My band director noticed I play from the side of my mouth. Or with the side of my lips actually. I havn`t noticed this before, until he said that. I`ve been trying to correct it ever since, and can not get the air to go straight out of my mouth. It continues to go through the side. I was wondering if anyone else has noticed that they have/did play from the side of their mouth.

Some do so out of necessity.

See the embouchures of professional flutists:
http://www.larrykrantz.com/embpic.htm

I have a minor teardrop that is largely avoided by my air stream being focused my inner fleshy part of my lip (make fish lips, that inner part).

Is there anything in your lip that would cause you to prefer to move off center?

Your band director is displaying his ignorance, IMHO. Print the photos from that link for him, so he can educate himself a litte.

Soes he want to change the colour of your hair, the length of your thumb, and the shape of your eyelids too?

i play on the side of my mouth, I also have a teardrop lip

Sometimes I play from the centre; sometimes slighlty to the left. It makes no difference for me.

But to the right is no good.

Sometimes I just blow in general!

Kara. I think that is uncalled for. Maybe Piccguy was worried that it might effect something major along the road in his career?

Excuse me? I didn`t mean that it a bad way. I was simply joking around that I have sucky days on the flute sometimes. EXCUSE ME!!!!

"Sometimes I play from the centre; sometimes slighlty to the left. It makes no difference for me.

But to the right is no good."

Why is the right not good? I think I play to the right and having a hard time making my lips more flexable. Then if they seem more flexable my airstream is not focused.

Hey there,

My embouchure is quite similar.my lips are pulled to the right. It looks ugly and all...but it produces a solid sound...mayb not a good tone colour, but thats workable.

Seniors complain about it all the time. Saying its not foucused and all. It looks ugly too actually...haha

I also have a strange looking embochure, but have done just fine

"Why is the right not good?"
I guess it is to do with the shape of my lip.

I have seen some flute players play from the right side of their mouth, but it is rare as it seems to adversely affect the angle at which one holds the flute

"I have seen some flute players play from the right side of their mouth, but it is rare as it seems to adversely affect the angle at which one holds the flute"

So if you do how do you compensate for this or what angle should you hold the flute? I keep experimenting and can`t find anything consistent. I`ve also tried playing center to the left and can only get to the right.

IMO it is just as likely to IMPROVE the ergonomics, making the playing position more comfortable for the player.

Take the extreme:

If the player played out of the very left hand corner of their mouth, they could have their head facing almost straight ahead, while the instrument was in a position close to that of a straight soprano sax - out to the front and fairly well up. This is more ergonomic than playing with the instrument out to the right.