Interesting information on physical characteristics and personality and a person’s ability to play the flute.
Music Aptitude Test (old pamphlet)
“You can play any instrument! But you can play some instruments more easily than others because of the shape of your teeth, jaws and lips.”
Conn Educational Series Publication; C.G. Conn Ltd.; Oak B
It is suggested that to play the flute, teeth should be even, not uneven, your jaw shape could be round or sharp, and lips can be full, medium or thin. The only impediment, in their estimation, seems to be uneven teeth.
From an e-mail between flute teachers…
Date: Feb 17, 2011
From: Averil Williams
Subject: When is a tear drop too big to play flute?My thoughts from past experience echo those of Robin Jakeways. A TINY tear drop can be a great bonus, beyond that quite a hindrance. Playing to one side is an option. However when the tear drop is pronounced it’s all but impossible to play successfully. Manoeuvring up and down the flute, even if a good basic sound is achieved is very difficult. The bottom notes are easiest. What I remember more than anything is the struggle and frustration of the those with this impediment, and Yes it is an impediment for playing the flute. It would be much kinder maybe not to put someone through this struggle, with all the obstacles and limitations, and propel the student towards another instrument where their creativity can flourish.
Averil Williams
Professor of Flute
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
From the Pearl Flute website…
| Flute player personality traits: “contentious”, “detailed” and “consistent” Flute player physical characteristics: agile fingers, natural “frown” shape to the upper lip, even upper and lower jaw. |
From the Ashworth Band website…
Flute
Family: Woodwind, Personality: Conscientious
Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening.
Physical Characteristics: Flute players should have a slight “frown” to the upper lip with NO tear drop shape in the middle. Flute tones are produced by being able to focus an extremely small airstream to an exact location on the tone hole. The tear-drop-shaped lip will make it difficult to direct the air so precisely. Flute players should also have agile fingers for moving this multi-keyed instrument through a fast musical passage. Students with extreme overbites (receded jaw) should avoid choosing flute as this makes it difficult to produce quality sounds.
Other Considerations: Students with double-jointed fingers should avoid selecting flute as double-jointedness can cause lack of agility in the fingers.
Flute Demo from the Ashworth Band website
Happy – Pharrell Williams Flute Cover