Grey Larsen and Playing Left-Handed

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 8:40 pm

I was just re-reading the 'Essential Guide to Irish Flute...' and read the part about "Considerations for Left-Handed Players." I didn't remember reading it the first time around, and it sounded rather absurd to me. He says, "...if you are new to the flute I would advise you try the right-handed way of playing." Now I know that some lefties out there do play with right on bottom for whistle, flute and pipes, but has anyone ever encountered problems by not doing so (on whistle and flute, not pipes as I know they are different)?

The point he made about embouchure holes and keyed flutes is well taken. But I play a keyless and my maker modified my embouchure hole for free.

I think this topic has probably been beaten to death, but the paragraph just ticked me off. How much is "you will have problems" and how much is "I can't imagine playing that way, so obviously you can't do it... freak!"?

Whistlin'Dixie · Post by **Whistlin'Dixie** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 9:02 pm

OnTheMoor wrote:I was just re-reading the 'Essential Guide to Irish Flute...'

wow, you read the whole thing?!?!?

and now you're re-reading it?!?!?

BTW, I wouldn't get my panties in a bunch....

You're left-handed, so play that way. It works for Henke...

M

Byron · Post by **Byron** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 9:36 pm

I am a lefty who plays right-handed. Never really gave it much thought. I also play guitar right handed.

I have been avoiding 'Essential Guide' since I am prone to allowing myself get bogged down in details, and I have learned it's best to avoid that particular temptation altogether.

I can, however, relate to my fellow lefty's frustration at the seeming call to Conform.

Byron

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 10:17 pm

Well, since you know you will never want to play a keyed wind you should be fine!

I've always had problems seeing the future, my self.

'course since I started on sax I play right handed...

Yeah, I'm a lefty. I can do most everything either way.

mvhplank · Post by **mvhplank** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 10:30 pm

Think of it this way--you're a musician, so you're perfectly capable of using both hands. Neither hand is truly dominant on a flute--you need them both. (Could be wrong, but you'd have to argue a long time.)

I'm a righty and I use the computer mouse with my left hand, without swapping the buttons. I had started getting carpal tunnel symptoms and decided it would make sense to switch. Took me about a day to get used to it. I also no longer have carpal tunnel symptoms.

Instead of thinking Grey is forcing you to be a conformist, perhaps you should be asking why it's so important to play lefty.

Also consider this--perhaps you should learn to play it both left- and right-handed. I've been involved in a fair number of activities that require me to perform the same actions on both the left and right sides--yoga, dressage, and martial arts. There are many arguments for maintaining balance in the left and right sides.

M

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 10:47 pm

I'm sure Mr. Larsen's quote was made in good spirit. I couldn't imagine what it would be like, as a beginner, unknowingly trying to play a flute intended only for right-handers as a lefty. Would probably ruin the instrument for me, entirely.

In the interest of full-disclosure, I'm left-handed in life, but right-handed in the music world. I play saxophone, which means that I rewired my brain very early on in life that music is done right-handed.

I also play guitar right-handed, but that was just a result of being too lazy to get someone to restring it for me (much less do it myself).

mvhplank · Post by **mvhplank** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 11:23 pm

Congratulations wrote:In the interest of full-disclosure, I'm left-handed in life, but right-handed in the music world. I play saxophone, which means that I rewired my brain very early on in life that music is done right-handed. I also play guitar right-handed, but that was just a result of being too lazy to get someone to restring it for me (much less do it myself).

Neat! My guitar-playing buddy is sort of a lefty--actually cross-dominant. He writes left-handed and eats right-handed. But he plays a normally strung guitar left-handed--just flips it over to the other side. He said he tried it the regular way, but it didn't "make sense" to him--and the "Jimi Hendrix method" did. (It drives folks nuts when they try to follow his chords by watching him play.)

M

bradhurley · Post by **bradhurley** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 4:57 am

I've heard estimates that as many as 40 percent of flute players in Ireland play left-handed. That's probably a bit high

but you do see a lot of them, and quite a few are playing unmodified flutes. Catherine McEvoy is a good example; she plays left-handed on a very old Rudall and Rose.

