The plugs, yes.
Seems that I need to correct the position of my LH ring finger and my new teacher "suggested" that I should take out the G plug -at least that one.
What a nightmare! At the beginning I couldn't play almost anything at all. But I am working hard to get good sound back.
Jumps to D still pose the biggest problem, but when I concentrate on the right position I think I am getting better sound than before.
And there are other changes that will improve my sound. Or so I hope. They are related to air pressure and embouchure, but I leave those for another thread.

Good luck Jose_luis! Though I hope your teacher isn't one of the ones who thinks that covering the holes of a French flute puts your hands in a so-called "perfect" position...If there's another reason for her suggesting that you take out the plug, then that's fine, but if she expects that to correct a hand-positioning problem, you could be headed for a hand/wrist injury. Keep an eye out for that, but in any case, best of luck to you. It's always difficult to play without plugs at first, but assuming your hands are suited to doing so, in a few days you should have no problem with it.

Best of luck with it. It is funny because you are taking yours out and I am putting mine in! I find that I can play faster and more comfortable with them plugged. Plus I am getting lazy.

Thank you for your comments.

I share the same doubts about the "correct" position of fingers. It is something I have to discuss with my temporary teacher next Monday.

I much appreciate your comments about this issue.

I had not noticed any problem with my LH position, including when trilling or any other difficulty.

The case of my RH is different; I do have problems with the ring finger because it sometimes touches the trill key at its left when playing a D. This completely spoils the note.
In fact, I decided to buy an open hole flute instead of a closed holes because I wanted to place that finger correctly (meaning: without accidentally spoiling the note because it touches an unwanted key)

When I received it, I tried with the D plug out and it was too difficult. So I plugged all holes and left the experiment for the future. Later I lost the plug of the LH middle finger ("A") but I had no problem with this finger and I have been playing without that only plug for months.

The funny thing is that I was suggested to take the G plug out, not the D.

Now I have very long fingers and this adds a difficulty for the LH, because I have to "twist" them a little too much, unless I press the G key off center (on its side), using the LH ring finger practically extended. This is what I was doing and I cannot longer do with the plug out. Probably this is what my teacher considered to be a "wrong" position.

I hope my request will not trigger a new storm in the Forum, but I would like you to comment your experiences concerning the relationships among "standard" or "academic" correct position of the hands (don't know how to call it) AND playing difficulties AND tone quality. In case there was any...

I am clear that anyone has its school, theory, practice and experience. I want to hear as many opinions as possible, because it is interesting and helpful. But anyway, after considering all + and -, I will have to decide on my own, as it should be.

Just one comment (and just in case, I apologize in advance for it):

It is not to decide whether open holes are better or worst than closed holes; I already have this flute (Yamaha YFL 674) and have no intention to change it for quite a while. But I can struggle to keep some or all holes open, if there were sufficient advantages in so doing, or just concentrate in other problems and avoid this added difficulty if there is no advantage.

Thank you.

Hi Jose,

First I use inline G. I don't advocate either offset or inline. I prefer inline for certain reasons.

Secondly, As for hand position, it's a technical issue.

To learn to cover the holes, play slowly. Scales, long tones and add the idea of feeling for centering the fingers on the holes.

The purpose being to be able to support the flute with the LH index contact point, the RH thumb and the chin/lip location. I feel that this position can be done with holding the flute fairly easily to minimize tension and to increase the resonance of the flute. (Some people call this a "modified Rockstro" position of support Once this is understood, then the fingers which close the keys are only for that purpose. None of the other fingers support the flute or if they do, they will cause motion of the flute on the lip as you change fingerings. This causes in turn an unwanted bobble in the tone quality.

That RH D finger is an issue because the keys get further apart as you go down the flute. This distance gets greater with each key as you go down the tube. So the distance from the index to the second (middle)finger is less than from the second to the third (ring). One needs to accommodate. When I play, I try to keep the RH knuckles parallel with the tube and directly behind the keys. Not above or below.

