Hello! I've been playing the classical flute for six years now, and would like to try the Irish flute. Are there in major differences in the classical and Irish versions of the flute? Is one harder to play than the other?
I have no clue what to look for in a good Irish flute. However, I do know that I want a keyless, tune-able, wooden flute in D. What should I look for in a good flute? What types of wood should I consider? But also take into consideration that reasonable pricing is a must. I understand that flutes are expensive, but anything over $1500 would
Also, if anyone has any suggestions as far as flute makers, that would be wonderful.
Have a look at the chiff and fipple forum in the flute section (google chiff and fipple you'll find it) They've covered this question repeatedly (as has this forum).
There are loads of options for good first flutes including casey burns, copley, etc
Are you looking for something to try out or a serious first flute? Have you tried any wooden flutes yet? This is a good place to start as different makers flutes sound and react differently.
There are lots of good flutes but for what you want, Martin Doyle is certainly the best.
His flutes are very easy to play, have a great rounded sound and prices range from as low as the mid hundreds up to the thousands. All of his flutes are great and his keyless ones are very popular not just for beginners but for lots of flute players. Great for starting off on. Cocus wood, african blackwood and boxwood are the types he uses and all are different. i dunno if he has a website but you should certainly look him up.
If you're looking for keyless tuneable within 1500 USD range, you have plenty of choice.
If you don't know too much about Irish wooden flutes and would like some good background on types etc., I'd recommend Terry McGee's site at: http://www.mcgee-flutes.com, with plenty of valuable information, as well as Chiff and Fipple forum, as stated above. You can find a list of makers at http://www.firescribble.net/flute/makers.html, and it is good to snoop around the Chiff and Fipple forum for the comments on them.
Martin Doyle certainly is a great choice, but there are many others - my votes would be, apart from Mr. Doyle, Glenn Watson from Galway (I'm a very happy owner of one of his pieces of true art) and Pol Jezequiel from Brittany.
Why go with a keyless flute? Keys are handy. I play a 6 keyed Hammy Hamilton flute, it plays well and it's very handy, considering how many Irish tunes move outside the D/G scale, and the C-natural key does come in handy too.
If you don’t mind a hand-crafted polymer flute, here’s a great maker of keyed flutes: http://www.irishflutes.net/
There is no real musical advantage to playing a keyless flute.
If you want to hear various flutes there is this; http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/flute.html
It's a site for flute players posting mp3s.The recordings vary & a couple of the links don't work. With that in mind it is one way to hear different flutes (& players). Everything from a PVC ~ Doug Tipple to blackwood ~ Michael Grinter.
I doubt you can tell much about the flute from a clip. You can tell a lot about the player.
The best way to buy a flute is to purchase it with a return option. That way you can get to know it for a while, on your own, over a few days.
Bang for Buck - Casey Burn's folk flute is good. Do a forum search here and on Chiff and Fipple for many answers to this question.
Read the McGee web sirte for tons of background information, even if you don't intend to buy one of his flutes.
And yes, clips say more about the player than the flute. I have heard complete jumk played very well and good flutes played poorly - but this doesn't change the fact that some flutes are better than others.
Try as many flutes as possible, or take cocus' advice on buying with a return option.
Keyless flutes have a very important raison d'etre - they are cheaper and usually available with much shorter waiting times.
Funny you'd say that cocus. Before I stumbled on the site I remember I was interested in listening to Olwell's played by different players.
Amazingly, there is one (Olwell) I particular liked. ;) Pleasant surprise.
But you are correct. Listening to the samples is limited, especially with such variation in recording quality.
The biggest difference between Boehm and Irish flutes (aside from a few minor fingering differences--in the case of a keyless flute) is the feel of the instrument. Boehm flutes tend to have a fairly square embouchure cut, along with big holes and a big, cylindrical bore. So it's a much more free-blowing experience than the oval cut, conical bore the Irish flute offers.
If you plan to play both types of flute, you may want an Irish flute with a more square embouchure cut than the traditional oval. Dave Copley offers this, and makes very good flutes. So do Terry McGee, Peter Noy, and George Ormiston, and probably others I'm not thinking of. Oh, and Forbes Christie, of Windward Flutes. He comes to simple-system flute making after a long career in the Boehm flute world--he might be an excellent maker to consider. http://windwardflutes.com/
Aside from budget, another major consideration is how long you're willing to wait. It's common to wait 1-2 years for a flute, but there are quality makers with shorter lists, too. As for price, if you're looking for a good keyless wood flute with a tuning slide, you can expect to pay between about $800-$1600. If you go without a slide, you'll save a couple hundred. The slide isn't critical, but it's handy. If you're jumping in with both feet and have the cash, go for a flute with a tuning slide.
The most commonly used wood is African Blackwood, with good reason. It's stable, sounds good, etc. Mopane is also very good, and offers a different look. Boxwood and rosewood can be less stable, and cocus can cause a nasty allergic reaction.
