Chiff and Fipple Forums

I've spotted this unusual (to me) keyless white metal flute. It's modern Boehm style lip-plate, chimney toneholes are intriguing. Plus its 7 toneholes are unusual.
It appears to be cylindrical bore. Do the higher chimney toneholes indicate a larger piccolo-like bore perhaps?



Of course the current owner has no idea what it is but I'm guessing it's a knockoff metal version of Yamaha's eight hole plastic fife ( http://www.thewhistleshop.com/catalog/o ... a/fife.htm ) and there's another 8th thumb tonehole out of sight.

It's certainly not the standard 6 hole fife. Appears to measure around 37cm.
Honestly, my guess that it is cheap Chinese tat. But the design is curious and seemingly unique.

Does anyone know of this make/design?
Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks,
Vaughan

So the item was for sale on gumtree... but apparently even the owner didn't know anything about it....

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... clnk&gl=us

"Piccolo flute mini, only used a handful of times Sorry I have no further information"

So, yes, business as usual for Gumtree!

I don't know what this one would "sound" like, but when playing it would "feel" like a Hall Crystal Flute, since those have raised tone holes too.

I would say it´s a fife (usually in the key of Ces) which is used in (German) marching Bands

Maybe this site:
http://www.musikzeit.de/instrumente/querpfeife.php

can give you a overview (sry i don´t find a simmilar englisch site).

The renowned manufacturer in Germany for this kind of fifes is SANDNER.
http://www.sandner-floeten.de/floeten.html

Maybe you find a soundfile from this fifes?

dubrosa22 wrote:I'm guessing it's a knockoff metal version of Yamaha's eight hole plastic fife ( http://www.thewhistleshop.com/catalog/o ... a/fife.htm ) and there's another 8th thumb tonehole out of sight.

Probably the other way round, or maybe independent developments. This looks exactly like a type of flute which is very popular in German marching bands called "Trommelflöte" ("drum flute"). Unlike the Yamaha fife, the bottom notes are (usually?) going D - Eb - E rather than C - D - E for a fully chromatic scale without half-holing. (I'm not an expert, but I think thumb holes are rather uncommon here... so it might as well be something entirely different, haha!)

dubrosa22 wrote:Honestly, my guess that it is cheap Chinese tat.

I don't know about Chinese makes, so I can't tell from the picture... isn't there any indication of the maker?

Thank you megapop a trommelflöte it must be!

I was only guessing the flute pictured in my original post possessed a thumbhole. I have bought it (curiosity got to me) so once it's in my hand I can examine it for maker's marks and its tuning.

I don't think it would Chinese-made now. The market for these instruments seems rather too narrow.

I found this excellent German page on trommelflötes:
http://www.musikzeit.de/instrumente/querpfeife.php
But no fingerchart anywhere so far that I can find. My Deutsche is not very good.

So is all fingers down (7 holes covered) D? Or C? Or Eb?

Also I see there's various pitches/lengths available.

It should be a fun addition to my woodwind arsenal

Vaughan

dubrosa22 wrote:I was only guessing the flute pictured in my original post possessedva thumbhole.

D'oh, yes sorry!

dubrosa22 wrote:But no fingerchart anywhere so far. My Deutsche is not very good. So is all fingers down (7 holes covered) D? Or C? Or Eb?

Here it is! Yes, all fingers down would a D on a C flute (they're named after the tone which sounds with oxx oooo). The most common keys are C♭ and B♭ though, so the nominal D would be a sounding D♭ or C respectively.

Here it is! Yes, all fingers down would a D on a C flute (they're named after the tone which sounds with oxx oooo).[/quote]

Thank you!

Ingo wrote:I would say it´s a fife (usually in the key of Ces) which is used in (German) marching Bands

Maybe this site:
http://www.musikzeit.de/instrumente/querpfeife.php

can give you a overview (sry i don´t find a simmilar englisch site).

The renowned manufacturer in Germany for this kind of fifes is SANDNER.
http://www.sandner-floeten.de/floeten.html

Maybe you find a soundfile from this fifes?

Thanks also to Ingo - somehow your post didn't pop up on my mobile phone.

I received the trommelflöte yesterday

Contrary to the seller's photo (above) the embouchure lip-plate isn't metal as I'd thought but a thick white/ivory resin plastic.

No markings or stamps but I recognise the maker to be Voigt (although they only seem to have black lip-plates available now):
http://www.voigt-brass.de/gxshop/produc ... ten.html&=


The headjoint, although removable/tunable, is quite stuck. Not sure if I'll bother damaging it trying to get it apart by force. But perhaps a little heat will ease it open? It would be nice to try and narrow down the intonation a little.

It plays quite easily but I do have to really 'lean' into it unlike my other flutes. However it's a sweet tone and with an easy second octave. Overall it feels like a D whistle with a flute embouchure.
I do have to remember to finger D with 4 fingers, but it's really cool to have an Eb on a keyless flute!


V

dubrosa22 wrote:I do have to remember to finger D with 4 fingers

You can tape the bottom hole and sacrifice the E♭ for a xxx xxx D.

Thanks megapop but I really am enjoying the Eb

A little hot water over the tenon joint and I managed to pull the pieces apart. It was too sharp pushed all the way in.

BTW it is conical bore and it is indeed in Ces (Cb) Ingo which is kinda cool. I just play it like my C ren flute with that added Eb bonus.

Good ol' Gumtree!

V

(Thread resurrexion.)

I came across a similar instrument recently. A keyless piccolo with ten finger holes in metal with Boehm-like head joint. It's in Db. Very similar to a range of Japanese school piccolos and may very well be intended to serve a similar purpose of being a pre-band instrument.

I also own a Pastalit Trommelfluten, it is made of some kind of plastic, & has quite a good tone.
I bought mine for £20 online, & used it for a quick bit of embouchure practice, (rather than setting up my flute).
(I have the Yamaha one too.)