The only "problems" I can think of that would be faced by left-handed players are in finding a left-handed flute; you can have one made for you so that's not an issue, but it is a lot harder to find a 6- or 8-keyed left-handed flute on eBay, for example, than it is to find a right-handed one.

Dana · Post by **Dana** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 6:58 am

I'm a lefty, and I've never quite understood the point of "playing left-handed". Both hands are equally needed to play the flute. (I kinda like having my left hand closest to the top of the flute, anyway).

Dana

scheky · Post by **scheky** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 7:35 am

He does clearly explain that his opinion is on availability of Left Handed Keyed flutes and embrochure.

I'm a lefty and I started playing the whistle right handed. It just seemed right to me. You use all the fingers anyway, so it doesn't really matter. He does make a valid point though. If you are just starting, why NOT start in the way that will make available the most instruments for you?

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 7:58 am

Its da mice...

When you are reading something on the internet and playing you can scroll while playing left hand only notes...

The deeper implication is that the wind instruments are historically left handed so that you can free you right hand occasionally.

Wormdiet · Post by **Wormdiet** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 8:39 am

I am mixed in real life - Right-armed for things like sports, left-handed for writing and eating.

I play flute, whistle, and GHB lefty.

I play recorder righty.

The reason I play trad instruments backwards is because, when I started taking GHB lessons, I *mirrored* everything the instructor did as she sat across the table from me. By the time we had caught the error, I had developed a lot of muscle memory and starting over would have been a big step backwards. I stuck with lefty for whistle & flute because a lot of the ornaments and the grip carry over. Recorder is diffferent enough that there was no reason to start lefty. (Weirdly, if I pick up a whistle and try to play righty, I start tonguing absolutely everything subconsciously.. . )

Theoretically, "handedness" doesn;t apply to a flute because both perform a similar function.

BUT. There are definitely some players for whom lefty is much more comfortable - I had a workshop with Damien Stenson over the summer and he said he found it much easier to play lefty, from the beginning.

Now that we;ve gotten that outta the way, my advice would be that if you don;t find a tremendous ergonomic advantage playing lefty, there is absolutely no reason to. The monetary thing is a real concern. Also, if you ever order a keyed flute, you may end up selling it. It will be a lot harder to find a buyer for a lefty than a righty.

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 9:03 am

I am right handed in every thing but I eat left handed thought I would share that I guess it is because I find the kinfe is better in my dominant hand.

SoTX · Post by **SoTX** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 10:11 am

I second the notion that the usual way to play whistle (and by the same argument flute) is actually left-handed.

Several times when teaching small right-handed children to play whistle, I was defeated in trying to get them to play with the left hand above the right hand. Why? I taught them to play "Mary had a little lamb" in G. Tunes are important, and that one can be done with three consecutive notes; and G because it doesn't require them to cover more than the minimum holes. But it involves using the upper hand, and even if I started them out using the left they would come into the second lesson using the right. Using the left hand for what could be done by the right hand was more than I could enforce.

I have seen a flute played quite well cross-handed, sticking out to the right as usual but with the right hand closest to the head.

I find all of this a little strange because I'm left-handed and play all instruments (oboe, guitar, mandolin, viola, whistle, and flute) the usual "right-handed" way. In every case it seems to me I'm at no disadvantage and perhaps an advantage. Why would I want to give that up?

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 11:19 am

Does anyone have figures on how much more a maker charges for a left keyed?

As for the questions about who cares, just do it the normal way, Grey also writes "I know that when I try to hold my flute left-handed my brain seems to turn inside out and I shudder at the thought of ever having to play that way." Same with me, I made a good deal of progress playing left handed and I don't want to think about changing it. There is obviously a slight difference between 1973 and 2003, but it is the only comfortable way to hold my flute.

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Grey Larsen and Playing Left-Handed

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