Here's another resource, and a handy way to try out flutes, while avoiding waiting lists: http://www.irishflutestore.com
In my opinion, if you want to play Boehm and Irish flute then you probably want to do so because they are (and sound) different. Therefore, picking an Irish flute which is as close to a Boehm as possible may not be what you want...
I have a keyless Casey Burns flute (non-folk version). I absolutely love it. They are relatively inexpensive for a handmade, gorgeous instrument. The wood on mine is mopane, nice mellow sustaining tone and easy playability. You can add keys later if you like, or start with a keyed flute.
Having said all of this, there are many fantastic makers out there. In your price range you should be able to find a fantastic instrument.
I would _highly_ recommend playing many and, if possible, the specific flute you are going to buy. I played 3 Casey Burns flutes (in addition to > other makers). The one I got just "nicked" with me.
I also played Boehm flute for many, many years. I actually found the transition pretty straight forward.
If you want a keyless flute you HAVE TO get a Sam Murray Africa black wood they're about €750 which isn't bad. i got one this year and its very light, easy to play and has a great tone with a great case. BE WARNED: He is a terrible business man and if he says 3 months and you still didnt get it keep ringing him because he will keep coming up with stupid excuses if its running late.
Ask for it in D andi learned the classiasal flute recently...there is slight difference( no thumb key and when playing high E & F# there is no key for the little finger) Once you get lessons it wont be too hard.
Looking for a good flute!!!
Looking for a good flute!!!
Hello! I've been playing the classical flute for six years now, and would like to try the Irish flute. Are there in major differences in the classical and Irish versions of the flute? Is one harder to play than the other?
I have no clue what to look for in a good Irish flute. However, I do know that I want a keyless, tune-able, wooden flute in D. What should I look for in a good flute? What types of wood should I consider? But also take into consideration that reasonable pricing is a must. I understand that flutes are expensive, but anything over $1500 would
Also, if anyone has any suggestions as far as flute makers, that would be wonderful.
Thanks!
# Posted on December 15th 2008 by Davidson1227
Re: Looking for a good flute!!!
Have a look at the chiff and fipple forum in the flute section (google chiff and fipple you'll find it) They've covered this question repeatedly (as has this forum).
There are loads of options for good first flutes including casey burns, copley, etc
Are you looking for something to try out or a serious first flute? Have you tried any wooden flutes yet? This is a good place to start as different makers flutes sound and react differently.
# Posted on December 15th 2008 by borderpiper
Re: Looking for a good flute!!!
There are lots of good flutes but for what you want, Martin Doyle is certainly the best.
His flutes are very easy to play, have a great rounded sound and prices range from as low as the mid hundreds up to the thousands. All of his flutes are great and his keyless ones are very popular not just for beginners but for lots of flute players. Great for starting off on. Cocus wood, african blackwood and boxwood are the types he uses and all are different. i dunno if he has a website but you should certainly look him up.
# Posted on December 15th 2008 by fiddleruairi
Re: Looking for a good flute!!!
Here's a link to Martin Doyle's website:
http://www.martindoyleflutes.com/
# Posted on December 15th 2008 by John Culhane
Re: Looking for a good flute!!!
If you're looking for keyless tuneable within 1500 USD range, you have plenty of choice.
If you don't know too much about Irish wooden flutes and would like some good background on types etc., I'd recommend Terry McGee's site at: http://www.mcgee-flutes.com, with plenty of valuable information, as well as Chiff and Fipple forum, as stated above. You can find a list of makers at http://www.firescribble.net/flute/makers.html, and it is good to snoop around the Chiff and Fipple forum for the comments on them.
Martin Doyle certainly is a great choice, but there are many others - my votes would be, apart from Mr. Doyle, Glenn Watson from Galway (I'm a very happy owner of one of his pieces of true art) and Pol Jezequiel from Brittany.
Happy hunting.
# Posted on December 15th 2008 by Janek
Re: Looking for a good flute!!!
Why go with a keyless flute? Keys are handy. I play a 6 keyed Hammy Hamilton flute, it plays well and it's very handy, considering how many Irish tunes move outside the D/G scale, and the C-natural key does come in handy too.
If you don’t mind a hand-crafted polymer flute, here’s a great maker of keyed flutes: http://www.irishflutes.net/
There is no real musical advantage to playing a keyless flute.
# Posted on December 15th 2008 by klhsadhfahslkdfhsalk
Re: Looking for a good flute!!!
If you want to hear various flutes there is this;
http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/flute.html
It's a site for flute players posting mp3s.The recordings vary & a couple of the links don't work. With that in mind it is one way to hear different flutes (& players). Everything from a PVC ~ Doug Tipple to blackwood ~ Michael Grinter.
