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A recurring problem in playing the flute is the awkward positioning required of the hands and fingers for proper control and operation of the musical instrument, which has an innate tendency to roll because of imbalance from the weight of the keys and other parts of the flute's operating system. Because the player must rapidly shift fingerings between all keys of the flute being depressed to some or all keys being open, producing radically changing support of the flute from the player's fingers, the stability of the flute is imperiled. This instability is reflected both in the difficulty of maintaining the ideal relation between the lips and the flute so as to produce the most perfectly formed notes and in the difficulty of changing fingerings quickly and reliably while also preventing the flute's rolling away from its ideal position.
Per the current state of the art, to stabilize the flute the digits of the right hand press the flute outward, away from the player's body, which, via the base of the left hand index finger acting as a fulcrum, transfers pressure to the player's lower lip. To hold the flute so as to avoid untoward movement of the instrument considerable pressure must be exerted. Maintaining such substantial, constant, balanced, stabilizing pressure, given the rapid and extreme variations in support provided by the player's fingers as different notes are played, is problematic and not always successfully accomplished, leading to the flute rolling about, and incorrect and/or poor quality notes being played.
A variety of hand-positioning techniques are advocated in the literature for better stabilizing the flute against unintended rolling, such as the Rockstro hand position. None of these prescriptions serve other than to reduce the flute's instability a bit, and a serious drawback of current flute playing techniques and all extant prescriptions for mitigating this difficulty is the need for substantial pressure to be exerted by the flute's mouthpiece against the player's lower lip. For example, the Rockstro hand position is based on considerable additional pressure being applied by the player's right thumb to the side of the flute nearest the player, more forcefully leveraging it against the fulcrum of the base of the left hand index finger, which contacts the flute's side furthest from the player, creating substantial pressure against the player's lower lip sufficient to more firmly fix the position of the flute and reduce its rolling in the player's hands. Such hand positions evidence several problems. First, they require an awkward and unnatural positioning of the thumb. The thumb is much more naturally positioned on the bottom of the flute than against its side, which can be done with this invention without any loss of control of the flute. Second, such hand positions require substantial steady pressure, which is difficult to maintain when moving the other fingers of the right hand, and which is exacerbated by the fatiguing hand position noted above. Third, the substantial pressure against the base of finger of the left hand is painful and fatiguing after a time, both limiting continuous practice and performance time and being a cause of playing errors. The necessary pressure is so great that it is common, if not universal, among experienced flute players for a substantial callus to form on their left hand at the point where the base of index finger presses against the flute. Fourth, and most problematic, such hand positions rely upon even greater pressure being applied by the flute to the player's lower lip, limiting the flexibility of the lips to shape and form notes in the most ideal way, which is especially problematic given the need of a flute player to widely, flexibly and quickly alter the shape of their lips, their embouchure, to best play all of the notes of the flute.
The provision of solid, stable flute-finger and flute-thumb connectors, finger retainers, permits much more stable and certain control of the flute while playing, no matter the complexity of fingering any sequence of notes. When using both the index finger and right thumb connectors it is possible to operate the and control the position of the flute with no pressure on the lower lip or the base of the left hand index finger whatsoever and with no other body parts of the player in contact with the instrument. This stabilizing support being independent of operating the flute permits finger changes for any sequence of notes with little or no effect on the stability of the flute or its relation to the player's lips.
Separating the amount of pressure applied to the player's lower lip from operating, controlling, and stabilizing the flute permits the player to completely flexibly employ both the lower lip and the upper lip so as to create the most pleasing notes possible. Even beyond this very substantial benefit is the effect of the instant invention of providing absolutely greater stability and control of the instrument, thereby facilitating quicker, more accurate and more consistent complex fingering changes both by reducing pressure on critical fingers and by generally increasing the stability of the instrument in the player's hands. Similarly, with less pressure required, playing the flute for an extended time period is less fatiguing and painful. Also, provision of a ring allows more consistent, repeatable and quickly attained positioning of the hands on the flute; one need only put one's left hand index finger into the ring to quickly locate the left hand in exactly the same, consistent, and correct position.
