Flute Health

Flute health ranges from the physical to the emotional and plays a huge part in the performer's growth and development as a musician.

Ergonomics . . .

The flute can be a difficult instrument to hold comfortably. This might be a surprising statement since the flute is a small instrument. What's so hard about holding the flute?

If you feel this way, try this experiment...

Hold your arms up so that your elbows are above your waist. Now, stay that way for the next three hours.

Begin to make sense now? The flutist is constantly working against gravity when playing.

The tuba player rests his instrument on a chair or a stand. A cello sits on the floor. Saxophones and bassoons have neck straps. The trombone and violin rest on the player's neck. The flute must be supported by the flutist at all times when being played.

There are many incorrect playing positions that can be developed by young players, and all can lead to physical problems.

Proper position of the body when playing includes the following issues...

• Position of the spinal column
  Slouching is bad, as well as a tense body position.
• Position of the arms
  The left arm should be held close to the body while the right elbow should be held out so that the head joint isn't rolled in, causing the intonation to be flat and the tone to be muffled.
• Position of the hands
  The left wrist must be bent a little to properly hold the flute.
• Position of the fingers
  This involves not having the fingers properly located over the keys, hanging off the keys, or playing on the edge of the keys.

Proper practice habits are important for avoiding overuse strains and injuries on the body. Flutists can develop carpal tunnel syndrome, focal dystonia, and other debilitating physical conditions. How can the player develop good flute health in holding the flute?

Some adjustments can be made to the flute to accommodate injured players, including...

Curved head joints
As the name implies, the headjoint is curved, bringing the rest of the instrument much closer in to the player's body. This allows smaller people, particularly children, to play the flute. Jupiter is a well-known manufacturer of curved headjoint flutes.

Vertical headjoint
The head joint is constructed such that the flute can be held in a position vertical to the body, causing much less strain on the arms.

Various aids are available to pad pressure points where the flute is held against the body.

One of these is the "Bo-Pep" flute finger saddle, designed to cushion the bottom of the left index finger. There is tremendous pressure against this part of the hand. After a long practice session, many times my hand would be a shiny, dark pink from the prolonged pressure. I often felt the finger becoming numb as well and wondered if the blood circulation was being cut off.

Stress . . .

Musicians are extremely susceptible to stress and tension because of the desire to achieve at a very high level. The flute world is very competitive and nerves are frayed.

When there is a lot at stake--an important audition, a symphony job, a scholarship--it can be difficult to play your best. Some of the symptoms are...

1. Cotton mouth or dry mouth syndrome
2. Shaking of the limbs
3. Stiff neck
4. Racing heart beat

The ability to manage stress can make the difference between a successful career and the necessity to leave the field of music altogether.

Helen Spielman is a master in the art of performance anxiety. She gives workshops and private sessions, and her clients are extremely satisfied with her therapy. Other methods of stress reduction that are well known in musical circles include...

Feldenkrais Method...

Alexander technique...

Physical exercise . . .

Playing a wind instrument is an extremely physical undertaking, so optimum body condition is vital to optimum flute health. Aerobic exercise can increase the lung capacity that is so important for sustaining long phrases.

Hearing . . .

Because of the high pitch of the flute, your hearing can be affected, particularly if you play in a small practice room.

If you play the piccolo frequently, guarding your hearing becomes even more crucial.

A good set of ear plugs can save your hearing. If you find that after a long session of practicing the piccolo, your ears are ringing or feel numb, look into ear plugs.

If you play in a large ensemble, you may also find ear plugs helpful as well. It is well known that conductors can suffer hearing loss from the intensity of the sound they are exposed to, but this can affect the members of the ensemble as well. Save your flute health - save your hearing!

Chapped lips. . .

Nothing is worse than dry, cracked, or chapped lips when playing the flute. Cold winter weather exacerbates the problem. This aspect of flute health seemed to affect more than just about anything else.

Keep your lips hydrated and protected with a moisturizing lip balm.

There are many schools of thought about which product is best, but bottom line, even an inexpensive chap stick is better than nothing at all.

In addition, drinking lots of water maintains moisture throughout the body, as well as the lips.

Nutrition . . .

Nutrition goes hand in hand with physical exercise in maintaining good flute health.

Flute diet? The flute diet? Is this another wacky diet to lose weight overnight?

Well, there really isn't a flute diet per se. However, there is an exercise plan where you do a lot of stretching while you inhale deeply, hold the air, then breath out very slowly. This is supposed to speed up the metabolism and increase fat burning. Sounds amazingly like the process of breathing involved in playing the flute, doesn't it? At the very least, you can't overeat while you are playing the flute!

Metal allergy . . .

If you find that your skin itches or you're developing a rash associated with your flute playing, you may have a metal allergy.

The most common metal that causes allergies is nickel. Nickel is found in less expensive flutes. The cure for this is usually pretty easy.

Flutists often find themselves with skin discoloration on their chins after playing for awhile. This isn't a true allergy, but it can be avoided with these fixes.

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