Does anyone play a Meyer system flute for ITM? The Meyer system was a transitional flute between the simple flutes and the Boehm style in use today (http://www.oldflutes.com/articles/meyer.htm)
I recently bought one at an auction for less than the wood is worth and am thinking of giving it to a flute player friend of mine for ITM
I've tried a few here and there, they aren't that good for trad. Reasons being that they are not usually in tune with today's pitches such as the F# being quite flat and the bottom D as well. Provided it is actually tuned to A=440 in the first place which is not always the case with them. If it is tuned to A=440 most flute players will be able to lip up the flat notes but this is not really ideal. Another concern is that the bore and tone-holes are quite small and this leads to a quieter sweeter toned flute. This is not really the ideal set-up for trad flutes. Yet, good flute players will be able to get more out of the instrument. Thus having said this; ITM can be played on them but they do not suit it like the Rudall and Pratten style flutes that we all know and love. They are also a good way to get used to keys without spending a couple 1000, insert local currency, on them.
Yep, they can be made to work. I play one. In addition to the patching up it needed - pads, corks and a crack mend - it also needed to be raised from A=434 up to A=440 before swfiddler would stop wincing whenever I got it out. Simply closing the tuning slide wasn't enough as that moves some notes more than others. So I cut off about 7mm from the head to sharpen the whole thing, and then the bottom hand notes had to be raised quite a bit more. I think the bottom hole of the top hand required a bit of attention too. Then just the usual monkeying around with fine tuning the intonation. It's not half-bad now, except I had to enlarge the low D hole so much that the pad can no longer cover it to sound a proper low C#.
That said, you don't have to do all that if you are not going to play with others who are A=440. And each flute is different. I have two others here as well that I'm working on, some are easier and some need more work.
You can check out the sound at theboysofcountylee(dot)com and click on the "music" link at the top.
On of bear country's flutists (see the discussion ) uses such a flute. It is indeed quiet and the F# has to be raised (XXX X0k). But they're lots of keys (and I mean lots!) for a low price.
By the way, handy to play the Mathematician hornpipe http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1755 with its chromatics and low B to3rd octave G range.
The guy said that it is there for an XXX XOX cross fingering. I've also read that the Germans thought that equally sized holes produce an 'equal' timbre, which means the f# hole is very small compared to other flutes.
As for meantone, I don't know.
Meyer system flutes in ITM
Meyer system flutes in ITM
Does anyone play a Meyer system flute for ITM? The Meyer system was a transitional flute between the simple flutes and the Boehm style in use today (http://www.oldflutes.com/articles/meyer.htm)
I recently bought one at an auction for less than the wood is worth and am thinking of giving it to a flute player friend of mine for ITM
Mike Keyes
http://www.mikekeyes.com
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by mikeyes
Re: Meyer system flutes in ITM
Yes. Michel Bonamy, the excellent flute player from Brittany, uses one.
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by Gallowglass
Re: Meyer system flutes in ITM
I've tried a few here and there, they aren't that good for trad. Reasons being that they are not usually in tune with today's pitches such as the F# being quite flat and the bottom D as well. Provided it is actually tuned to A=440 in the first place which is not always the case with them. If it is tuned to A=440 most flute players will be able to lip up the flat notes but this is not really ideal. Another concern is that the bore and tone-holes are quite small and this leads to a quieter sweeter toned flute. This is not really the ideal set-up for trad flutes. Yet, good flute players will be able to get more out of the instrument. Thus having said this; ITM can be played on them but they do not suit it like the Rudall and Pratten style flutes that we all know and love. They are also a good way to get used to keys without spending a couple 1000, insert local currency, on them.
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by Why Bother?
Re: Meyer system flutes in ITM
Yep, they can be made to work. I play one. In addition to the patching up it needed - pads, corks and a crack mend - it also needed to be raised from A=434 up to A=440 before swfiddler would stop wincing whenever I got it out. Simply closing the tuning slide wasn't enough as that moves some notes more than others. So I cut off about 7mm from the head to sharpen the whole thing, and then the bottom hand notes had to be raised quite a bit more. I think the bottom hole of the top hand required a bit of attention too. Then just the usual monkeying around with fine tuning the intonation. It's not half-bad now, except I had to enlarge the low D hole so much that the pad can no longer cover it to sound a proper low C#.
That said, you don't have to do all that if you are not going to play with others who are A=440. And each flute is different. I have two others here as well that I'm working on, some are easier and some need more work.
You can check out the sound at theboysofcountylee(dot)com and click on the "music" link at the top.
Carey
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by cjp
Re: Meyer system flutes in ITM
'Meyer system' as shown in the pics is just a keyed simple system flute. Nothing too transitional about it.
Michael Bonamy plays a Ziegler (or used to anyway)
# Posted on November 10th 2010 by Prof. Prlwytzkofski
Re: Meyer system flutes in ITM
On of bear country's flutists (see the discussion
) uses such a flute. It is indeed quiet and the F# has to be raised (XXX X0k). But they're lots of keys (and I mean lots!) for a low price.
By the way, handy to play the Mathematician hornpipe http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1755 with its chromatics and low B to3rd octave G range.
# Posted on November 11th 2010 by Elvellon
Re: Meyer system flutes in ITM
Is the flattened F# on the Meyer really meant for playing in meantone? Or is it even flatter than a meantone F#?
Do you have different pitches available for Ab and G# as well?
# Posted on November 11th 2010 by Jack Campin
Re: Meyer system flutes in ITM
The guy said that it is there for an XXX XOX cross fingering. I've also read that the Germans thought that equally sized holes produce an 'equal' timbre, which means the f# hole is very small compared to other flutes.
As for meantone, I don't know.
# Posted on November 11th 2010 by Elvellon