Product Reviews: Thumbport II Flute Thumb Rest

As a "mature" beginner with a pre-existing problem with RSI in my hands I found using my little finger to help to balance the flute set off the stress pains and it was clear that I either had to find a solution or stop playing the flute. This little thumb-rest slips onto the flute and the "tail" sticks out at the side and rests along the shank of your thumb - Instant stability and no more pain. Whether in the long term it would have a detrimental effect on one's ability to play at speed I don't know; but as I am unlikely to offer a challenge to Sir James Galway, at least in this lifetime I'm not too worried. It gets me where I want to be - playing the flute! I have already recommended the Thumbport to a friend with a similar problem.

The Thumbport II design is a big improvement on the previous one, as it remains lodged in place when playing and does not need to be removed when your flute is packed away in its box.

I can't fault it!

I bought this because I came to realise that my fingers were laying really flat on the keys because I have small hands and this was causing issues with playing fast passages. I wasn’t sure if this Thumbport was going to help at all, but I decided to give it a go. For me it works really great as a thumb extension so that I can place my thumb higher and then have a nice relaxed curve in my fingers on the keys. It took a little while to get used to because the hand position I was used to for many many years had suddenly changed, so I couldn’t play for that long as my hand would begin to cramp up. But after a couple weeks of practice I have adjusted and feel like my technique has improved so much. I also ended up shaving some of the Thumbport off to make the part that attaches to the flute shorter, so that my thumb could be even higher (I just did this carefully with a fairly gritty nail file). My fingers are now hitting the keys perfectly in the center and they are much looser. I’ve only ever played on a closed hole flute which is why I have got away with having bad hand positioning, but now feel confident that I would be able to transition to an open hole flute with a lot more ease! Really happy I decided to give this a go! Definitely recommend for small hands if you have the same problem.

I am an advanced student and find this extremely useful and now find it hard to play without it. It gives my flute much greater stability, particularly when playing the top A, B and C. I have quite small hands, and have found that my right hand now has a much better position over the keys, also over the open keys of my flute for when I unplug them. I also tried the Thumbport Flute Thumb Rest but can't tell much difference between them.

As a sax player, the right hand balance for the flute has always felt a bit strange, but the Thumbport II has made this feel more natural and comfortable and reduce right hand tension. I've fitted this to a Yamaha 211, and am able to leave it in place when the flute is put away in its case which is a bonus. I would recommend this to anyone who finds the right hand uncomfortable when playing the flute for a period of time.

Most flute manuals and teachers teach the wrong way to hold the flute. They think that the right hand thumb should be placed UNDER the flute. This is not the case. The RH thumb must push the flute forward of course.
Teaching this from scretch is relatively easy but to correct a wrong posture is much more difficult.
Here comes the brilliant ThumbPort that will help students and flutists in general the correct posture of the RH freeing the fingers for a more fluid tecnique and improving their command over the embouchure-lipplate relationship.
Highly recommended!

Uberto Orlando, London

I am an adult beginner with RSI in my right thumb and wrist. The Thumbport II has helped to relieve recurrent pain in my right wrist and thumb by creating better contact and support between my thumb and the flute. I also find I am less tense when playing fast passages that run between C, D and E because the flute feels better supported and more balanced. I docked one star because I cannot fit my flute in its case with the Thumbport II attached, despite this being an advertised improvement to the new model.

Very well made gadget - very quick to add and remove. Its too narrow to fit on any of my wooden flutes, but works on the gold and silver.

I think its really useful to explore different hand positions. We all have different hand sizes and shapes, and there are a variety of ways to adjust holding the flute. Using the thumbport for the right hand allows flexible experimentation with different approaches in regards to the position and angle/direction of force of the right thumb and the knock on effects on your right hand fingers, left hand and lip.

I think if you naturally place your thumb under the flute and take some weight (possibly experiencing some "rolling-in" of the flute), this allows you to comfortably try a position where you push the flute more from the side. I know a couple of flute players for whom this position has eased considerably right hand tension and tendon/arthritis issues.

For me personally, with very large hands, this is one of the only comfortable ways to try this RH position - though the effect on my left hand is pronounced and not so comfortable without some adjustment there also.

I would only advise doing this if you are going to really think about the effect and adjust accordingly, and work with your teacher to make sure you are not introducing long-term physical issues or bad technique.

