Bo Pep A13BP601 Flute Finger Saddle Rest Pad Riser

I am a semi-retired professional flutist and teacher, and have used the Bo-Pep Finger SADDLE for many years. I also highly recommended to all students, also over many years. It is an excellent tool for the left hand to stay in position. Do NOT get it confused with the Bo-Pep Finger Rest, which looks similar, but is NOT the same, and IMO, does not work nearly as well as the Finger Saddle. I have a new 8th grade student who is doing very well. She has very long fingers, so left hand moves around some, and ordered this for her for her birthday. Am certain it will greatly improve left hand position. When you put on your flute, attach exactly as shown with Name facing rod between C key and attached; it will not work otherwise. Also be careful it is not under either key, both sides. It is not necessary to remove either. Just be sure it stays in correct place between keys. I highly recommend.

It allows me to practice for linger periods of time without strain I've been using it for about a year now I think

I gave up the flute years ago because of persistent pain in my left index finger. I really missed playing though, and recently took it up again after hearing about this contraption. Judging by the photos, I expected the Bo-Pep to be cushiony and soft, but it's actually just hard plastic. I spent some time online researching flute grip (something that wasn't possible back when I was playing flute) and I've come to the conclusion that my left index finger pain can be attributed to a couple different factors. One, the weight of the key and rods were causing the flute to roll back and I was basically overcompensating for this by really digging in with my left index finger to try to hold the flute stable. It basically was taking on most of the work of holding the flute up and in place Two, my right thumb was in the wrong position, underneath the flute, and past the F key (most experts now agree that it's better to have it on the side, between E and F, where it can counterbalance the tendency of the flute to want to roll back. The opposition of the right thumb + mouth pushing forward and the left index finger pushing back are what actually hold the flute up. Your fingers don't really need to bear the weight.) Anyway, back to the Bo-Pep. It snaps on easily and it did help to some degree with the index finger pain. Before when I used to play, the first joint of my index finger would look indented and red when I was done. My finger still gets red but it's not nearly as sore. Having the Bo-Pep there actually helps remind me to relax as well. I had the Bo-Pep for about 3 weeks and then I picked up a Thumbport (made by another manufacturer). The Thumbport is for your right thumb. I wasn't having pain in my right thumb, so I didn't think I needed this initially. I now realize that my bad right thumb placement was basically making my left index finger do twice as much work with balancing the flute. With the Thumbport AND the Bo-Pep the comfort level is remarkably improved. I really suggest trying both in tandem. The thumbport looks uncomfortable and like it can't possibly be doing much in the photos, but it's actually made of rubber and very comfy. It allows your thumb to counterbalance the instrument to prevent it from rolling back, and the rubber gives you a good grip to the flute. It makes the flute a LOT easier to balance and hold. Between that and the Bo-Pep, it makes a world of difference. My current flute is a very beat up model I've had since I was a student, so I can't really tell if the Bo-Pep is scratching it. The Bo-Pep has to be removed every time you put the flute away, otherwise it will cause the flute to press up into the case, which is not good for the keys. I plan on upgrading to a new flute and I think I may put down a protective layer of scotch tape first just to make sure it doesn't scratch. It says it's not supposed to, but I don't really buy that. I think this item would be better if it was made at least partially of rubber. Rubber would give you better grip and a rubber lining where it attaches to the flute would make scratches impossible. I also think a model with actual cushioning would be nice.

After playing the flute for only 10-15 minutes my left hand, pointer finger develops a red tender spot. Making me unable to continue playing. After searching for something to fix this issue I decided to purchase the Bo Pep finger saddle. I was unsure if it would really help, but I decided to give it a try. With the saddle I am now able to play the flute for over 30 minutes with no pain, redness, or tender spots! I have noticed some slight scratching where it sits on the flute, but I would rather that than the finger pain.

This thing is great! I was skeptical at first because the reviews said it was hard plastic. But once I got it in position, I was able to play significantly longer with minimal pain and redness on my left index finger joint. I have played for 40 years but was beginning to limit my playing due to developing a tiny cyst in that joint. I would get pain and redness after only 10-15 minutes of playing! Once I got it in position (which took me a while!), I was able to play for 20 minutes with no pain and only a tiny bit of redness. I did not get any scratching (and I moved it around a lot, both on and off and sliding it), but my flute is old! I can’t tell whether I look like a 5th grade or super professional, but I don’t care if I can play without pain lol!

I bought the saddlebecause of the pain i got in my left index finger when i played. Although when i put it on my flute, the surface of the saddle was still hard and my finger still had pain :'(. But it was easily fixed when i stuck moleskin on the saddle (the really thick, cushiony kind). It also helped me have a better grip on my flute, which is good because i'm in marching band. The only bad thing though is that because i take the saddle on and off numerous times, it scratched my flute a ton, which is bad because i used it with my new,good flute nd it's not shiny anymore >.<. But my teaxher told me i could takwe it to the shop and they can buffer it. She also said i could put moleskin directly on the flute, so thats an alternative to the saddle if you don't wanna scratch your flute.its also cheaper:). But im sticking with the flute saddle because it gives mor eheight to my finger. DO NOT BUY THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT A SCRATCHED FLUTE UPDATE: i lost my saddle 3 days ago at a marching band tournie :'( rip saddle. OCT 2 2012 - NOV 10 2012. But today in rehearsal i found that my index finger was positioned correctly and there was no pain. A+, saddle! I could play everything just as well as when i had my saddle. So in one month, the saddle realy helped my hand position. But at the expense of scratching my flute. Will buy a second saddle right after i edit this review, though just in case my hand position goes down.

As a beginning flute player, my biggest problem was supporting the flute securely when playing C's and C#'s. The round, slick side of the flute was hard for me to keep in position whenever I had to go over the break. The saddle snaps on easily but felt like it slid around a little bit. A piece of cloth tape beneath it left it solidly in place and I feel like the problem of supporting the instrument is resolved without too much effort on my part. With the saddle, the right hand thumb and little finger combined with the left hand index finger have no problem keeping the instrument secure. Music Gifts Plus got the saddle to me on the earliest date of the six day range they had promised.

This is an excellent beginner's (student) flute. Well built, the flute does have a very warm tone when one practices daily. The case is a great hybrid of canvas and solid plastic/metal and provides the protection the instrument needs. Also include the cloths for cleaning, a great beginner's guide to scales and simple songs - and the best part is how inexpensive the flute is! I was a professional jazz flutist for many years (age wore me out) I truly recommend that parents purchase this flute for their child as well for anyone who is interested in learning to play the flute - this is a great bargain. Five stars plus! You won't regret the purchase.