Left-handed Flutes

[ImmortalBeloved]

I have been given a wall tile in blue Delft colours which is exactly the same as this painting.



Please excuse my ignorance here...but was there a time when the flute was played to the left? And when did it change to being played to the right?

Thank you.

[micrologus]

No, there wasn't a flute playing to the left. At the end of the 16th century painters began to use lenses. The flute player was for sure right-handed but he appears to be left-handed by the use of the lens.

[ImmortalBeloved]

Originally Posted by micrologus

No, there wasn't a flute playing to the left. At the end of the 16th century painters began to use lenses. The flute player was for sure right-handed but he appears to be left-handed by the use of the lens.

Ahh..that explains it. Thank you

[Philidor]

Micro may be right about that pic being painted with a lense, but keyless flutes, or flutes with a small number of keys, are ambidextrous. I've seen left handed baroque flautists, Irish flute players and recorder players. On the baroque flute and recorder you simply rotate the foot joint. The six hole, keyless, renaissance flute is fully ambidextrous. I've seen fife bands marching in Northern Ireland with some players' flutes pointing the wrong way!

Left handed modern flutes are rare but Eva Kingma has made at least two.

If that pic (Judith Leyster. Boy Playing a Flute. c.1630-35) had been painted with a lense wouldn't the position of the fiddle's tuning pegs be reversed? I suspect it is a left-handed player!





Left-handed Irish flute playing

[micrologus]

Originally Posted by Philidor

If that pic (Judith Leyster. Boy Playing a Flute. c.1630-35) had been painted with a lense wouldn't the position of the fiddle's tuning pegs be reversed? I suspect it is a left-handed player!

The fiddle and the recorder must have been added later or even could already have been painted before. I'm still convinced that the boy was right-handed. You could try a 'mirror image' and see what happens.

Thank you for the explication about the flutes Phil. I didn't know that some of them are ambidextrous. But then ... I'm not a flute player

[ImmortalBeloved]

Thank you very much for your replies..I too didn't realise flutes could be ambidextrous!

Going back to the lenses...I have seen reports that Beethoven was left handed but all his paintings clearly show him using his right hand. I thought it might be for religious reasons, but it could possibly be that the artist was using lenses? I must study the pictures more closely in future. (Any excuse to look at Beethoven pictures is welcome!)

Thanks again.

[stephen w]

Originally Posted by micrologus

No, there wasn't a flute playing to the left. At the end of the 16th century painters began to use lenses. The flute player was for sure right-handed but he appears to be left-handed by the use of the lens.

Originally Posted by Philidor

Micro may be right about that pic being painted with a lense, but keyless flutes, or flutes with a small number of keys, are ambidextrous. I've seen left handed baroque flautists, Irish flute players and recorder players. On the baroque flute and recorder you simply rotate the foot joint. The six hole, keyless, renaissance flute is fully ambidextrous. I've seen fife bands marching in Northern Ireland with some players' flutes pointing the wrong way!

Left handed modern flutes are rare but Eva Kingma has made at least two.

If that pic (Judith Leyster. Boy Playing a Flute. c.1630-35) had been painted with a lense wouldn't the position of the fiddle's tuning pegs be reversed? I suspect it is a left-handed player!

Really interesting, thanks.

[micrologus]

If you want to know more about paintings there is a very good book you could read: "Secret knowledge" by David Hockney.

[ImmortalBeloved]

Originally Posted by micrologus

If you want to know more about paintings there is a very good book you could read: "Secret knowledge" by David Hockney.

Thanks..I'll try and get hold of a copy.

[Philidor]

Originally Posted by micrologus

You could try a 'mirror image' and see what happens.

We've now got a right-handed flute but left-handed fiddle and recorder.