Hey I need some help here. I've recently started having some light pain in my left hand after I'm done playing my flute. Yes, I am holding the flute correctly. I was just wondering if a Bo-pep finger rest\saddle would help in anyway. Maybe it would help so not all the weight would be on one particular area? The pain I believe is not from my flute but from the piano. I'm auditioning for a lot on piano lately and have to do a lot of streching from key to key, and one part I have to play really loudly.So it's really hard on my hand. I would take a couple days off from practicing but I have compitetions on both instruments coming up, and I have to keep my tone up. Any advice?

Pain is the body's way of telling you you are doing too much or doing something incorrectly. If you really believe its from the exercises you are doing on piano, then perhaps you need to stop pushing your body beyond its present capabilities, or risk permanent damage. Which is more important for the long term ... an audition this month or your playing capabilities for the rest of your life?

As for this Bo-pep finger rest/saddle, people have been playing flute for a very long time before most of these gadgets were invented. Not sure I've seen any of the "Masters" play with them. I would steer away from these things and go natural. Why rely on something artificial? Perhaps they are just money makers for their inventors and not necessities for flutists.

If the pain is from piano, you should deal with that problem rather than attempting to fix a problem that does not exist with your flute playing. I would suggest asking your piano teacher about it, as they would have much more experience in these matters than we flutists.

some help here. I've recently started having some light pain in my left hand after I'm done playing my flute. Yes, I am holding the flute correctly. I was just wondering if a Bo-pep finger rest\saddle would help in anyway. Maybe it would help so not all the weight would be on one particular area? The pain I believe is not from my flute but from the piano. I'm auditioning for a lot on piano lately and have to do a lot of streching from key to key, and one part I have to play really loudly.So it's really hard on my hand. I would take a couple days off from practicing but I have compitetions on both instruments coming up, and I have to keep my tone up. Any advice?

I understand what you mean. I play piano and flute pretty competitively...especially piano...bleh. If it's just a little bit of pain that goes away for a bit, don't stress out about it too much. If it continues to hurt, then you really got to something. Other than that, try to identify what it is. It could be from the piano. If your hands hurt after play 6 scales 4 octaves up and down and contrary motion at max speed, it hurts if you're not as warmed up (and believe me!) But if you keep going even if it hurts, DON'T. Just because you will play in a competition, does not mean you can push yourself like that. If you find yourself doing that a lot, don't. Take a rest, shake your hands a bit for about 30 seconds and move on. There can be another thing, you are pushing down the keys too hard. Don't. Never "force" your fingers. If the section is loud, don't ever push. And I wish I can say more, but this is a flute forum. :D LOL Or it could be octaves. BE CAREFUL!

Do you pick up your flute right after you practice piano? Also, same thing w/ the piano. Don't make your fingers do more work than it should. If you're playing osmething difficult, don't force your fingers to go up and down and slap the keys. Try playing things slow so that your fingers will go to the right place without slapping the keys. Light and effortless. And also...yes you play with your fingertips on the piano. But that's not so with the flute. That's a lot more work on your fingers.

The only other answer is that if you played a lot more than you usually do, then of course it'll hurt. Let's say you took a day off. Then when you resume your practicing, you should try to ease into the game. Don't just jump right in. If it's not a huge pain (I hate to say this), don't worry about it too much. It could very well go away. IF it doesn't, then there is something wrong you are doing. Talk to your piano teacher about it.

Yeah, must be the piano, piano is a dangerous instrument, using your body force all the time. I had played piano for 11 years since 4, I often get wrist pain when my hand position was not 100% correct. Piano is such a painful instrument, if your position was tiny bit off the correct position or you used the wrong kind of force, you get wrist pain instantly, and you have to stop and take rest for at least 3 months as doctors advised me(but you can still play flute though).

Flute on the other hand is easier, I had never had any pain ever before. All I got was sore from playing repeated Trevor Wye right-hand exercises for 4 hours. But next morning the sore was gone.

