Hi all,

Recently, I just started my first flute lesson. I find it is more difficult than the violin.
I have a minor problem, when I'm playing the C note. I felt my flute was going to drop down & I can't help but use my thumb to support the flute. Is this an acceptance position? I don't wish to develop into habit which later I may have difficulty getting rid of it. Pls advise.

I'm sure other more qualified people will be able to explain better than I can - but in the meantime this is how I've been taught.
The flute is balanced by contact with your chin, your LH - the part of your 1st finger that is against the body of the flute, your RH thumb & RH little finger. The flute should be held very firmly against your chin by that part of your LH 1st finger which is supporting the tube (- & you get a callus on your finger eventually.) Your RH thumb is behind the flute pushing it forward & your RH little finger helps with the balance. If your RH thumb is under the flute with the tube resting on top of it then the tube can roll & that feels very insecure.
That's the way I've learned - would be interested to hear other views.

Andy-p-f has explained it very well, but there are two possible correct positions for RH thumb and one very incorrect one! What Andy-p-f has described is usually known as 'modified-Rockstro' position, where the RH thumb is behind the flute. This involves turning the body of the flute away from the player so that the rods become positioned on the top of the flute. Rolling towards the player is less likely, because the weight of the flute is better distributed.

The more-frequently taught position is with the RH thumb under the body of the flute, and with the flute and headjoint aligned so that the tone hole lines up with the keys. The flute shouldn't roll with the thumb in this position, but any slight tendency to turn in will cause it to roll. The keys therefore must be kept parallel to the ceiling. This position is more suitable for certain hand sizes/shapes, as the modified-Rockstro can cause tension in smaller-handed players (which is the reason I tried it and abandoned it).

The wrong position for the RH thumb, often used by longer-thumbed players who haven't been taught by a flute specialist, is to have the thumb sticking out beyond the far side of the tube. This will lead inevitably to rolling in - you're making a nice slide for the flute to roll down - and consequent tension in the player.

I must add that the size and shape of your thumb pad can affect the balance - I have nice broad, flat thumbs so the flute is quite stable sitting on my thumb. If you have slim thumbs the modified Rockstro will often work better.

Hi Czaire,

Do you mean you're having to use your LEFT thumb to support the flute? Many beginners try to do this, but as you've guessed it's not the correct thing to do, your thumb needs to be as free as the other fingers to move on and off its key.

You need to look at the angle of your left thumb - it needs to be roughly at right-angles to the flute. The flute should rest just above the knobbly bone at the base of the LH first finger. If this finger slants too much the flute will slide down, but if the lower part of this finger is pretty much vertical the flute should be supported. Also check that you aren't turning the flute in too far towards you, as that makes it unstable.

Hope this helps!

Just one little thing.......................don't use your RH little finger to help support. That's there to press teh key down. If you hold the flute using this finger you will have a lot fo tension and cause pain. Keep it loose

that's right, currently I tend to use my LH thumb to support the flute when playing "C" note. If I don't, the flute will slip off.



nope, my flute teacher told me to use the RH little finger to press the teh key.

Czaire, I think what your flute teacher is telling you is that the RH little finger is there to press the keys that lay underneath it (primarily the E flat key). For notes such as the lowest two Ds you don't use the RH little finger, so if you're using the RH little finger as support, you're going to have some serious difficulties. Use just your chin, right thumb and the part of the left hand 1st finger that Andy mentioned, and you shouldn't have any problems.

Good luck, and enjoy your flute playing!

I thought I had this problem on the my lesson, and playing the C note, however I realised then I wasn't holding down the Eb key, so I was literally balancing this flute inbetween my thumb and index finger on my LH, and my RH didn't know where to go, (this may not make sense, but i found it funny )