The answer to that question easily is no.
I can always tell when my private high school students are in marching band season because they come into flute lessons, and they are ramrod straight both with their own posture and with the flute. Their elbows are out, and the line of their flute is straight out. In some ways I really like this posture because it fixes some problems. Having their marching band instructor yell at them and tell them they will lose points if everybody’s not in the same position really helps. But I don’t say anything until the end of the season. Then I tell them, “Okay, let’s relax a little bit.”
So no, you don’t have to be straight out. But here is what you do need to do.
Your air stream, or the path of the air through your body must be straight. I can sit down in a chair, on a stool, or I can stand up playing but I will play the same way because I know how to sit or stand without negatively affecting my air stream with a bad posture.
I suggest that my private students (and my daughters) stand when they practice. You don’t want to sit until you really understand this concept. You should stand to practice until you can keep your air stream straight in any position. When you sit, any slouching effects your air stream. We have all seen band students with their arm draped across the back of a chair. This is not acceptable for your air stream.
So, if I sit up straight or stand up straight and my air stream is not bent, then that’s 50% of it.
The second point is that your embouchure hole needs to be straight on your lip. It must be straight. It is okay if you have a side embouchure. It’s still going to be straight wherever your embouchure hole is on your lip. You should still see the breath condensation marks straight across your mouthpiece. Because you are not playing at an angle, you are still blowing straight across that embouchure hole.
If your embouchure hole is kept straight on your lip, then your head can lean down a bit without compromising your air stream. Your right elbow does not need to be straight out. You can basically let this elbow hang anywhere where it’s comfortable.
Sometimes when I see a video of myself playing, I think I lean over a little bit too far and I need to correct myself. I think those are just habits you get into after a while of practicing on your own. I need to discipline myself just to get back up a little bit higher. But my flute is never ever straight out, except maybe for effect or something.
I understand that marching band flutes need to keep their flute straight out and their elbows up high. But when you are not marching, your flute can come down a little and your elbow can fall to a comfortable 45-degree angle.
Practice in front of a mirror to work on this. Check to see if your posture is straight enough to allow a straight air stream, and that your embouchure hole is straight on your lip such that the condensation marks project straight out across the lip plate.
If so, you can relax a little. If not, you need to straighten up. That’s where you will get the best tone.
Have fun!
DoctorFlute
Does My Flute Need to Be Straight Out? FluteTips 137
