Speed

Yesterday was the first time while playing the Quantz Presto that my fingers felt light.  I tend to grip the flute when I'm sight reading, and when I'm trying to learn and practice difficult passages, especially ones with lots of 16th notes in a row.  Lightening up makes it easier to move the fingers on and off the keys.  My teacher tells me to keep my fingers close to the keys.  That helps, but it's not the whole picture.  If the fingers are heavy and gripping, they will be difficult to move on and off the keys quickly, even if they stay close.  (One flute teacher refers to this as the "death grip"--so I'm not the only one with this issue.)

I have struggled especially with a passage that has the following 16th notes (2nd octave):  F#, D, C#, D, A, G, F#, E, F#, D, C#, D...Moving quickly from D, where 7 fingers are on keys (plus the right thumb that's always on the flute) to C#, with one finger (plus the right thumb), back to 7--twice with one measure in between--has been especially difficult.  Especially the second time. It's hard to keep the flute from rolling, moving so many fingers on and off with the right thumb, base of the left index finger, and chin being the only three fulcrum points balancing the flute (according to Michael DeBost).

Yesterday I felt like my fingers barely touched the flute when they moved on and off--making it easier to keep the flute steady.  When I grip or press, it almost feels like the flute is rocking back and forth--which it probably is.

I don't yet know how to start out with a light touch--yesterday came after weeks of sometimes-agonizing practice.  At last night's flute choir rehearsal, I felt the tension and gripping as I sight-read my way through several pieces.  Everyone else there has many years of flute experience, although some haven't played in quite a while.  So I was nervous.  And when I'm nervous, I grip.