Im thinking of buying an Irish flute, however I don't know what key I should be looking for. I have seen most of them in Bb. Is this what most of them should be keyed in? Also I have been looking only at wooden Irish flutes, as this is what I want. I would like to emulate the playing style of Matt Molloy. I believe he plays a Bb but Im not sure. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
-I believe Matt Molloy does sometimes play a Bb flute but not as his main instrument. He plays one beautifully on one piece on the "Heathery Breeze" album, and the same piece (Drowsy Maggie) is also
on the original Wooden Flute Obsession set.
-You will likely be better served by choice of a wooden flute in D so you can play usual session music with other musicians in keys of D and G.
Thanks Brian. I was thinking D but have no clue how flute mechanics worked. I play uilleann pipes, is the fingering somewhat the same as uilleann or tin whistle on the irish flute?
Harper_lad, you will want to get yourself a flute in the key of D. I'd venture a guess that Molloy plays a D flute 95% of the time. the overwhelming majority of irish music on flute is played with a D flute.
As for what to get, i don't know how much money you have to spend. but it is worth getting the best flute you can afford, since learning on a crappy flute really impedes progress. there are a number of previous threads on this topic in this forum if you want recommendations regarding flute makers. Or feel free to email me thru this site if you need further assistance.
in any case, welcome to the wonderful world of irish music and the wood flute in particular.
Matt Molloy plays flutes in nearly all keys! the Bb flutes have a really nice sound but for sessions etc, definitely a D flute! The fingering is very near/the same as the tin whistle
If you intend to play with other people get a D flute, unless you play at Eb sessions then you need an Eb. Bbs are really for solo play.
You need to get some decent starter Flute (I suggest a Casey Burns Folk Flute or Doug Tipple PVC) and once you get your bearings on that start trying out more expensive Flutes and see which one you would want.
You really want a concert flute in D - the fingering on the simple system flute is exactly the same as the whistle. Many starters go for keyless flutes but I would recommend that you go a for the keyed variety. Usually 6 keys as you will rarely use the C or C# keys on the lower register. That will allow you to play the full chromatic scale and hence [theoretically] in any key.
You can sometimes get a half decent flute off ebay but stay well away from Pakistani flutes that are almost all out of tune. I would also generally stay away from older german flutes as they tend to have very weak lower notes. One of the London makers such as Ruddall Rose and Carte is usually a sound bet but could prove quite expensive.
If you want a cheap starter before you fully commit then Hammy Hamilton makes a metal practice flute for about 70 euro which has quite a nice sound and has similar behaviour to the modern Irish flutes made by himself and the likes of Sam Murray.
I'm one of those who thinks you should not drop thousands of euros on keys unless you know you need them. Moreover, make sure that you really want the flute that the keys are attached to. . . in that light, methinks a keyless is absolutely the way to go for a newb. In most sessions (around here anyway) you might need keys for maybe 4 tunes in a session. And one can also buy whistles in those random keys very cheaply.
You don't need keys for most of traditional flute tunes, and for the beginning it's good to start off without them. As keys are expensive and not at all obligatory, it's good to have a sound idea of your own preferences and what kind of flute you want to have when ordering a keyed variety, and then order a really good one. So if I were you, I'd go first for a keyless and play it for a while (say, several years )
You've got enough to learn with all the ornamentation. Skip the keys for now and invest in a decent D wooden flute. Casey Burns makes some great, affordable ones.
A friend of mine makes good PVC flutes. I asked him about getting a D flute, but he recommends starting with a G if you don't have any previous experience with a flute because of the easier finger stretches involved.
I'm only new at dis so u'r prob better off listenin 2 wats been said above but i'd go wit a flute in D.. De finger stretches wil cum wit a bit of practice and since u already play pipes it should be no bother.. Plus if u get a D flute you can play in both D and G.. U mite wana try get a lend of a flute before u go out and buy 1 tho...
Matt Malloy plays and Eb, not Bb, flute. He got it to play with Toimmy Peeples because Tommy liked to tune his fiddle up a bit, and Matt liked the sound of the Eb flute he had the opportunity to buy. He used it on Heathery Breeze because it was a solo album and no one but Donal Lunny had to worry about playing in the same key with him.
Get a keyless flute in D, and you'll be on your way.
Irish Flute
Irish Flute
Im thinking of buying an Irish flute, however I don't know what key I should be looking for. I have seen most of them in Bb. Is this what most of them should be keyed in? Also I have been looking only at wooden Irish flutes, as this is what I want. I would like to emulate the playing style of Matt Molloy. I believe he plays a Bb but Im not sure. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
# Posted on July 29th 2006 by Harper_Lad
Re: Irish Flute
-I believe Matt Molloy does sometimes play a Bb flute but not as his main instrument. He plays one beautifully on one piece on the "Heathery Breeze" album, and the same piece (Drowsy Maggie) is also
on the original Wooden Flute Obsession set.
-You will likely be better served by choice of a wooden flute in D so you can play usual session music with other musicians in keys of D and G.
