misses, rude gestures, cars backing into the dumpsters-everyday there is another event worthy of discussion.  FPS is located 50 yards from one of the most busy fire halls in Delaware, with several blasts from the siren each day.  Let me tell you, fire fighters speeding through the parking lot is very entertaining when one is doing long tones!

Mozart's Proverbs

As we prepare for the "Flutists Happy Birthday to Mozart," I went back to Maynard Solomon's biography of Mozart to find some fun facts to fuel our imaginations.

Chapter 22, "The Zoroastran Riddles" gives a glimpse of Mozart's love of word play, and how this play was a large part of his relationship with his father, Leopold.

On February 19, 1786, at a masquerade ball during the Viennese carnival, a masquerader dressed in the Oriental robes of a philosopher handed out copies of proverbs and riddles entitled "Excerpts from the Fragments of Zoroaster."  Of course, the masquerader was Mozart himself, and the riddles and proverbs were his own.

None of these copies exist today, but Leopold refers to them in letters to family members.    In 1786, the relationship between father and son was very strained.  These fragments, or proverbs, made Leopold very proud, so much so that he had them published in the Saltzburg Oberdeutsch Staats Zeitung, which is why these few survive today.

Here are some of my favorites for your edification!

1.  Say much-speak evil; but in the end it goes without saying that all eyes and ears will be upon you.

4.  I prefer open vice to ambiguous virtue; at least I know where I stand.

10.  It won't do for everyone to be modest; only great men can be so.

11.  If you are poor but clever, arm yourself with patience: work.  If you don't grow rich, you will at least remain a clever man.-If you are an ass but rich, then use your perogatives: be lazy.  If you don't become poor, you will at least remain an ass.

12.  The most reliable and tender way to please a lady is to speak evil of her rivals.  How many men are not women in this respect?

Finally: Music must never hurt the ear.

As musicians, we often hear proverbs in our lessons.  One of my favorite from Trudy Kane is:"The short note always goes to the long note."  I use this all the time when I teach-it can get a line moving just by thinking about it.  Or, from Murray Panitz: "In matters of pitch there is no right or wrong; only flexible or inflexible."

I have a few of my own that I keep threatening to put in a collection. "He who hesitates is late."  Or: "Technique is the handmaiden of the musical imperative."

Do you have proverbs you have heard or that you use when teaching?  Let us know!  Make a comment on this blog.  the best proverb(s) will receive the Barenreiter edition of the Mozart D Major Concerto.

The rules: must be related to music and the flute.  Have fun!