So I have a nice little bit of fundage coming along sort of unexpectedly. I have a few options on how to dispose of it. (Actually there are many options but I'll confine them to the musical for the purposes of this discussion).
Would you:
1) Replace or supplement your M & E polymer flute with a really top-of-the line keyless (Or maybe a keyed with F-naturals)?
or would you:
2) BUy a completely new sort of instrument and start from scratch so as to keep things fresh and exciting? FOr the purposes of this debate, the instrument has strings (LOTSA strings), is as traditional as it gets, but ironically pretty rare in sessions. It can be used for accompaniment or melody (or both simultaneously). It's also NOT a piano or a guitar. or zouk. Or banjo. Thanks god.
OPtion 3) Buy the world's best bodhran and donate the remainder to charity?
- The purpose of option 2) - I've been getting together with some folks to put together a gigging group ("band" is a bit of an exaggeration) and looking for ways to contribute beyond playing flute and guitar.
Thanks for playing. Your advice will be taken much more seriously if you contribute $$$ to the cause!!
Assuming that you won't be doing yourself any non-favors by not investing it and that buying an instrument or something musically related isn't going to abrogate any instrument non-proliferation treaties currently in effect, I personally would wait for a little bit and see if that gigging band turns into a reality. Then buy a good sound system with decent mikes and good long good-quality cables and decent speakers with stands. Look around til you find one that fits as many of your possible gigging situations as you can (I personally like the new packages that are small and fit into their own touring cases, because I never do large stage shows.)
Unless you're really at a point in time where you need to go up to a better instrument. That's between you and your muse.
I vote for new top-end wooden flute, hands down. (And leave the hammered dulcimers alone unless your bandmates like living in a catabatic blast of sound.)
Good idea, Z. The new Bose sound system (no monitors!) isn't that expensive, and it gets rave reviews from most of the acoustic musicians who try it. Super portable, efficient set up and sound check, and great sound quality for any size hall (or outdoors). I have gigging friends who swear by their Bose towers.
But I'd still go for my dream flute. Let the gigs pay for the new sound system.
I'd go for the flute. A hammered dulcimer (right?) for gigging can be a real pain to haul around and retune for each gig. And regardless of how good your M & E sounds, deep in your heart you'd still like a "real" flute, right? Plus, a new instrument that you really like will often give you a burst of inspiration. Buying a "completely new sort of instrument" to play in your group means you face a learning curve to get good enough to play well in public.
If your group needs a bodhran, get one of those Pakistani $99 tunables (in addition to the flute). They sound better than you might think, particularly if you sand the head to smooth out the rough skins that they use.
Hmm, but if it's a dulcimer, man are they ever so much fun. And most set into their tuning really well so tuning takes less time. I might be a bit biased towards the hammer dulcimer but it is a really cool instrument and once you get the chord patterns then learning tunes and ornamenting them is relatively easy. . .
When was the last time anybody accused a dulcimer of being traditional?
The other thing one can do on a harp is medieval music (Solo, that is) Solo wind instruments just don't cut it for reeeeaaaaally traditional stuff It's my secret passion in addition to ITM.
Actually, one of the guys I play with has a hammered dulcimer he built himself - it's a lot mellower than many and it gets a great sound. Some of them can be very shrill. I wonder if anybody has built a nylon-string hammered dulcimer?
For the last three weeks we've had a harpist at our Monday session at the Plume of Feathers in Bristol. She plays a largish instrument that stands on the floor rather than sits in her lap, but it's nowhere as large as a classical concert harp, so she can carry it around in its soft case without too much difficulty. She uses gut strings which are in tune and stay that way in each of the three sessions. She's learning the Irish music rapidly and when not playing a tune can accompany intelligently. It's an instrument that makes its presence felt attractively in sessions, but I should imagine it takes as long to learn as the flute or fiddle.
A harp? yes, I'd go for it.
The big dilemma (literally) for me and a harp is the damned size of them - I drive a Honda civic in which I can;t fold the seat back down. . . that limits the number of strings and the bass response one can get.
Yeah, pedal harps are absolute monstrosities - there's no practical way they would work for pub sessions. At at the price of a new SUV, who would risk a pint getting tossed into the mechanism?