-Good Luck
Brian
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by pubpersona
Re: Irish Flute
Thanks Brian. I was thinking D but have no clue how flute mechanics worked. I play uilleann pipes, is the fingering somewhat the same as uilleann or tin whistle on the irish flute?
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by Harper_Lad
Re: Irish Flute
Harper_lad, you will want to get yourself a flute in the key of D. I'd venture a guess that Molloy plays a D flute 95% of the time. the overwhelming majority of irish music on flute is played with a D flute.
As for what to get, i don't know how much money you have to spend. but it is worth getting the best flute you can afford, since learning on a crappy flute really impedes progress. there are a number of previous threads on this topic in this forum if you want recommendations regarding flute makers. Or feel free to email me thru this site if you need further assistance.
in any case, welcome to the wonderful world of irish music and the wood flute in particular.
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by Brendan
Re: Irish Flute
Matt Molloy plays flutes in nearly all keys! the Bb flutes have a really nice sound but for sessions etc, definitely a D flute! The fingering is very near/the same as the tin whistle
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by Cealgach
Re: Irish Flute
If you intend to play with other people get a D flute, unless you play at Eb sessions then you need an Eb. Bbs are really for solo play.
You need to get some decent starter Flute (I suggest a Casey Burns Folk Flute or Doug Tipple PVC) and once you get your bearings on that start trying out more expensive Flutes and see which one you would want.
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by Unseen122
Re: Irish Flute
You really want a concert flute in D - the fingering on the simple system flute is exactly the same as the whistle. Many starters go for keyless flutes but I would recommend that you go a for the keyed variety. Usually 6 keys as you will rarely use the C or C# keys on the lower register. That will allow you to play the full chromatic scale and hence [theoretically] in any key.
You can sometimes get a half decent flute off ebay but stay well away from Pakistani flutes that are almost all out of tune. I would also generally stay away from older german flutes as they tend to have very weak lower notes. One of the London makers such as Ruddall Rose and Carte is usually a sound bet but could prove quite expensive.
If you want a cheap starter before you fully commit then Hammy Hamilton makes a metal practice flute for about 70 euro which has quite a nice sound and has similar behaviour to the modern Irish flutes made by himself and the likes of Sam Murray.
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by breandan
Re: Irish Flute
I'm one of those who thinks you should not drop thousands of euros on keys unless you know you need them. Moreover, make sure that you really want the flute that the keys are attached to. . . in that light, methinks a keyless is absolutely the way to go for a newb. In most sessions (around here anyway) you might need keys for maybe 4 tunes in a session. And one can also buy whistles in those random keys very cheaply.
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by wormdiet
Re: Irish Flute
i agree with wormdiet. forget about the keys for now. at best they'd be a distraction, at worste a hinderance...
# Posted on July 30th 2006 by Brendan
Re: Irish Flute
i'd suggest you go on line to the irish flute store. patrick has a great variety of new and used flutes and is easy and helpful to deal with. don
# Posted on July 31st 2006 by Dont
Re: Irish Flute
You don't need keys for most of traditional flute tunes, and for the beginning it's good to start off without them. As keys are expensive and not at all obligatory, it's good to have a sound idea of your own preferences and what kind of flute you want to have when ordering a keyed variety, and then order a really good one. So if I were you, I'd go first for a keyless and play it for a while (say, several years
)
# Posted on July 31st 2006 by EastPole
Re: Irish Flute
You've got enough to learn with all the ornamentation. Skip the keys for now and invest in a decent D wooden flute. Casey Burns makes some great, affordable ones.
# Posted on July 31st 2006 by O'Lehane
Re: Irish Flute
A friend of mine makes good PVC flutes. I asked him about getting a D flute, but he recommends starting with a G if you don't have any previous experience with a flute because of the easier finger stretches involved.
What the consensus on this advice?
# Posted on July 31st 2006 by griffith
Re: Irish Flute
I'm only new at dis so u'r prob better off listenin 2 wats been said above but i'd go wit a flute in D.. De finger stretches wil cum wit a bit of practice and since u already play pipes it should be no bother.. Plus if u get a D flute you can play in both D and G.. U mite wana try get a lend of a flute before u go out and buy 1 tho...
# Posted on August 1st 2006 by scull-piper
Re: Irish Flute
D. Keyless. Casey Burns.
# Posted on August 1st 2006 by dulcie22
Re: Irish Flute
Matt Malloy plays and Eb, not Bb, flute. He got it to play with Toimmy Peeples because Tommy liked to tune his fiddle up a bit, and Matt liked the sound of the Eb flute he had the opportunity to buy. He used it on Heathery Breeze because it was a solo album and no one but Donal Lunny had to worry about playing in the same key with him.
Get a keyless flute in D, and you'll be on your way.
# Posted on August 1st 2006 by Ailin
Re: Irish Flute
Ailin, Matt DOES play the his Bb flute though on the Drowsy Maggie track on Heathery Breeze.
Kevin Krell
# Posted on August 2nd 2006 by kkrell