I have played irish music on the silver flute for 13 years now, and while I really like the sound, I want to venture out and get a wooden flute, but I don't know anything about them. I definitely want a keyed wooden flute. Does anyone know a lot about wooden flutes??
If you can play in the Irish style on a Boehm flute, you might want to think twice about changing. Good keyed wooden flutes are not cheap, and you'd essentially have to re-learn the instrument. If you didn't already play Irish, I would encourage the change, but if you can get the sound on a Boehm, I don't see the point. I can't do it, myself, so I admire you if you can.
have you got/do you also play the whistle ?
If not. do so.
Then you'll see whether or not you need the keys. Keyed wooden flutes are more expensive than simple-system ones, so you might save yourself some money. At least you already have a good embouchere.
I play silver and wooden flutes (started on silver) and I think no matter how 'good' you are you can never get the same sound on silver as on wooden. You can get a nice strong tone for sure but for trad music I'll always play the wooden. Also, the keys on the metal flute do make a difference I reckon- you can almost get rolls and cuts happening on a metal flute but they're just a bit clunkier. No offence Ailin, but I would recommend the cross over to wooden flutes every time, especially after doing it myself.
Just for the sake of clarity, "simple system" does not generally mean keyless. "Simple system" refers to the keying system found on flutes of pre-Boehm designs and continued in the conical-bodied wooden keyed flutes being made again these days, where there are still 6 open, unkeyed holes for your actual fingers. Mechanically it is relatively very simple - one key, one hinge, one pad at a time, with very few interlocks or interactions at all. The change in bore and in hole placements that were part of Boehm's idea necessitated a much more complex mechanism.
The mid-19th century flutes we lust after, R&Rs, Prattens and so forth are simple system flutes.
What type of sound are you looking for? You should probably experiment with a couple less expensive keyless Flutes before you throw down a big wad of cash. Keyed Flutes are expesive, especially nice ones. You don't want to spend $3K on a Rudall style only to find out you like Pratten styles more or something like that. Ask to play other's Flutes in sessions and stuff, I am sure they will let you. I know someone mentioned it, but it if you don't play whislte, start asap.
A large proportion of Irish musicians have a pronounced disdain for Irish music played on a metal, Boehm-style classical flute. Putting a wooden headjoint on it doesn't really cut it, either. Get yourself a midrange, modern wooden or polymer flute from Desi Seery, Casey Burns, Terry McGee, etc. Although few start on a keyed flute (you really don't need them for 95% of the tunes out there), you can get keys put on an M&E or Seery without much of a wait.
I too recently made the switch from silver to wood, and I'm not looking back at all. The embouchoure shouldn't be much a problem (you might need to make a minor adjustment). I would recommend you get a keyless flute, for the same reason Devin McCabe suggests it. If you get a keyless flute, and you already play the whistle, you will be playing your new wooden flute well in no time. As for which flute to buy, that's of course a complicated question, but I'm quite happy with my Casey Burns flute.
You might want to try a wooden Boehm, which is what I play these days. You get the "wooden sound", sufficient volume and if you get a good enough machine the action is such that it's fast enough for rolls and cuts and all the so-called simple system ornamentation. But they can be a bit pricey. Here are a couple of examples of makers:
Thanks for everyones comments. Yes, I do play the whistle, and I was thinking about getting a wooden just to see what sort of sounds it makes. I tried a wooden keyed flute I loved last year off someone at a session, but at the time I wasn't interested in buying one. I would not stop playing the silver flute though. While some of you thought that you get a better, more "trad" sound out of the wooden, I disagree. Look at Joannie Madden, Noel Rice, and others that play the silver flute, I think their sound on the silver flute is much more superior to most players on the wooden.
If you prefer the sound on a Boehm, and you can play it, why bother getting a conical?
Now, whether the "silver sound" is 'superior' to the conical sound is a matter of subjective interpretation, but it is a fact that the vast majority of ITM fluters use a conical flute - if such things matter, that would suggest that the conical sound is "trad."
What makes a sound traditional isn't determined by subjectivity, but rather what people have been playing for hundreds of years. That means a conical, simple-system wooden flute.
I would guess that you find Joanie Madden's sound "superior" to wooden flute players because it's clearer. Well, that's just the nature of the instrument. It is harder to get a clear sound out of a wooden flute, but that hasn't stopped people like Seamus Egan and June McCormack from getting a perfectly clear tone.