Hammer Dulcimers are traditional where I'm from . . . which is of course not Ireland, but then they aren't exactly new instruments either. . . still I do love the harp too.
I've never heard of anyone using nylon strings on hammer dulcimers but that doesn't mean it isn't done.
Hey musicfan - "When was the last time anybody accused a dulcimer of being traditional?"
Fact is they have been traditional up here in Co. Antrim for about the last 200 years! That makes them far more, so called, 'traditional' than say Accordions, Concertinas, Guitars, Bouzoukis, Banjos, Mandolins & even Bodhrans & certainly Shakey Eggs & Didgeridoos!
If you're going for the harp, you could try a small wire-strung harp. That's a nice sound - it's a bit like the hammer-dulcimer sound and it can blend well if used thoughtfully and musically.
The gut-strung harp is great and you get a huge dynamic range out of it (unlike nylon-strung) but it needs a lot of hard work to learn to play well and any harp can sound a bit brutal if you thrash it just to make yourself heard. <bias>Avoid accordions and any session with more than one guitar!! - especially those guitarists who only play three chords</bias>
If you have a good ear for harmonies, then any harp can work well - particularly if you can use the appropriate register to add a bit of "sparkle" to the sound or a bit of gravitas, depending on what's being played. Besides, how cool is it to have an instrument that can do melodies and harmonies, and even both at the same time?!
Mark, my wife plays one of those little wire strung jobs. It sounds delightful but is an absolute nightmare to tune & tune & tune & tune, while her £300 Pakistani Nylon strung knee harp stays in tune really well.
Braypin harps can be fun. Also, and this reminded me of it because it was on the same radio programme I heard recently, there's a Welsh thing called a "Crwth" (rhymes with "Strewth!").
Anyone play one of these? Never heard one in real life - could be an interesting session instrument.
I'd just like to say that we have a harper who turns up to some of our sessions, and he fits in fine, knows some of the tunes, leads some, accompanies lots of others. Always impresses everyone. In one session he uses a small amp to help override the appaling acoustics ( pitched, wood-lined, roof over back-end of bar ).
A hammered dulcimer ( who said it wasn't traditional ? ) would be just as good - folks like Jim Couza do a good job with one.
One the other hand, as Zina said, having a decent portable pa for the band is an immense asset - they can't throw you out then !
Wire-strung harp, all the way! The Kortier replicas are beautiful instruments, and my Trinity is small enough to carry on your back. And you don't have to play with the nails, only one of the wire harpers did that at the time of the Belfast Harp Festival. I play with nails when I have them, and without when I don't.
For travel, I already have budgeted the funds for a summer workshop. Actually, which one I go to will proably be decided by the current dilema's resolution.
Interesting re: dulcimer and being traditional - I had no idea. I like 'em, but it's not my thing at the moment.
Yeah Wormdiet, as Michael Caine would say, notta lotta people know dat!
Phew tumeltyni - Price: €1876 for those Harps! - & to think I paid about £10 for my last good Jews Harp! "
Aye Mark, we have a six string Crwth, from 'Marcus Music' in Wales. I'm afraid it's not a very musical beast & we use it simply to demonstrate what was here in Ireland before the Harps first came over here, from Wales - ooops, I feel a discussion coming on................
Old scraper, I hadn't realised Didge's were considered a traditional Irish instrument - & pray tell, which corner of East Clare are you from anyway?
Worm, I notice, from your bio, that you are a reformed highland piper!
Had you not thought of going down the Uilleann Pipe road, or perhaps your windfall wouldn't quite stretch to a set of those beauties?
Not much learning in them really - they say 21 years, but with your Highland Pipe experience, surely you could cut that down a fair bit?
To qualify:
I regularly play my fiddle in local sessions with two flat Pipers, B-ish & C sharp (Anyone know where the Sharp sign is on an eMac Keyboard?) & I reckon there is no finer musical sound on the planet than a set of flat pipes.
So, that's why I brought them into this discussion.
Anyone else see Liam O'Flynn on RTE at the weekend? Old footage from Clare, many years ago! Wow, that many can Pipe!
