Hmmm.

"I`d rather my thumb hurt."

You don`t want your thumb to hurt. It could lead to other nasty problems with your whole hand cramping or developing arthritis/carpel tunnel.

Try using the side of your left thumb with the bottom of your nail aligned with the large Bb key. Pressure your thumb into your key till it feels uncomfortable keeping the pressure roll your thumb to the right till you find a more comfortable spot. Try using that position and see if it helps. You don`t want your left thumb flat against the key... that would certainly hurt.

Thanks. I`ll experiment with that.

No, I don`t actually prefer discomfort. I was just being irreverent.

Ah-ha! Yeah, I started flexing my wrist dorsally a bit more so the flute rested more on my "inner index knuckle" (whatever you call that area) and found that I`m not having to squeeze with my thumb to hold the flute now. It`s taken about a week to get used to, but it`s coming along.

I have a bad habit of practicing with songs stored on my computer while semi-reclined in my office chair. Makes for great breathing excersizes, but terrible playing position. I`ve got another computer on a higher shelf in my little bedroom recording studio. I`ll probably switch all my MP3s to that so I can sit on a barstool and practice.