Hi
I've been playing the flute 4 about 5 to 6 years now. My flute techer @ college tells me i have a really bad habit....'Slappy Finger' I guest my high school flute teacher never noticed it.
It's funny because every time i go to my lessons on tuesday mornings she holds a ruler on my fingers while playing. I kinda yet annoyed by that some times.

SO,...... How can I get rid of Slappy Fingers?

You need to consciously focus on fixing them. Take something that doesn't require you to think about fingerings or rhythms too much (scales would be great for this), and focus on keeping your fingers resting lightly on top of the keys, rather than far above the keys (I recommend playing in front of a mirror for this). You might even break this down further, and focus on one finger at a time, adding fingers as you go. Once you can do the scales without slapping your fingers down, move to something a little more challenging like an etude, or basic piece of music. Once you learn to prevent slapping on this, keep moving up. Eventually it will begin to feel unnatural to slap, but this is likely to take a while to fix if you've been doing it for 4 or 5 years (bad habits die hard), so don't stop paying attention until at least a couple of weeks after the problem seems to be fixed. If it doesn't come back, great. You may have solved the issue. If it does come back, you haven't quite broken the habit yet, and will want to take a step back and be sure it's fixed.

I agree, this is a bad habit, some use this as a way to play low notes. If you play modern music a lot, you will be asked to occasionaly do this, but in most cases it justs creates unwanted noise

I agree, this is a bad habit, some use this as a way to play low notes. If you play modern music a lot, you will be asked to occasionaly do this, but in most cases it justs creates unwanted noise

there is another way to break this habit, I actually still practice this way

Play a scale or other exercise very slowly, enough so that you never lift your fingers off any key, you are actually touching the key

sounds easy, but very difficult

i used to have this problem all the time and my teacher drove me nuts about it but just me constiintly thinking aobut it and every great now and then while you are resting make sure u are infact keeping your finger s closer to the keys once you get used to playing the right way it will be hard to do it the wrong way

Play a scale or other exercise very slowly, enough so that you never lift your fingers off any key, you are actually touching the key sounds easy, but very difficult

Do you find that this also helps you play faster Patrick?

of course, I know when I am doing this when someone in the audience says that they didn't see my fingers move

when i'm teaching students that have this habit, i yell "stop waving to china" lololol well, not yell maybe but you know what i mean !! i too try to get them to play a slow scale without taking their fingers from the keys, it's a great exercise.

Also, with slappy fingers, you might not realise just how much the flute will be moving, every big movement that your fingers make like that will tilt the flute one way or another :-)

ange x

Patrick said: of course, I know when I am doing this when someone in the audience says that they didn't see my fingers move

It's a Jedi mind trick.... really...

Joe B

right you are Joe

Jedi mind trick...heh. May the force be with you! *giggles*

I tried this last night while I was practicing. By tried I mean I made a conscious effort to think about it, and realized there were a few fingers a little higher than the others, but most were staying right on the keys. I think my worst habit is dropping my pinky on my left hand. I have to think about it all the time to keep it in the proper position. Hold habits do die hard.

....waving to china ..that's funny

...it's improving my teachers not complaining that much now.

Thanx for the help

....waving to china ..that's funny

...it's improving my teachers not complaining that much now.

Thanx for the help