Avoid these 6 common hand position mistakes

[@Licht-k1y]

I've been looking for this information all this week. Thanks ❤

[@flautalee3090]

Lifelong flutist here. Love your scarf - I have the same one, in pink!❤

[@mishterpreshident]

I've been obsessed with the Ney (Arabic) and ancient Pueblo (Anasazi) flutes. Both are rim-blown and require the most delicate embouchure to pull off any sound at all. Early learning involves a lot of holding the flute REALLY still in order to not lose the sweet spot, and even though I know perfectly well I should be holding the thing like a feather, it requires some mental effort not to end up gripping it tightly and making both thumbs and the backs of my hands ache after hours of practice. Even though your channel is obviously meant for modern flutes, most of the info you put out is very relevant for my niche, and I really appreciate the improvements I've made thanks to your advice. 👍

[@flautalee3090]

Just subbed~~ sorry I missed your hand position class. I’ll check out the podcast for sure, and I hope to catch the class live. Ty!❤

[@irene_melody]

Hi Tatiana, thank you so much for all your advice! I find your channel awesome! By the way, i love your South African accent, this reminds me of my trip to Cape Town many years ago... Best wishes from Vienna. ❤😊

[@TheFlutePractice]

Ah! That is so cool. It’s such a beautiful city! I lived in Vienna for a year too and loved it! It’s a beautiful place to live

[@juliethumphrey4097]

Hi Tatiana…I’ve just discovered your channel…as I begin to work on my my music theory, sight reading and flute skill having played for years by ear. I live in Wales uk but was born and bred in Durban…left with my British parents 31 years ago. I’m now playing regularly (weekly) with a folk group of very talented players so we play fast reels for ceilidh music…suddenly I have to face my neglected (inner shame) of not feeling like a “real” musician even though I could join in a piece immediately without music… So love your playful (pun intended!) way of teaching which is so my style of teaching others too…I myself in you and look forward to rediscovering the flute after decades of tuition or support. Where are you based in SA? (I have ironically had a flute student and got her through grade 1 and 2 exams though never done one myself! 🤦‍♀️😅😓) Thanks for your inspiring example! Juliet

[@TheFlutePractice]

Hi Juliet! You sound very much like a real musician to me, but I think it’s a wonderful thing to expand your skills and branch out. I think many of us classical musicians feel a lot like that about improvising and playing by ear! I’m based in Cape Town. Wonderful to have a fellow born and bred South African! I’m glad you are enjoying the videos. I hope the journey brings you lots of joy and many wonderful new discoveries!

[@melindapatterson6555]

I appreciate the refresher. Thank you sharing. Your cleaning rod, is that a cloth on the end?

[@TheFlutePractice]

It’s called a flute wand. It has some material attached to it to swab out the flute. Works pretty well!

[@MichaelFrith]

@2:50 Denis Bouriakov appears to hold an "impossible" lip-plate position - It appears to be turned well in towards his lips.

[@TheFlutePractice]

It blows my mind! And he plays so well 😅😅😅

[@enriquejoseruiz6826]

Gracias

[@TheFlutePractice]

Pleasure!

[@potapotapotapotapotapota]

I overcome slow fingers by doing strength training with them. 1 rep maxing helps fingers recruit more muscle fibers by waking up the nervous system.

[@flautalee3090]

As a flutist with old fingers (I’m 69), I am quite curious about your finger strengthening exercises. Wow! How do you do your finger exercises? Scientists have recently shown that people can increase strength even at older ages. I’m also wondering if when you do the finger strengthening exercises, neurons lay down more myelin around the nerves towards towards your fingers, speeding transmission. This makes sense to me.❤ See Coyle, Daniel. “The Talent Code.” (2009). Thank you for your comment.🎉🎉🎉

[@potapotapotapotapotapota]

@@flautalee3090 the only thing about old age is that when you are injured it takes longer to recover from injury. When you are training any muscle you will do damage to it, but once you rest it then it will repair itself and grow stronger than before. But 1 rep maxing is a little different. In the gym we do this to wake up our muscles and teach them to recruit as many of your muscle fibers as possible. Our muscles get lazy and tend to only use as many muscle fibres as is needed to lift something. And all the same principles apply to your fingers!

[@flautalee3090]

@@potapotapotapotapotapota I noticed your YT name - finger taps or alternate articulation?

[@potapotapotapotapotapota]

@@flautalee3090 just random gibberish

[@ghislaindesrosiers8074]

What do you think about Hubert laws left hand position? i am curious,it is so strange!

[@TheFlutePractice]

I’m going to check it out. I was doing a review with some of our community members last night of some famous players hand positions and I must say, the craziest positions seem to work, to some degree, for many players! Let me go look at Laws and get back to you!

[@TheFlutePractice]

I must say, to me his hand position is gorgeous! He has such genteel and natural curves in his fingers and it looks so easy. I think, perhaps because I am used to a very similar position. Should break it down in a video though! Would be interesting. On, now you have me listening to Hubert Laws all morning (I’m not sad!)

[@katerinagiannopoulou5479]

How you would suggest to start a flute lesson for children?

[@TheFlutePractice]

Good question! In general I would start on the head joint only for tone. But to help hold the flute, definitely start with the cleaning stick to help them feel the balance and find the hand position.

[@michaellee2731]

How many flutes do you have?

[@TheFlutePractice]

Just 2 and a piccolo 😁 I could have another 20 🙈🙊😅

[@lafrettesurseine4630]

I'm sorry, do you turn your head joint a little bit to yourself towards others parts of a flute, or not? It's invisible on video)

[@TheFlutePractice]

If it helps keep the keys up to the ceiling and the flute balanced then yes. I wouldn’t say it’s a rule but if you roll out to get the balance and the tone hole is too rolled out then you will need to.

[@lafrettesurseine4630]

Thank you.

[@ofiterpunte]

What's funny about the flute is just how many problems begin with the most basic things. Time and time again I debug an issue only to find the same culprit again and again. The classic one. KEEP YOUR CHIN UP!!! Never compromise that. If anything is wrong with your tone, your first question should always be "where is my chin"? You might have the tightest Rokcstro hold in the world, But if your chin is down, all that hand pressure ends up on your teeth and the bottom part of the lower lip.

[@TheFlutePractice]

Absolutely! It so so so so often all starts back in the body! Often the chin is acting up because we don’t have length in the neck and spine and are not aligned.

[@flautavenuscontralto]

😉👍🏽🎵🎶🎵

[@adamwepener9579]

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