The left hand is an issue because to properly support the flute it needs a somewhat bent back wrist. Otherwise the support pressure is going to be towards your lip and not up(counter to gravity). To illustrate, it's like holding a stack of books against a vertical wall by pushing on the outermost book. Sure you may be able to hold the books there but you are using more energy doing this than supporting them from underneath as a table would. Once the wrist is slightly bent, then the LH G finger should move more easily into place. Yes it is more straight but the fingers move more easily if you use the first joint of the finger. I believe that anatomically it's called the metacarpophalangeal joint. Unfortunately, for the LH first finger this is not possible and this is an exception.

I feel for you in this because at our ages, changing a technique can involve a fairly long process of concerted effort. The purpose is ease of motion, less tension and better execution of the finger changes....even if it doesn't seem like it right now.

I play an offset G (even on my custom flutes), though I have played Inline G instruments in the past for years at a stretch and these pose no real problem for me....I just find the offset to be more comfortable.

I think that the "correct" hand position that we learn is an excellent starting point. However, just as with any technique, every player needs to modify these things to fit their own needs/abilities. I liken it to aligning a headjoint with the body....There are some "rules" about how to do it (EH in line with the center of the keys, for instance), and these provide a clear starting place, but by no means are they applicable all the time. Some people will need to play with the head rolled in/out more than that allows for best results, just as some people will actually have more fluid technique if they play with their fingers off center in relation to the keys. What really matters is finding the most relaxed position that allows you good technique without risking injury. It really all comes down to hand size/shape. Depending on the length of your fingers and such, you'll need to adapt basic hand position. I'm definitely a member of the "whatever it takes to get the desired result" school of thought.

Sorry to tell that I had to plug back the G key. No way I can play decently fast without the plug. And I have a coming student concert at the school in about a month, so I better get back to "normal".

<Added>

OOPS!
so I better get back to = so I should better ...

i didn't think there was correct finger possitions, as long as you can play comfitably and not have your fingers up in the air it should be fine, but i have both my left hand plugs out (i lost them oops) i can still play fine its just a case of finding a comfitable possition, that you can still play in and cover the holes.

JoseLuis,

I started on an offset closed hole flute, then moved on to an open hole inline flute (never used the plugs). I played that way for 37 years. I now play on a closed hole offset flute again. It just doesn't make a difference, really! Do what feels best to you. Listen to your teacher with an open mind, process that information, then do what seems best for you.
Good luck on your performance.

Thank you for your comforting words.

I know it is not important, but it was (is) a kind of challenge.
I have to get used to the idea that some small things are however, very difficult to accomplish.
I feel much relaxed with that plug in place and my teacher also understands it, so it is OK

The transition from a closed-hole with an off-set G to an open-hole with an in-line G can be tricky...
I had heard that the in-line G made an incorrect hand position impossible...but now I know its not true.
Has anyone ever watched a group of flutists in a beginner band play, and notice how their fingers are so ackwardly high?? I'm sure they don't realize that this makes it more diffficult to play the faster passages, because it slows your reaction time.
It should also be noted that keeping fingers "flatter" so to speak, is also preferable. Curved fingers are well, painful for me!

Once, when I was in high school, my Band director (a trumpet player!!) instructed the flutes to "slam those fingers down!" while attempting to learn a difficult passage (perhaps it was a run). When I told Kate, she was HORRIFIED!! "Don't do that!!" she said, "You'll ruin your pads."
Duh. What was he THINKING?? lol

Also I think that pros' tedons and bone joints last a tad longer if they don't slam the keys. Then again sometimes the only way to get anything out on a bad flute is to hold the keys closed harder but slamming them isn't a good thing.

Then too it is more difficult to lift the fingers accurately than to put them down.
I have a belief that some 'experts' try to not lift their fingers too high. The want to keep them right on the key when it's up. I think that they'll mess up their fingerings occasionally by doing that and I think that the open holes work better if you lift the fingers the height above the keys as the width of the open hole in the key. (Somewhere around a 1/4") but I don't obsess on that very much. I think that the sound and the speed of the fingering change is more important than all of that.

Then the delimma also presents itself...how would you measure??!

I can just see myself:
"No NO NO!! That was TERRIBLE!! Just AWFUL!! My fingers were 1/3" away from the keys the whole TIME!! UGH!!"

Well you start with those mini finger stilts. ~Attachments for measuing finger height and maintenance. I recommend the deluxe laser leveling system that attaches to the flute with the additional solar array for electrical power.

Not to be confused with the foot joint to floor height maintainer w/GPS sensor.