Joanie is an exception to the rule. She grew up surrounded by musicians like her father, a twofisted accordion player with a rowdy style, and her father's friends, including Mike Rafferty, around her playing music. If she sounds irish playing a wooden flute it's because she has that traditional sound in her bones. Most metal flute players suck out loud in my experience.
Irish flute is raw, rowdy, primal, elemental, sublime...and only pretty some of the time. Perfect intonation and clarity achieved at the expense of phrasing, timing, and lift is a pyrrhic victory at best.
Oh, that's interesting, because I find most U-pipers really suck big time unless they've been playing for at least 2 decades. Unless of course it's in the family. So they'd still have nearly a decade to catch up on me on simple and Boehm flute.
Hello from Hungary! Just a little question! I've got a Tony Dixon polymer flute since last summer! I like it very much, it was a perfect choice to learn to play and I'd like to change it a wooden flute!
What are you think about Michael Vignoles's rosewood flutes?? http://www.irelandwoodcrafts.com/product_info.php?cPath=82&products_id=115
And one more question! I'm absolutely beginner in the irish instruments but what is that "Pratten style"??
Many thanks and sorry for my occurent mistakes. (Probably there is a lot
Wooden Flute?
Wooden Flute?
I have played irish music on the silver flute for 13 years now, and while I really like the sound, I want to venture out and get a wooden flute, but I don't know anything about them. I definitely want a keyed wooden flute. Does anyone know a lot about wooden flutes??
# Posted on March 21st 2007 by Flute86
Re: Wooden Flute?
Where are you?
# Posted on March 21st 2007 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Wooden Flute?
I live in Chicago
# Posted on March 21st 2007 by Flute86
Re: Wooden Flute?
woodenflute.com would be a good place to start
# Posted on March 21st 2007 by thorsdog
Re: Wooden Flute?
Go search the archives at the flute forum at Chiff and Fipple: http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewforum.php?forum=2&954
And then go drool over the wooden flutes for sale at Doc Jones' online shop: http://www.irishflutestore.com
# Posted on March 21st 2007 by Will CPT
Re: Wooden Flute?
If you can play in the Irish style on a Boehm flute, you might want to think twice about changing. Good keyed wooden flutes are not cheap, and you'd essentially have to re-learn the instrument. If you didn't already play Irish, I would encourage the change, but if you can get the sound on a Boehm, I don't see the point. I can't do it, myself, so I admire you if you can.
# Posted on March 21st 2007 by Ailin
Re: Wooden Flute?
have you got/do you also play the whistle ?
If not. do so.
Then you'll see whether or not you need the keys. Keyed wooden flutes are more expensive than simple-system ones, so you might save yourself some money. At least you already have a good embouchere.
# Posted on March 22nd 2007 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Wooden Flute?
I play silver and wooden flutes (started on silver) and I think no matter how 'good' you are you can never get the same sound on silver as on wooden. You can get a nice strong tone for sure but for trad music I'll always play the wooden. Also, the keys on the metal flute do make a difference I reckon- you can almost get rolls and cuts happening on a metal flute but they're just a bit clunkier. No offence Ailin, but I would recommend the cross over to wooden flutes every time, especially after doing it myself.
# Posted on March 22nd 2007 by sneetch
Re: Wooden Flute?
Just for the sake of clarity, "simple system" does not generally mean keyless. "Simple system" refers to the keying system found on flutes of pre-Boehm designs and continued in the conical-bodied wooden keyed flutes being made again these days, where there are still 6 open, unkeyed holes for your actual fingers. Mechanically it is relatively very simple - one key, one hinge, one pad at a time, with very few interlocks or interactions at all. The change in bore and in hole placements that were part of Boehm's idea necessitated a much more complex mechanism.
The mid-19th century flutes we lust after, R&Rs, Prattens and so forth are simple system flutes.
# Posted on March 22nd 2007 by Lingpupa
Re: Wooden Flute?
What type of sound are you looking for? You should probably experiment with a couple less expensive keyless Flutes before you throw down a big wad of cash. Keyed Flutes are expesive, especially nice ones. You don't want to spend $3K on a Rudall style only to find out you like Pratten styles more or something like that. Ask to play other's Flutes in sessions and stuff, I am sure they will let you. I know someone mentioned it, but it if you don't play whislte, start asap.
# Posted on March 22nd 2007 by Unseen122
Re: Wooden Flute?
