Hello,
This is my first post on this site. I frequent the Saxophone discussion groups but thought this a better forum for my question. I currently play tenor sax and am interested in picking up a flute. I was wondering what a decent flute would be for a beginner like myself. I don't really know anything about them. I've seen some with open tone holes as opposed to closed but don't know what the difference is. I'll be using it for jazz if that makes a difference and I wouldn't really want to spend over 1000.
Thanks.
Decent flute for saxophonist
some of us may know more about Boehm flutes,
the concert flutes (silver flutes) which surely best suit jazz.
Most of us are playing simple system Irish flutes,
often without keys, however. Better suited
for celtic music.
I think the holes in keys make for a better sound, also
allow for sliding on notes. Certainly you can get
a good enough concert flute for well under a thousand.
We've had some threads about these flutes, in
fact, if you do a search--lots of details about brands
and prices.
maybe search under Yamaha flutes and Gemeinhart flutes. Best
the concert flutes (silver flutes) which surely best suit jazz.
Most of us are playing simple system Irish flutes,
often without keys, however. Better suited
for celtic music.
I think the holes in keys make for a better sound, also
allow for sliding on notes. Certainly you can get
a good enough concert flute for well under a thousand.
We've had some threads about these flutes, in
fact, if you do a search--lots of details about brands
and prices.
maybe search under Yamaha flutes and Gemeinhart flutes. Best
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mrosenlof
- Posts: 189
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Hi Bob,
The folks on this forum primarily discuss keyless wood flutes. The so-called "Irish" flute, more or less the type of flute that was in common use until the mid 1800s when the modern multi-keyed metal flute was developed.
If you're a jazz player, the modern Bohm flute (the usual silver concert flute) might be what you're interested in. Yamaha, Trevor James, Pearl, and a couple of other companies make decent models in the sub 1000 range.
If you are interested in the wooden flute, maybe the keyless diatonic (not a chromatic instrument!) type, usualy for playing traditional music from various sources, stick around, there's lots of discussion here. $1000 gets you a top range keyless instrument, or pretty close, but I would not recommend a keyed wooden flute (which will get you a chromatic instrument) for this price.
There are occasional discussions here of Bohm flutes, and a lot more on the FLUTE list (E-mail only, no web interface). Search around at http://www.larrykrantz.com/wel2.htm for FLUTE list stuff, it's non-trivial to find the subscription info, but it's there.
The folks on this forum primarily discuss keyless wood flutes. The so-called "Irish" flute, more or less the type of flute that was in common use until the mid 1800s when the modern multi-keyed metal flute was developed.
If you're a jazz player, the modern Bohm flute (the usual silver concert flute) might be what you're interested in. Yamaha, Trevor James, Pearl, and a couple of other companies make decent models in the sub 1000 range.
If you are interested in the wooden flute, maybe the keyless diatonic (not a chromatic instrument!) type, usualy for playing traditional music from various sources, stick around, there's lots of discussion here. $1000 gets you a top range keyless instrument, or pretty close, but I would not recommend a keyed wooden flute (which will get you a chromatic instrument) for this price.
There are occasional discussions here of Bohm flutes, and a lot more on the FLUTE list (E-mail only, no web interface). Search around at http://www.larrykrantz.com/wel2.htm for FLUTE list stuff, it's non-trivial to find the subscription info, but it's there.
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thurlowe
- Posts: 461
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- Location: Kalamazoo
- Contact:
Hi Bob,
My suggestion would be find a Yamaha 300 series flute or higher, made in Japan, not the U.S. Open hole will give you more opportunities to bend notes, but will be harder to play initially. You'll have to work to seal the keys with the pads of your fingers.
The best flute I've played lately for around $1200 was an Altus. Brasswind & Woodwind is an excellent retailer with specialists to talk to for each instrument. http://www.wwbw.com/category/?d=9&dd=95 ... src=yamaha
Cara
My suggestion would be find a Yamaha 300 series flute or higher, made in Japan, not the U.S. Open hole will give you more opportunities to bend notes, but will be harder to play initially. You'll have to work to seal the keys with the pads of your fingers.
The best flute I've played lately for around $1200 was an Altus. Brasswind & Woodwind is an excellent retailer with specialists to talk to for each instrument. http://www.wwbw.com/category/?d=9&dd=95 ... src=yamaha
Cara
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Rae
- Posts: 35
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- Location: CO
If you want a modern flute (which is what most Jazz flute players have), go to flute.com and ask there. The regulars there specialize in this instrument and you will not only hear about tone quality, etc. of many different brands, but also how well these instruments withstand the test of time – some flutes end up in the repair shop far more often than others. You’ll also be able to hear the arguments of open hole vs. plateau/closed hole. http://superflute.com./wwwboard/ also has some good information, but I’d start with flute.com