Bought this little gadget after seeing a promotion for it on YouTube! I was a tad sceptical at first but it really has helped me with a repetitive right wrist injury. I find I am now able to practice for a longer period now which is always beneficial. A great little item and again excellent customer service from Just Flutes!

Works extremely well in my case.
I have come back to the flute after a 10-15yr gap and the addition of the thumb port made holding my flute much more comfortable enabling me to practice for longer periods. A bit pricey but well worth it.

I watched the you tube clip of Thumbport being demonstrated and suggested a pupil try it out due to constant issues with the flute rolling for her.
After she tried it and really noticed the difference I decided to buy one for my son also. He's not too bothered by it but I think it provides a constant position and therefore constant clarity of tone.
I borrowed it and tried it out both ways (you can flip it round depending on preference) and got on brilliantly with it also.
Great little gadget and perfect for beginners to ensure prefect grip, position and consistency in tone.

Am useualy a confirmed skeptic when it comes to "aids". So was Utterly amazed at the Immediate improvement in my playing. No longer do I have to worry about rolling, my flute is now Super still. The old problem of cracking the low e flat key on the way to a low c, . . . Gone. {Huge relief, solid low c} Also my right hand is now much lighter on the keys, all thanks to a FANTASTIC piece of kit. Try one, I , for one am a convert

This is a great product, very comfortable and as I have very small hand it lifts my hand up enough to remove any strain.

I bought this Thumbport II for my 11 year old daughter, who is quite small. It has enabled her to balance the flute much better and the position and dexterity of the fingers on her right hand are much improved.

I have many pupils who struggle to have their right thumb under the flute and therefore can't move their right hand so well. Often the thumb sticking out beyond the flute also leads to / causes 'banana fingers'. With Thumbport II in place, the entire hand position improves once they get their head around the need to change!

I am concerned about my right hand position lately. After doing some research on internet, I recently got both Thumbport and Thumbport II. I practiced with Thumbport flute thumb rest for a week then I got the Thumbport II just 2 days ago. I find the Thumbport II more comfortable though Thumbport is also good. I have no regrets to buy the Thumbport II even though the postage is nearly half the cost of this gadget. :)

I am an adult learner and also bought the bo pep flute finger rest to aid my adult less flexible fingers. These two items have been a great help in relaxing my hand hold and position on the flute.

This has made supporting the flute so much more comfortable and my flute teacher and I noticed an almost immediate improvement in my playing.

It is also small enough to stay in position on the flute when I put it away in the case.

Having returned to the Flute after a lengthy break, I was finding that with certain key transitions or notes that require very few keys to be depressed that the Flute was rotating slightly which wasn't helping at all. Having just purchased a new Flute from Just Flutes I am keen to get the best out of it that I can... something needed to be done!

I had seen the Thumbports in the past on various YouTube videos so I thought I would find out more. I watched the review by Pasha Mansurov on the Just Flutes website and it seemed like the ideal solution. I was right! I purchased the Thumbport II and it has turned into one of those little things that has made a huge amount of difference. It is a well designed little gadget that slips gently onto the body of the flute and provides a comfortable place to rest my right thumb. No more rotation and the Flute feels much more secure overall. Recommended!

I'm happy to have found this - it is very helpful for young beginners in that stage when they don't have a comfortable grasp on the instrument and that right thumb slides up around the flute. Such a simple device which gives them a solid grip and hence a good right hand position. Only downside, in my opinion, is the price! Especially for a product 'made in China'. Why can't this be produced here, at a more affordable price?

I get a sore and crampy pinky from playing the flute but this thumbport makes a huge difference. The flute feels more balanced with less of the work falling to my little finger. Slips on and off the flute easily and doesn't scratch or harm the finish on the instrument.

My flute playing has become much more comfortable since using the thumb port. Prevents the instrument from rolling.

I bought this having already bought the original Thumbport Flute Thumb Rest.
I find little difference between the two but it fits my Db flute and that is where it is now serving me very well.

the thumbport has been fantastic at unlocking my pinky and improved my plkaying no end

Most useful accessory which gives a comfortable and stead hold for the flute and thus assisted in helping me retrain my fingers when converting from a closed to open hole flute

I brought one of these to help with grip-support for my right hand, once positioned totally Fab little gadget I found it really did help I'm total bigginer and I would recommend this to anyone

I've been playing for ages but this little gadget has been a revelation. I only used it for a couple of weeks before a more natural hand position became the norm. It has been wonderful for some of my students who have found the Thumbport useful in understanding how relaxed the right hand should be.

