How to play the flute if you have a teardrop top lip.

How to play flute with a teardrip lip

I've noticed there's not much information out there on how to play the flute if you have a teardrop shaped top lip. (Which probably explains why I get emails from all corners of the world asking for a solution!)

If you have a teardrop top lip that's getting in the way of your playing, this mini-lesson is for you 💕

In short, I have good news for you: dealing with a teardrop top lip when playing the flute is easier than what you might think.

Join me in the 3 minute video above for more.

Tear drop lip getting in the way of your flute playing

If you've been wondering how to play the flute with a teardrop top lip, I have some good news for you. My name is Jane Cavanagh and I love teaching people the proper technique to use that gets them faster progress on the flute.

If you've been worried about the fact that everything you see on YouTube, about how to play the flute, anything that a teacher has taught you pretty much doesn't involve how to accommodate a teardrop top lip.

So if you don’t know what I mean, it's where your top lip comes down and has a bit of a teardrop, which gets in the way of having a small embouchure hole. So it's no doubt frustrating for you if you don't see you anything to accommodate your completely normal and common top lip.

Teardrop top lips and getting a clearer flute sound

For example, if you do my free 3 day mini course that instantly improves your tone on the flute, which I'll tell you about at the end, I didn't mention teardrop lips at all, and it can leave people that have a teardrop going well, how do I fit into this?

So here's the good news that I wanted to tell you about.

The mini course that I take people through and anything you see on YouTube and teachers advice that for you is a starting point. And then your body beyond that, can easily adapt. So there are professional level flute players that play with their flute, slightly offset to accommodate, blowing to one side of the teardrop.

Flute players who have a tear drop top lip

If you have a look at a photo of Marcel Moyse, he's a famous flute player from a long time ago, he actually played like this and that's no exaggeration. I don't recommend that anyone starts like that cause as you can hear, my sound's not great.

It's much better when it's straight, because that's what I'm used to. So if you have a teardrop lip, you can adjust your flute. You can play to one side, you can keep your flute actually straight and just play out one side of the teardrop. You might find that the flute drops a bit to do that. This is all fine. This is called adapting.

Adapting your flute playing

I've had flute students with this teardrop lip and they just play out to one side and they don't even think about it cuz they're kids. They just do it because it sounds better. That's what they get used to. And then they have gotten to very high levels playing out more on side of the mouth.

I can't do it because I've never needed to do it. If this is you, you'll know what I'm talking about.

So your aim is not to look perfectly straight. Blowing straight flute straight, that's a starting point. And for various physical reasons, people often need to adapt things. And in this case you'll be adapting your embouchure.

I've seen in one of my student's dads only has half a little finger and he's got a little extension on the flute here. So he's adapted that, you know, mechanically. And you will adapt your body to play out one side slightly one side of your mouth.

A clear flute sound

The most important thing is that you always go for a clear sound, speaking of which come and do the free mini-course that I offer. It's 3 days and I show you exactly how to instantly improve your tone. I'd love to see you there and get your better sound.