Ah but they're good enough to make professional harpers jealous... That's cheap for a decent harp!
By the way, your wife should come to one of our harper circles some time Ptarmigan, they're still going strong! Next one's 18th February, in Clonsilla, http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/irishclairseach if anyone's interested!
I suggested the flute for the simple reason that a serious flute upgrade might inspire you to develop your flute-playing to its full potential. Why not try this? A polymer flute, regardless of who made it, is still a polymer flute. A better instrument might help you clear technical hurdles that have frustrated you for years in a matter of weeks...
With regard to the pipes:
Why o why would you want to do that? : )
Even the NPU site urges the merely curious to "get a saxophone and play some REAL music!"
The biggest issues for would-be irish pipers is access to good instruments, access to quality instruction, learning pipe maintenance, and finding the time and determination it takes to bend the pipes to their will. Reeds are only part of the problem.
I should probably just throw the lot of it into a savings account and forget about it.
Naah, in reality the UPs are not a serious consideration - I love 'em to death but I don't have the drive (or practice space) to really learn them properly at the moment.
ahh, but then there are the endless choices that prove that ignorance really is bliss:
What maker?
Keys? Which ones?
Bore width?
Hole sizes?
Embouchure?
Wood?
I have discovered that I am much more of a large-hole kinda guy after messing around with a smaller holed flute recently. So I'd probably fit into the "big rudall clone" camp fairly easily.
With a new instrument it's soooo much easier to go with somebody else's recommendations for a solid starter package. Too much knowledge is a dangerous thing.
I would start on the bore size and go from there, that is usually how I pick out my Flutes. Hole size goes hand in hand with bore size when it comes to a new Flute. Keys if you can afford them sure, remember G# is the most useful secondly is F nat, Eb without Bb to me is kind of pointless, but of course there are those tunes in E which need a D#, that is how I would go about choosing. Then once you have chosen all of these look for a maker who can do this, and then ask them about embochures and wood see what they like to do. That is how I break it down.
What would you do?
What would you do?
So I have a nice little bit of fundage coming along sort of unexpectedly. I have a few options on how to dispose of it. (Actually there are many options but I'll confine them to the musical for the purposes of this discussion).
Would you:
1) Replace or supplement your M & E polymer flute with a really top-of-the line keyless (Or maybe a keyed with F-naturals)?
or would you:
2) BUy a completely new sort of instrument and start from scratch so as to keep things fresh and exciting? FOr the purposes of this debate, the instrument has strings (LOTSA strings), is as traditional as it gets, but ironically pretty rare in sessions. It can be used for accompaniment or melody (or both simultaneously). It's also NOT a piano or a guitar. or zouk. Or banjo. Thanks god.
OPtion 3) Buy the world's best bodhran and donate the remainder to charity?
- The purpose of option 2) - I've been getting together with some folks to put together a gigging group ("band" is a bit of an exaggeration) and looking for ways to contribute beyond playing flute and guitar.
Thanks for playing. Your advice will be taken much more seriously if you contribute $$$ to the cause!!
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by wormdiet
Re: What would you do?
Assuming that you won't be doing yourself any non-favors by not investing it and that buying an instrument or something musically related isn't going to abrogate any instrument non-proliferation treaties currently in effect, I personally would wait for a little bit and see if that gigging band turns into a reality. Then buy a good sound system with decent mikes and good long good-quality cables and decent speakers with stands. Look around til you find one that fits as many of your possible gigging situations as you can (I personally like the new packages that are small and fit into their own touring cases, because I never do large stage shows.)
Unless you're really at a point in time where you need to go up to a better instrument. That's between you and your muse.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: What would you do?
I vote for new top-end wooden flute, hands down. (And leave the hammered dulcimers alone unless your bandmates like living in a catabatic blast of sound.)
But it's your money and musicality....
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Will CPT
Re: What would you do?
Good idea, Z. The new Bose sound system (no monitors!) isn't that expensive, and it gets rave reviews from most of the acoustic musicians who try it. Super portable, efficient set up and sound check, and great sound quality for any size hall (or outdoors). I have gigging friends who swear by their Bose towers.