A large proportion of Irish musicians have a pronounced disdain for Irish music played on a metal, Boehm-style classical flute. Putting a wooden headjoint on it doesn't really cut it, either. Get yourself a midrange, modern wooden or polymer flute from Desi Seery, Casey Burns, Terry McGee, etc. Although few start on a keyed flute (you really don't need them for 95% of the tunes out there), you can get keys put on an M&E or Seery without much of a wait.
Try http://www.irishflutestore.com for a good selection of quality beginner and intermediate level flutes.
# Posted on March 22nd 2007 by mcdevincabe
Re: Wooden Flute?
I too recently made the switch from silver to wood, and I'm not looking back at all. The embouchoure shouldn't be much a problem (you might need to make a minor adjustment). I would recommend you get a keyless flute, for the same reason Devin McCabe suggests it. If you get a keyless flute, and you already play the whistle, you will be playing your new wooden flute well in no time. As for which flute to buy, that's of course a complicated question, but I'm quite happy with my Casey Burns flute.
# Posted on March 22nd 2007 by smw
Re: Wooden Flute?
You might want to try a wooden Boehm, which is what I play these days. You get the "wooden sound", sufficient volume and if you get a good enough machine the action is such that it's fast enough for rolls and cuts and all the so-called simple system ornamentation. But they can be a bit pricey. Here are a couple of examples of makers:
http://www.abellflute.com/theabellflute.html
http://www.epplerflutes.com/index.html#links
# Posted on March 22nd 2007 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: Wooden Flute?
Thanks for everyones comments. Yes, I do play the whistle, and I was thinking about getting a wooden just to see what sort of sounds it makes. I tried a wooden keyed flute I loved last year off someone at a session, but at the time I wasn't interested in buying one. I would not stop playing the silver flute though. While some of you thought that you get a better, more "trad" sound out of the wooden, I disagree. Look at Joannie Madden, Noel Rice, and others that play the silver flute, I think their sound on the silver flute is much more superior to most players on the wooden.
# Posted on March 22nd 2007 by Flute86
Re: Wooden Flute?
If you prefer the sound on a Boehm, and you can play it, why bother getting a conical?
Now, whether the "silver sound" is 'superior' to the conical sound is a matter of subjective interpretation, but it is a fact that the vast majority of ITM fluters use a conical flute - if such things matter, that would suggest that the conical sound is "trad."
# Posted on March 22nd 2007 by wormdiet
Re: Wooden Flute?
What makes a sound traditional isn't determined by subjectivity, but rather what people have been playing for hundreds of years. That means a conical, simple-system wooden flute.
I would guess that you find Joanie Madden's sound "superior" to wooden flute players because it's clearer. Well, that's just the nature of the instrument. It is harder to get a clear sound out of a wooden flute, but that hasn't stopped people like Seamus Egan and June McCormack from getting a perfectly clear tone.
# Posted on March 23rd 2007 by mcdevincabe
Re: Wooden Flute?
Joanie is an exception to the rule. She grew up surrounded by musicians like her father, a twofisted accordion player with a rowdy style, and her father's friends, including Mike Rafferty, around her playing music. If she sounds irish playing a wooden flute it's because she has that traditional sound in her bones. Most metal flute players suck out loud in my experience.
Irish flute is raw, rowdy, primal, elemental, sublime...and only pretty some of the time. Perfect intonation and clarity achieved at the expense of phrasing, timing, and lift is a pyrrhic victory at best.
# Posted on March 23rd 2007 by Hanley
Re: Wooden Flute?
sorry, that should read "if she sound Irish playing a METAL flute". sigh.
# Posted on March 23rd 2007 by Hanley
Re: Wooden Flute?
Oh, that's interesting, because I find most U-pipers really suck big time unless they've been playing for at least 2 decades. Unless of course it's in the family. So they'd still have nearly a decade to catch up on me on simple and Boehm flute.
# Posted on March 29th 2007 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: Wooden Flute?
Hello from Hungary! Just a little question! I've got a Tony Dixon polymer flute since last summer! I like it very much, it was a perfect choice to learn to play and I'd like to change it a wooden flute!
What are you think about Michael Vignoles's rosewood flutes??
http://www.irelandwoodcrafts.com/product_info.php?cPath=82&products_id=115
And one more question! I'm absolutely beginner in the irish instruments but what is that "Pratten style"??
Many thanks and sorry for my occurent mistakes. (Probably there is a lot
# Posted on April 28th 2008 by Vikke