Thanks! This really has helped a lot! I was going to take today off, but then somebody wanted me to sub for them at church. (of course it had to be the piano! lol!) But, seriously thanks!

Sparks12: Your post was extremely helpful.

I only play flute.
My left hand hurts after a practice of a couple of hours. I also developed a (now) big callus on my left index finger.

I believe the problem is originated by too much pressure of the flute against my finger and chin. I try to relax that and the symptomps lessen, (and the tone improves) but it is difficult to acquire a new holding position and attitude. One must try anyway, if concerned by possible physical hand harm.

My teacher plays many hours a day, with a heavier flute (a heavy wall Muramatsu), much smaller hands and she has no callus or any problem in her hands whatsoever.

Se has the right technique, that is the reason.

Yeah, I kinda think the pain comes from both(piano and flute). Because it does hurt in the same area where you said yours does but a little farther back.

Yeah, shouldn't be pressing too hard, and shouldn't be too loose either. Kinda in between I guess, but I still get a big callus:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n55/Sebastianchan17/2.jpg
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n55/Sebastianchan17/3.jpg

so is James galway:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n55/Sebastianchan17/1.gif

then I feel relieved.

Hi Pyrioni,

Do you take lessons with Emmanuel Pahud? VOW!

no, me not good enough to be his pupil. he used to come here once every year (4 years already) and give lessons and masterclasses to kids, but last year he didn't come.

<Added>

He signed my flute-case after lesson, E.Pahud:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n55/Sebastianchan17/67.jpg

A few years ago, I was working toward passing a piano proficiency test and was practicing both flute and piano several hours a day. My left hand started hurting really bad. Carpel tunnel syndrome runs in my family, but I thought it was from playing the piano too much. After playing on an inline G since 6th grade, I switched to an off-set G and the pain virtually disappeared. Just throwing this out there: it could be your flute--maybe some of the pads don't seal correctly and your fingers have to work too hard, or perhaps it is your mechanism set-up as it was in my case.
Good luck as you try to discover the problem.

some years ago, I had this problem, all too common for those who play/pracitce a lot.

My doctor at the time had enough foresite to not shoot me full of pain killers or other intrusive measures, instead he sent me to learn a relaxation method called Feldenkreis.

Not only did it cure the problem, which originated in tension in the arms and shoulders which made its way to my hands and fingers.

The tension went away, my breath capacity doubled and I can practice for long stretches with no pain at all.

SO the question is, as I ask my students, are you balancing the flute or holding it, or worse, gripping it?

If you are balancing the flute correctly and pushing lightly, keeping the shoulders and arms relaxed the tension should ease, watch yourself in the mirror and see if your arms or shoulders are un-naturally high.

Thanks! I'm pretty sure right know that my flute is causing the pain. I have been practicing a lot more than usual,because of everything I'm trying out and participating in. I guess I should just watch how much I do. But I love my flute and I couldn't go a day without practice! Thanks for all your advice! Now, I don't feel so worried about it.

It could possibly be early signs of RSI where you get pain in your hand. I know both my old flute teacher and current teacher are telling me about this every now and then and they also remind me that while I'm young and might think that it won't happen to me, I'm very wrong - I just have to be careful.

Do you find that you're often having to replace pads on your flute when you get it serviced? This is a result of putting too much pressure on the keys which could be a cause of your pain in your hand/s.

With regards to your question about flute attachments, my current flute teacher (Alexa Still) has put on a gadget that makes me spread my left hand fingers further around the flute. There is also a bit of hose underneath where the nuckle is placed. I find this helps a tonne in making me hold the flute more correctly. Whoever says that these gadgets are useless or a waste of money has no idea what they're talking about. They make wonders.

On the off chance that your pain is caused by the piano, then it may just be that you're not as relaxed as you could be in which case you would need to go right back to basics and watch your technique in moving from note to note (eg. are you keeping all your fingers as close together as possible; is your thumb being used as another finger or is it hammering like a thumb) etc...

I hope this helps.