But I'd still go for my dream flute. Let the gigs pay for the new sound system.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Will CPT
Re: What would you do?
I'd go for the flute. A hammered dulcimer (right?) for gigging can be a real pain to haul around and retune for each gig. And regardless of how good your M & E sounds, deep in your heart you'd still like a "real" flute, right? Plus, a new instrument that you really like will often give you a burst of inspiration. Buying a "completely new sort of instrument" to play in your group means you face a learning curve to get good enough to play well in public.
If your group needs a bodhran, get one of those Pakistani $99 tunables (in addition to the flute). They sound better than you might think, particularly if you sand the head to smooth out the rough skins that they use.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Craymcla
Re: What would you do?
If it's a harp, and not a dulcimer, remember it takes a LONG time to get fast enough to go session speeds on it.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: What would you do?
Hmm, but if it's a dulcimer, man are they ever so much fun. And most set into their tuning really well so tuning takes less time. I might be a bit biased towards the hammer dulcimer but it is a really cool instrument and once you get the chord patterns then learning tunes and ornamenting them is relatively easy. . .
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by musicfan
Re: What would you do?
When was the last time anybody accused a dulcimer of being traditional?
The other thing one can do on a harp is medieval music (Solo, that is) Solo wind instruments just don't cut it for reeeeaaaaally traditional stuff
It's my secret passion in addition to ITM.
Actually, one of the guys I play with has a hammered dulcimer he built himself - it's a lot mellower than many and it gets a great sound. Some of them can be very shrill. I wonder if anybody has built a nylon-string hammered dulcimer?
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by wormdiet
Re: What would you do?
I have *got* to try out one of those new Bose systems. Getting rid of the scourge of monitors would be audio tech heaven.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Bob himself
Re: What would you do?
Yeah, tell us more about those Bose systems- I've not heard anything. . .
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by wormdiet
Re: What would you do?
For the last three weeks we've had a harpist at our Monday session at the Plume of Feathers in Bristol. She plays a largish instrument that stands on the floor rather than sits in her lap, but it's nowhere as large as a classical concert harp, so she can carry it around in its soft case without too much difficulty. She uses gut strings which are in tune and stay that way in each of the three sessions. She's learning the Irish music rapidly and when not playing a tune can accompany intelligently. It's an instrument that makes its presence felt attractively in sessions, but I should imagine it takes as long to learn as the flute or fiddle.
A harp? yes, I'd go for it.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by lazyhound
Re: What would you do?
The big dilemma (literally) for me and a harp is the damned size of them - I drive a Honda civic in which I can;t fold the seat back down. . . that limits the number of strings and the bass response one can get.
Yeah, pedal harps are absolute monstrosities - there's no practical way they would work for pub sessions. At at the price of a new SUV, who would risk a pint getting tossed into the mechanism?
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by wormdiet
Re: What would you do?
http://www.bose.com/ under "products for musicians"
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Zina Lee
Re: What would you do?
Take up anglo concertina. We need more of them in sessions!
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Michael Eskin
Re: What would you do?
Hammer Dulcimers are traditional where I'm from . . . which is of course not Ireland, but then they aren't exactly new instruments either. . . still I do love the harp too.
I've never heard of anyone using nylon strings on hammer dulcimers but that doesn't mean it isn't done.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by musicfan
Re: What would you do?
Hey musicfan - "When was the last time anybody accused a dulcimer of being traditional?"
Fact is they have been traditional up here in Co. Antrim for about the last 200 years! That makes them far more, so called, 'traditional' than say Accordions, Concertinas, Guitars, Bouzoukis, Banjos, Mandolins & even Bodhrans & certainly Shakey Eggs & Didgeridoos!
http://www.causewaymusic.co.uk/cdfhda.html
I wouldn't rule out a Hammered Dulcimer, but if you want to play the beast in ITM sessions, then I'd make sure you got one with dampers fitted!
http://www.causewaymusic.co.uk/hdwithdampers.html
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: What would you do?
If you're going for the harp, you could try a small wire-strung harp. That's a nice sound - it's a bit like the hammer-dulcimer sound and it can blend well if used thoughtfully and musically.