I was recommended the thumb port by another player and teacher at a workshop I attended. They are almost impossible to buy in Australia, so I ordered one and tried it out. Now I won't play without it! I use it with most of my students - beginners to advanced players - and they love it too. It helps to create the three-point-hold that makes for good hand position and balance. I've found that I can play difficult passages much more easily, and have a lot more control. I can also play for longer periods without becoming fatigued. Such a simple thing, but works wonders!

Best flute accessory I ever bought!

When my thumb kept creeping up my flute I decided to invest in a thumb rest. I researched a variety of thumb rests before deciding to go for this one. It is literally what it looks like... a piece of plastic. It's very expensive for what it is but it does the job and I have had no problems with it sliding around! It also fits in my flute case which is a plus!

Grenaditte Flutes are thicker than metal ones. The fit isn’t good. I steamed mine to get a better fit. It does give much greater stability. On a metal flute it would be perfect.

As it goes, fair enough. But disappointed that for over £10 there’s not a word of explanation as to how to fit it or adjust it.

As a woodwind doubler who is not the most familiar with the flute, I had a naturally poor right-hand position on the flute. The Thumbport allows for the position of my right thumb to be adjusted and now I find it so much easier to play much more technically challenging music as my technique is much better. I thought it would be painful to have my position readjusted, but it felt normal and more comfortable thanks to the design of the Thumbport.
5/5, I would recommend it to any flautist as it just makes your whole finger technique better by readjusting the angle.

Great item a really useful accessory for flute players.

As soon as I attached this to my flute, my right hand became significantly more relaxed and my fingers immediately felt more comfortable. I definitely would recommend at least trying this out. Not every aid will work for everyone, but I have carpal tunnel in my right hand and a lot of tendon problems, and for my particular hand, this is an amazing solution. Also nice that the flute fits in its case with it attached, so I can leave it on!

Clever gadget that fits on the flute discretely. Would have been helpful to have some instructions but I think I’ve got it positioned correctly. I was still unsure if it was helping my finger mobility problems so took it off to see the difference- wow I did notice it so it is helping a lot.

This thumbport really does help to stabilize the Flute.

Have used a thumb port II for some years - great help when playing long evenings for comfort and stability. Old thumb port losing some grip so ordered a 2nd.
Note - there are two versions of thumb port - For me it does have to be the Thumbport II, I ordered the wrong one and found I couldn't get the same control or comfort.

Pro:
it is recyclable
Cons:
it slide everywhere on the flute.
My thumb slide on it.
As I take hands out from the flute, it drop on the floor.

I had used other items to help with thumb and finger placement and posture but wasn’t getting what I expected. After doing some research this item was suggested by fellow teachers and professionals. It was firstly easy to attach to the flute (I was worried about scratching but this did not happen). As soon as I held the flute, I noticed a massive difference in my right hand and how much the thumb rest lifted my wrist and I felt a much better posture. And the price of as fantastic.

I bought this for 2 reasons:
1. To see if it would take some strain off my right thumb during long periods of playing
2. To review its use for students, particularly smaller/younger ones for whom the right arm tires easily.
As to verdict? The jury is out:
It is quite pricy for what it is!
It is comfortable but it moves you hand position a little out and up so affects how your fingers are positioned over and on the keys. It may just be I need more time to adjust but I will need convincing of its benefits.

I bought my first thumb rest 8 years ago to help with my technique. I need it now to help with continuing to play with arthritic hands. The first one has lasted well but eventually the surface wore away. I expect the new one will last as well. The design is very effective and comfortable to use.

Brilliant device. Enables the flute to be held without the problems with discomfort and twisting of the flute. Very good in every way.

When I started playing the flute, which for me was years ago in third grade I never thought of flute aids, as they were not invented. But as an adult still playing the flute after over fifty years, I have developed acute arthritis in both my wrists, affecting the tension in my fingers and thumbs. That said, as soon as I was able to find a video of a fellow flautist review of the products that worked for me, I was able to attach both my Thumbport II onto "Sasha." my flute. Ever since I have felt added comfort and support needed to sustain my long daily practice and recording sessions. Love the way the Thumport II edges my flute to my embouchure to achieve that perfect balance. I will order the Thumbport for my new black flute when it arrives, "Ms. Jett," in order to experience the difference between the Thumport and the Thumbport II. I am very impressed with the way you handled my situation when I was curious about the difference and will definitely be doing business with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Candi B.
Rock Flautist