This additional stabilizing support does more than prevent rotation. It also provides material support in the vertical and horizontal dimensions, as shown by the ability of one to hold and operate a flute with this device without any contact with their lips.
Another very substantial benefit of the instant invention over extant art is that it allows the flute to be safely played by children without fear of distorting the proper development of their gums and teeth. Many parents permit their children to start their music education only with a piano or a stringed-instrument because wind instruments generally put severe stress and strain on the mouth, teeth and gums, which can distort their development. Because the instant invention permits, even encourages, playing the flute without strong, or even any, pressure on the teeth and gums, a flute so equipped can be used even by young children without orthodontia concerns.
The current invention provides for no spacing between or offsetting of the player's fingers and the body of the flute, in contrast to, for example, Peplowski (below). The finger retainer is discontinuous, evidencing a gap at the bottom of the ring. This feature retains the original diameter of the flute in contact with the player's left hand index finger so that a player may shift between a flute with and without the device with no noticeable change in their fingers' positions on the instrument. This allows a player to adopt this enhancement without any change in their technique. Also, this design, coupled with flexibly adjustable attachments, described below, allows this device to be interchangeably attached to any flute no matter its diameter, such as treble, alto, bass, and wooden flutes, as well as to related instruments such as piccolos and other transversely played instruments.
Harris, provisional patent application No. 62446401, discloses an invention comprising a finger (and/or thumb) finger retainer mounted on a spacer of some positive thickness such that the angle of the player's hand, in relation to the flute, is adjusted to a more natural, less bent, position. In contrast, the instant device omits any spacer and the player's left hand index finger rests directly on the flute and in the same relation to the flute as if the invention were absent. As flutes are not commonly produced with built-in spacers (which were more common a number of years ago when flute players were transitioning from the thicker wooden flutes to the thinner silver ones) and as all players do not purchase after-market spacers for this purpose, clearly, the greatest demand exists for flutes of thinner circumference, consistent with their thinner tubular metal construction materials. The instant invention accommodates this demand by omitting the spacer so that players may continue to hold their flutes exactly as they have learned to do, while, at the same time, providing the substantial benefits of greatly increased flute stability and the elimination of the need for pressure to be applied by the mouthpiece of the flute to the player's lower lip.
Tanabe, U.S. Pat. No. 8,269,086 B1, provides a ring for the player's finger with friction pads that touch the flute. However, this device only helps to create some additional friction between the player's hand and the flute, but does not serve to fix that relation in any definite or necessary way, and neither does it reduce substantially the pressure against the player's lower lip needed to stabilize the flute. For example, the device described herein makes the flute so stable that a player can hold the flute utilizing only the left hand index finger and ring and the thumb of the right hand, and without touching the flute to their chin or lips, as the current invention allows the player to support the flute without the use of any other fingers or pressure points. Additionally, Tanabe's device does not establish the consistent placement of the player's hand in relation to the flute because it is not fixed to the flute, but only to the player's hands. Because the flute-finger connector remains firmly affixed to the flute when the player removes their hands, the flute can be re-deployed instantly by merely inserting the correct digits into the ring-openings and playing.
Peplowski, U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,556 provides a rest and spacer for the index finger of the left hand and a similar rest for the thumb of the right hand. Ho Fan Lee, patent application Ser. No. 11/349,197, provides a somewhat similar device to that of Peplowski, but with a small amount of additional support for the thumb of the right hand. While both devices assist in proper placement of the hands, and in permitting better playing, neither addresses the inherent instability of the flute caused by the various shifting fingerings and the lack of secure connection between the player and the flute which results in the flute rolling about as the player changes fingerings to produce various notes. Thus, the current invention differs from these both by provision of a stability enhancing connecting device between the player's digits and flute and by omitting any spacer.