The gut-strung harp is great and you get a huge dynamic range out of it (unlike nylon-strung) but it needs a lot of hard work to learn to play well and any harp can sound a bit brutal if you thrash it just to make yourself heard. <bias>Avoid accordions and any session with more than one guitar!! - especially those guitarists who only play three chords</bias>
If you have a good ear for harmonies, then any harp can work well - particularly if you can use the appropriate register to add a bit of "sparkle" to the sound or a bit of gravitas, depending on what's being played. Besides, how cool is it to have an instrument that can do melodies and harmonies, and even both at the same time?!
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Mark Harmer
Re: What would you do?
Mark, my wife plays one of those little wire strung jobs. It sounds delightful but is an absolute nightmare to tune & tune & tune & tune, while her £300 Pakistani Nylon strung knee harp stays in tune really well.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: What would you do?
Go for the flute I say. I'm not a big of bang boxes (h. dulcimers), unless activated witha bit of C4 first. Lovely sustain then. ;)
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by lastnitesfun
Re: What would you do?
Definately the flute. And get F nat and G sharp keys. How much more things fresh and exciting could you ever possibly want.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by llig leahcim
Re: What would you do?
Oye, Ptarmigan! Didges have been traditional instruments around here for thousands upon thousands of years : - )
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Clear Drops
Re: What would you do?
I have to say this is a pretty good problem to have!
If harps, I'd definitely go Nylon - nails needed for wire would screw up my guitar playing (or thrashing, actually)
Maybe a braypin harp?
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by wormdiet
Re: What would you do?
Hi Ptarmigan,
The tuning thing is a consideration - and you're right, wire strings are very tricky to tune.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Mark Harmer
Re: What would you do?
Braypin harps can be fun. Also, and this reminded me of it because it was on the same radio programme I heard recently, there's a Welsh thing called a "Crwth" (rhymes with "Strewth!").
Anyone play one of these? Never heard one in real life - could be an interesting session instrument.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Mark Harmer
Re: What would you do?
I'd just like to say that we have a harper who turns up to some of our sessions, and he fits in fine, knows some of the tunes, leads some, accompanies lots of others. Always impresses everyone. In one session he uses a small amp to help override the appaling acoustics ( pitched, wood-lined, roof over back-end of bar ).
A hammered dulcimer ( who said it wasn't traditional ? ) would be just as good - folks like Jim Couza do a good job with one.
One the other hand, as Zina said, having a decent portable pa for the band is an immense asset - they can't throw you out then !
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Guernsey Pete
Re: What would you do?
And then there's upgrading the flute - you are on the triceratops of a dilemma !
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Guernsey Pete
Re: What would you do?
Have you considered the musical option of adding in a trip somewhere musicaly wonderful? Is musicaly a word?
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by full measure
Re: What would you do?
For harps and crwths you just need to cross the border (or come east across the sea.)
Try
http://www.welshtraditionalmusic.com/
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by TomB-R
Re: What would you do?
Wire-strung harp, all the way! The Kortier replicas are beautiful instruments, and my Trinity is small enough to carry on your back. And you don't have to play with the nails, only one of the wire harpers did that at the time of the Belfast Harp Festival. I play with nails when I have them, and without when I don't.
http://www.irishharp.org/shop/studenttrinity.htm
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by tumeltyni
Re: What would you do?
For travel, I already have budgeted the funds for a summer workshop. Actually, which one I go to will proably be decided by the current dilema's resolution.
Interesting re: dulcimer and being traditional - I had no idea. I like 'em, but it's not my thing at the moment.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by wormdiet
Re: What would you do?
"...the triceratops of a dilemma !"
Ha! I can't wait to use that.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Bob himself
Re: What would you do?
Yeah Wormdiet, as Michael Caine would say, notta lotta people know dat!
Phew tumeltyni - Price: €1876 for those Harps! - & to think I paid about £10 for my last good Jews Harp! "
Aye Mark, we have a six string Crwth, from 'Marcus Music' in Wales. I'm afraid it's not a very musical beast & we use it simply to demonstrate what was here in Ireland before the Harps first came over here, from Wales - ooops, I feel a discussion coming on................
