That Left Hand (low pitch or larger flutes)

I recently received a question about how to deal with the left hand tension on the baroque flute. Especially if the flute model is a larger instrument (say early baroque, or a 3-part instrument where the middle joint is in one piece, or a flute in low pitch), it can really present a problem for players. Add the fact that the 4th finger is our weakest finger, the stretch between our middle and 4th finger can feel impossible.

If you come from the modern flute, you may wonder how people played back then. The problem may never disappear for some players, but I thought to offer what has helped me so far:

Try to stand securely, perhaps the feet wider apart than you might normally do, and really shift the center of foundation to as low as possible. When playing, try shifting your weight between your feet every now and then, for me that helps free up that feeling of tension in the hands and allow the fingers to move as relaxed as possible. If I feel like I don't have a solid base, it exacerbates the problem.

And now here's maybe a weird visualization - I imagine I'm able to extend my fingers longer than they actually are, somehow that helps me feel like I'm able to accommodate that big stretch and also further relax the fingers. When they're in tension, the fingers bunch up and "become short", which is not desired. Make them long.

Also, play around with the position of your left thumb - how does it feel to place it between your 2nd and middle finger? I used to play mostly with the thumb under the 2nd finger, but have found by moving it further down it can help me with 4th finger movements. Since the 4th finger is the weakest finger, I once got a tip from the Italian flutist Laura Pontecorvo to sometimes practice without the thumb. (See my post about it here!) I found this trains the 4th finger to be more independent and may perhaps help improve the issue.
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​I wonder if any of this helps for people. Let me know and feel free to chime in with your way!

Above is a photo of my big flutes - a 4-part Scherer and an Hotteterre flute, both by the late Claire Soubeyran.