The Casey Burns clips were well, errr, ummm . . .
# Posted on December 15th 2008 by Ben Steen
You can't tell from a clip
I doubt you can tell much about the flute from a clip. You can tell a lot about the player.
The best way to buy a flute is to purchase it with a return option. That way you can get to know it for a while, on your own, over a few days.
# Posted on December 15th 2008 by David Levine
Re: Looking for a good flute!!!
Bang for Buck - Casey Burn's folk flute is good. Do a forum search here and on Chiff and Fipple for many answers to this question.
Read the McGee web sirte for tons of background information, even if you don't intend to buy one of his flutes.
And yes, clips say more about the player than the flute. I have heard complete jumk played very well and good flutes played poorly - but this doesn't change the fact that some flutes are better than others.
Try as many flutes as possible, or take cocus' advice on buying with a return option.
Keyless flutes have a very important raison d'etre - they are cheaper and usually available with much shorter waiting times.
Chris
Chris
# Posted on December 15th 2008 by Crackpot
Re: Looking for a good flute!!!
Funny you'd say that cocus. Before I stumbled on the site I remember I was interested in listening to Olwell's played by different players.
Amazingly, there is one (Olwell) I particular liked. ;) Pleasant surprise.
But you are correct. Listening to the samples is limited, especially with such variation in recording quality.
# Posted on December 15th 2008 by Ben Steen
Re: Looking for a good flute!!!
The biggest difference between Boehm and Irish flutes (aside from a few minor fingering differences--in the case of a keyless flute) is the feel of the instrument. Boehm flutes tend to have a fairly square embouchure cut, along with big holes and a big, cylindrical bore. So it's a much more free-blowing experience than the oval cut, conical bore the Irish flute offers.
If you plan to play both types of flute, you may want an Irish flute with a more square embouchure cut than the traditional oval. Dave Copley offers this, and makes very good flutes. So do Terry McGee, Peter Noy, and George Ormiston, and probably others I'm not thinking of. Oh, and Forbes Christie, of Windward Flutes. He comes to simple-system flute making after a long career in the Boehm flute world--he might be an excellent maker to consider. http://windwardflutes.com/
Aside from budget, another major consideration is how long you're willing to wait. It's common to wait 1-2 years for a flute, but there are quality makers with shorter lists, too. As for price, if you're looking for a good keyless wood flute with a tuning slide, you can expect to pay between about $800-$1600. If you go without a slide, you'll save a couple hundred. The slide isn't critical, but it's handy. If you're jumping in with both feet and have the cash, go for a flute with a tuning slide.
The most commonly used wood is African Blackwood, with good reason. It's stable, sounds good, etc. Mopane is also very good, and offers a different look. Boxwood and rosewood can be less stable, and cocus can cause a nasty allergic reaction.
Here's another resource, and a handy way to try out flutes, while avoiding waiting lists: http://www.irishflutestore.com
# Posted on December 15th 2008 by mcswiss
Re: Looking for a good flute!!!
Here's a good previous discussion on this topic:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/16122
And for advice on crossing over from Boehm to Simple System Flute:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/14096
# Posted on December 16th 2008 by klhsadhfahslkdfhsalk
Re: Looking for a good flute!!!
In my opinion, if you want to play Boehm and Irish flute then you probably want to do so because they are (and sound) different. Therefore, picking an Irish flute which is as close to a Boehm as possible may not be what you want...
# Posted on December 17th 2008 by Crackpot
Re: Looking for a good flute!!!
I have a keyless Casey Burns flute (non-folk version). I absolutely love it. They are relatively inexpensive for a handmade, gorgeous instrument. The wood on mine is mopane, nice mellow sustaining tone and easy playability. You can add keys later if you like, or start with a keyed flute.
Having said all of this, there are many fantastic makers out there. In your price range you should be able to find a fantastic instrument.
I would _highly_ recommend playing many and, if possible, the specific flute you are going to buy. I played 3 Casey Burns flutes (in addition to > other makers). The one I got just "nicked" with me.
I also played Boehm flute for many, many years. I actually found the transition pretty straight forward.
Have fun and good luck!
# Posted on December 19th 2008 by Hyla
Re: Looking for a good flute!!!
If you want a keyless flute you HAVE TO get a Sam Murray Africa black wood they're about €750 which isn't bad. i got one this year and its very light, easy to play and has a great tone with a great case. BE WARNED: He is a terrible business man and if he says 3 months and you still didnt get it keep ringing him because he will keep coming up with stupid excuses if its running late.
# Posted on December 20th 2008 by fineflautist
Re: Looking for a good flute!!!
Ask for it in D andi learned the classiasal flute recently...there is slight difference( no thumb key and when playing high E & F# there is no key for the little finger) Once you get lessons it wont be too hard.
_Young_musician_
# Posted on December 20th 2008 by fineflautist