Old scraper, I hadn't realised Didge's were considered a traditional Irish instrument - & pray tell, which corner of East Clare are you from anyway?
Worm, I notice, from your bio, that you are a reformed highland piper!
Had you not thought of going down the Uilleann Pipe road, or perhaps your windfall wouldn't quite stretch to a set of those beauties?
Not much learning in them really - they say 21 years, but with your Highland Pipe experience, surely you could cut that down a fair bit?
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: What would you do?
Were it up to me, I'd vote for a high quality, keyless wooden flute.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Hanley
Re: What would you do?
How can you say that cthuilleannpiper - traitor!
Don't rule out the Pipes Worm!
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: What would you do?
To qualify:
I regularly play my fiddle in local sessions with two flat Pipers, B-ish & C sharp (Anyone know where the Sharp sign is on an eMac Keyboard?) & I reckon there is no finer musical sound on the planet than a set of flat pipes.
So, that's why I brought them into this discussion.
Anyone else see Liam O'Flynn on RTE at the weekend? Old footage from Clare, many years ago! Wow, that many can Pipe!
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: What would you do?
Ah but they're good enough to make professional harpers jealous... That's cheap for a decent harp!
By the way, your wife should come to one of our harper circles some time Ptarmigan, they're still going strong! Next one's 18th February, in Clonsilla, http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/irishclairseach if anyone's interested!
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by tumeltyni
Re: What would you do?
Pipes . .. hrrm. . . . I'd have enough $$ for a really good practice set and that's about it.
But. . . I'm also left-fingered, which is not a *huge* deal on flute but rather bigger with pipes.
I also have neighbors in my apartment building :(
And there's the reed issue.. . . I *hated* dealing with that on GHB's and I understand it's much worse with UPs. Still, an option to consider.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by wormdiet
Re: What would you do?
Bit slow here, but would that be a trilemma?
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by TomB-R
Re: What would you do?
Wormdiet -
I suggested the flute for the simple reason that a serious flute upgrade might inspire you to develop your flute-playing to its full potential. Why not try this? A polymer flute, regardless of who made it, is still a polymer flute. A better instrument might help you clear technical hurdles that have frustrated you for years in a matter of weeks...
With regard to the pipes:
Why o why would you want to do that? : )
Even the NPU site urges the merely curious to "get a saxophone and play some REAL music!"
The biggest issues for would-be irish pipers is access to good instruments, access to quality instruction, learning pipe maintenance, and finding the time and determination it takes to bend the pipes to their will. Reeds are only part of the problem.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Hanley
Re: What would you do?
I should probably just throw the lot of it into a savings account and forget about it.
Naah, in reality the UPs are not a serious consideration - I love 'em to death but I don't have the drive (or practice space) to really learn them properly at the moment.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by wormdiet
Re: What would you do?
Worm, get another Flute. You may find that Harp is not for you. Plus you can always save for a harp but a Flute will have a long wating list.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by Unseen122
Re: What would you do?
ahh, but then there are the endless choices that prove that ignorance really is bliss:
What maker?
Keys? Which ones?
Bore width?
Hole sizes?
Embouchure?
Wood?
I have discovered that I am much more of a large-hole kinda guy after messing around with a smaller holed flute recently. So I'd probably fit into the "big rudall clone" camp fairly easily.
With a new instrument it's soooo much easier to go with somebody else's recommendations for a solid starter package. Too much knowledge is a dangerous thing.
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by wormdiet
Re: What would you do?
Problems like this are fun to have
# Posted on January 31st 2006 by wormdiet
Re: What would you do?
I would start on the bore size and go from there, that is usually how I pick out my Flutes. Hole size goes hand in hand with bore size when it comes to a new Flute. Keys if you can afford them sure, remember G# is the most useful secondly is F nat, Eb without Bb to me is kind of pointless, but of course there are those tunes in E which need a D#, that is how I would go about choosing. Then once you have chosen all of these look for a maker who can do this, and then ask them about embochures and wood see what they like to do. That is how I break it down.
# Posted on February 1st 2006 by Unseen122
Re: What would you do?
Well if you really don't want to be a fiddler I guess you should upgrade the flute.
# Posted on February 6th 2006 by Jay-eye