Chiff and Fipple Forums

You ask about Tony Millyard. I've recently bought one from him and love it. A fine maker (he also makes baroque reed instruments) he produces beautiful flutes at a very competitive price. One thing to be aware of with Tony is that he threads the joints - though he will fit cork later, after you've p...

A few suggestions: 1) I don't do a lot of teaching but I've been playing wooden flute for around 20 years and would be happy to do two or three sessions with you. I'm in Bruton. 2) There's a very good teacher in Bristol - Catherine something. Can't remember her another name but could soon get detail...

I've recently bought a flute from Tony Millyard. He prefers threaded joints (though he will cork them on request) and even provides online instructions on how to rebind them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxGIv3oJl-Y

Pushing your budget to 290 would get you a Damian Thompson delrin flute. This is without the silver rings so all your money goes on getting a decent starter flute which will last you a long time. He's in Stoke.

Someone local to you who might be able to help is Dominic Allan. He used to make nice keyed flutes, though he gave it up to concentrate on bagpipes. He must be pretty close to you. He lives in Bruton and does repairs for the allinstruments.com shops in Westbury, Wilts and Midsomer Norton, through wh...

Pat's spot on. If you work on embouchure, you'll improve your tone AND waste less air. But the other thing is planning. Taking a breath in Irish flute-playing typically means leaving out a note. I've always struggled a bit with this idea but actually I know that if you choose the right notes to leav...

Yes, thanks for the tip. I wonder how many other theses there are on our preferred music? I finished Reg Hall's on Irish music in London earlier this year - a mammoth read but full of fascinating insights. I shall get stuck into Ms Lochridge's straight away.

"Doodle tonguing" is moving us into Brian Finnegan territory, where tonguing is all-important. I sometimes "doodle-tongue" a triplet (often Bcd) to give it a bit more definition. My philosophy is to add whatever I can to the armoury: glottalling as a general rule but subtle tongu...

That'll teach me to try typing messages on a phone with failing eyesight in failing light. How the hell does it change delrin to reprinted???

Damian's flutes are very nice indeed and great value. Not well known yet but destined to join the list of makers of fine flutes, reprinted and wooden.

6 key Lehart
Keyless Doyle
Keyless Murray
Keyless delrin Forbes
Assorted bamboo Olwells

A vote for Forbes - I love mine.

I'd also encourage you to have a look at Damian Thompson, a friend of mine now making excellent delrin flutes in England. viewtopic.php?t=105092

When not playing Irish music, I use flute in an English village band playing mostly English but also assorted other (Scots, French, Scandinavian) stuff. The main difference for me is that I'm far more likely to tongue. Playing up an octave also happens quite a bit as tunes are often in non-Irish key...

Your test email got through ok.

Not for me it won't, sadly. "the page you requested cannot be displayed at the moment..."