why the long foot?

[paddler]

I agree with you that for Irish traditional music the third octave isn't used and hence doesn't matter, so if the only
purpose of the modern long-footed flute is to play Irish trad, then third octave tuning is not relevant. However, I think
the discussion of the third octave tuning stems back to the original 8-key flutes which were copied and were used for
playing classical music, for which the third octave tuning was extremely important. It may be that the long foot on
those original flutes not only allowed the instrument's range to reach down to low C# and C, and sometime B (what is the
notation for these notes when they are below D, by the way?) but to also to improve third octave tuning and overall
tonal balance across the flute's range.

In my mind, this just lends weight to the argument that modern flutes with their long, keyless, foot, primarily came
about due to copying long footed originals, and then remained because, well, they work great.

The argument that this long foot also affects tone and tuning is a good one, since the last open tone hole generally
does not cut off the pipe, acoustically, even when it is quite large. It is why cross fingered notes work, and especially
why they work so well on baroque flutes with smaller tone holes. It is also why finger vibrato works. I find it
interesting, though, that even when a keyless long foot is used, the open holes in the foot are typically sized and
positioned just as they would be in order to play low C# and C, had they been keyed, and their size and position
is not reworked to optimize the tone and tuning of other notes. In my mind, this just reinforces the theory that the main
driving force behind the long, keyless foot is the design process, which is copying some original and then tweaking it
minimally in order to get the desired performance.

And just let me say, there is nothing wrong with that! It still takes a ton of work to produce a great instrument that way.
Doing it from scratch, without the benefit of generations of flute making ancestors, it extremely difficult, laborious and
time consuming.

[chas]

Just an anecdote that touches on David's query. I have a really nice old Olwell all-wood rosewood flute with the extended foot. I am lucky enough to have lived near Chris Norman and taken a few lessons from him. When he picked up that flute, the first thing he did was play in the third octave, which is spectacular. He played a bunch of on-scale notes and accidentals, and remarked, "Wow, this has all the notes!"

[Terry McGee]

Flutes back in Hotteterre's time had the short D foot. Even back then, the bore flared for about the length of the foot. Good hearty low D.

When low C and C# were added (in England, I think) there was quite a bit of outcry as to how it ruined the bottom D. That makes sense. In order to get low C and C# in tune, the bore had to continue to taper downwards to about where the last side hole is, then flare. But not flare much. Further, the hole which makes D (the second hole up from the bottom) now is a side hole, not an end hole, and has this great ugly pad or pewter valve hanging low over it. And so did the next hole. The combination of all those issues weakened the low D considerably.

In the typical 6-key Irish flute, we have fixed one of those problems very simply. There are no pads hanging over the foot-key holes.

But we can fix both of those problems. In my Long D foot, the bore also flares from about the start of the foot. And the side holes it talks to us through are big and unencumbered. Cover those side holes and you won't get a good, well-tuned C# and C. But who cares, if you haven't got keys to close them with?

I reckon there are two benefits of the Long D. It looks more elegant, and it ensures that the foot falls first, even on a keyless (although I proportion my keyless so the foot falls first anyway).

The downsides of the Long D? It isn't quite as free-speaking as the Short D, but almost. And it takes up a little more room on stage or in a tight session. But it would have to be tight to matter!

"You were packed in tight there last night, Paddy".

"You're not wrong, Michael. Not just tight. Contagious."

[ChrisCracknell]

I have one of Terry's GLP flutes with a short foot and it certainly speaks well and easily on the low D and I find the balance good. The flute is in fact overall very light for a 6 (or 5) key flute and I do notice the effect of this weight difference over prolonged playing. It is not my main flute because I have developed in my playing to liking louder flutes with bigger holes, but otherwise I am happy with it. It has an unlined head.

I would have no hesitation in choosing a flute with a short foot if I liked the way it played. But then again, a long foot is ok too.