Harris, provisional patent application No. 62446394, discloses an invention comprising a tubular flute which is manufactured with a similar flute-finger connector. This differs materially from the instant invention in that it does nothing to address the issue of extant flutes' lack of such support because it does not provide for a stand-alone ring attachment device that can be removably affixed to existing flutes.
Guenther, U.S. Pat. No. 444,830 A shows a vertically-played flute with hooks provided for the player's thumbs so as to better hold the flute in that position. This arrangement is common for vertically-played instruments such as clarinets, bassoons, etc. The instant invention is quite novel with respect to these devices as they would not function as it does with a transversely played flute. They serve only to prevent the downward movement of an instrument when it is held vertically and would serve no purpose with a transverse instrument.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide new attachments for the tubular body of flutes which permits stabilizing the flute without undue, or even any, pressure on the player's lower lip and also facilitating complex fingering changes while also allowing its adoption without any revision to the player's playing technique.
To accomplish these results, the flute-finger connector, in the preferred embodiment, provides a fixed, but removable, attachment part of a clip of shape retaining material such as spring metal or plastic or elastic bands which can partially or fully encircle the body of the round tubular flute around where a flute player's left hand index finger rests against the flute body when playing it. The resilient clip is formed with a finger connecting part, a finger retainer, such as a ring-like opening for the finger, either the index finger of the left hand or the thumb of the right hand. The partially encircling arms of the flute attachment part are spaced to conform with flute design and permit firm attachment of the device without interfering with the normal operation of the instrument, and with a finger retaining partial ring built into it, which is discontinuous with a gap where the device contacts the body of the flute about where the player's left hand index finger rests against the instrument while playing, properly located and set at an appropriate angle for increased flute stabilization and comfortable, effective index finger function.
With a properly fitted and located finger-retainer, the left hand index finger is free to perform its multiple functions of pivot point, pressure point, and upper C key operation, while also providing great stability and resistance to inadvertent rotation of the flute because of the additional anti-rotational force applied to the flute by the player's left hand index finger via its connection to the device by its the ring-like finger retainer.
The invention may be formed as an integral piece of, for example, molded, relatively soft but elastic plastic with good memory such as PVC plastic which does not mar the surfaces of the flute.
According to another embodiment, attachment could be accomplished with integral pinch-type clamps where the ends are squeezed to relieve its pressure so that the clamps can be affixed to the body of the flute. Also, the device can be made without any integral attachment parts so as to be attached to a flute with extraneous, extant, adjustable-length attachments, such as cable ties, hook and loop straps, or elastic bands which encircle the circumference of the tubular flute body and which would permit the same device to be used interchangeably on any transverse instrument of any diameter. Also, when the spacing bars of the device are of appropriate length, the wire ties, etc. attachments can be fastened to the flute at various points so as to accommodate a wide variety of configurations such as special keys like a C#, or a G-A trill key. This also permits easy transfer of the invention between different kinds of transverse instruments, such as piccolos and alto and bass flutes, by allowing for differing attachment points consistent with their different key configurations.
The device also can be similarly constructed and arranged for fastening onto the undersurface of the round tubular flute body between the E and F tone holes of the flute. In this example, the device is positioned on the undersurface of the tubular flute body where the right thumb of a flute player rests against the flute when playing it. An appropriate discontinuous ring or other finger retainer, such as a clip into which the tip of the thumb may be inserted, is attached so as to anchor the flute with the thumb in a natural position.
A left hand index flute-finger connector comprising a finger-retaining discontinuous ring, 25, is shown in
While the invention has been described with reference to particular example embodiments it is intended to cover all modifications and equivalence within the scope of the following claims.
This application claims the benefits and priority of Provisional Patent Application 62/446,407, filed at 16:25:14 EST on 14 Jan. 2017, by the present inventor, which is incorporated by reference.