What does one use an F flute for?
What does one use an F flute for?
What use are these for those of us who tend to play ITM?
I reckon busking is one, but I wonder about others.
I reckon busking is one, but I wonder about others.
- Steve Bliven
- Posts: 2977
- Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2004 2:06 pm
- antispam: No
- Location: Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA
Re: What does one use an F flute for?
* Flute band music
* Practice instrument for playing while the dog wanders in the back yard
* To annoy pipers
* Because they are lively and fun
* You know someone with an F whistle
Best wishes
Steve
* Practice instrument for playing while the dog wanders in the back yard
* To annoy pipers
* Because they are lively and fun
* You know someone with an F whistle
Best wishes
Steve
Live your life so that, if it was a book, Florida would ban it.
- Conical bore
- Posts: 506
- Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2012 7:12 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: Pacific Northwest USA
Re: What does one use an F flute for?
Playing all those neat Lúnasa tunes they play on low F whistle in the same key?
I had a Reviol low F whistle for a while. Eventually sold it, because nice as it was, I was more interested in learning tunes I could play with others. And that led to learning flute instead of faffing around with low whistles. If you only play tunes for yourself, it's in a nice range for some things, and no doubt helps with embouchure development.
I had a Reviol low F whistle for a while. Eventually sold it, because nice as it was, I was more interested in learning tunes I could play with others. And that led to learning flute instead of faffing around with low whistles. If you only play tunes for yourself, it's in a nice range for some things, and no doubt helps with embouchure development.
- paddler
- Posts: 752
- Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2007 7:19 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: Hood River, Oregon, USA
- Contact:
Re: What does one use an F flute for?
I use mine for learning tunes that I have heard played on F flutes and whistles on various CDs of Irish
and Breton players. The responsiveness and agility of an F flute makes it really fun to play such tunes.
Here is a clip that illustrates some of the capabilities of a F flute in the hands of a really good player.
and Breton players. The responsiveness and agility of an F flute makes it really fun to play such tunes.
Here is a clip that illustrates some of the capabilities of a F flute in the hands of a really good player.
-
- Posts: 108
- Joined: Fri Jun 05, 2009 2:50 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: a sentence or 2. Having a field that requires 100 characters get displayed next to each and every post I make sure is annoying.
- Location: Providence, RI-ish
Re: What does one use an F flute for?
In addition to the above:
For accompanying songs in C or F (or whatever relative keys)
For playing tunes with that one friend with an F harmonica
It's a nice alternative to a C flute for C or F tunes (as evidenced by the Seán + Jesse clip posted above)
For accompanying songs in C or F (or whatever relative keys)
For playing tunes with that one friend with an F harmonica
It's a nice alternative to a C flute for C or F tunes (as evidenced by the Seán + Jesse clip posted above)
-
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2014 8:53 am
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: Yorkshire
Re: What does one use an F flute for?
I don't like to bottle out of using the keys on a D flute, but G minor can be a bit of a struggle at speed. On an F flute, however - hey presto, say goodbye to G minor misery!
- Casey Burns
- Posts: 1488
- Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2003 12:27 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Kingston WA
- Contact:
Re: What does one use an F flute for?
The narrower bore versions are used by the musicians in Galicia and are called "Requintas". These were originally based on French flutes left behind by Napoleon's armies, and adopted for Galician music in the early 1900s in an attempt to modernize the sound and diversify the repertoire. The range of pitches for these actually stretches between F and G. These play almost the same music as the Gaita bagpipes - usually an octave above them. Here is one of Galicia's best examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrTCd03XH1o&t=366s
I play this style and occasionally make Requintas. These with a pipe band below me are actually my favorite flute to play!
Casey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrTCd03XH1o&t=366s
I play this style and occasionally make Requintas. These with a pipe band below me are actually my favorite flute to play!
Casey
Last edited by Casey Burns on Fri May 17, 2019 11:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- RudallRose
- Posts: 2404
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2001 6:00 pm
Re: What does one use an F flute for?
Gallegos, please Casey.
-
- Posts: 418
- Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:05 am
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 10
- Location: Hamburg, Germany
- Contact:
Re: What does one use an F flute for?
I find it useful for playing along to quite a lot of the music popular here - stuff from old German manuscripts, Swedish stuff, north European folk, French stuff. Often notated and played in F or BFlat, so I can either use the keys or take the keyless in F, Both options are possible but lead to a very different result. And there is an elegance to playing on a keyless that is rather nice. Note, once learned on any keyless instrument, the tune can be played in any of the other keys using the whistle technique of swapping instrument. This alone is very useful when singers or guitar players liek to shift key for their own comfort. (As mentioned G Minor is rather popular in some circles, e.g. some varieties of pipes play naturally in G minor.) For this I have flutes in low A, D, EFlat, F and g and whistles in C, A and G (amongst others).
The flute itself is fun for playing alone, busking or in a pre-arranged band context.
And I have one for sale... African Blackwood, Sweetheart, in Europe, €250. Contact me for more info.
The flute itself is fun for playing alone, busking or in a pre-arranged band context.
And I have one for sale... African Blackwood, Sweetheart, in Europe, €250. Contact me for more info.
19th October, 2012:
Flute: Rookery
Flute: Musical Priest
Flute: Swinging on the Gate
Flute: Sally Gardens
4th June 2012:
Flute: Rolling in the Ryegrass, Green Gates
2 April, 2012:
Smallpipes: The Meeting of the Waters. Corn Riggs
Smallpipes: Mrs Hamilton of Pithcaithland
Flute: Rookery
Flute: Musical Priest
Flute: Swinging on the Gate
Flute: Sally Gardens
4th June 2012:
Flute: Rolling in the Ryegrass, Green Gates
2 April, 2012:
Smallpipes: The Meeting of the Waters. Corn Riggs
Smallpipes: Mrs Hamilton of Pithcaithland
- mendipman
- Posts: 151
- Joined: Tue Oct 17, 2017 11:24 am
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: I play flute and stringed instruments and enjoy playing in sessions and for step dancers and teach music part-time. My flutes are a new Gilles Lehart blackwood keyless in D, a c.1820 Clementi 'Nicholson improved' English boxwood single key in F and a simple-system 8-key English blackwood flute made by Richard Weekes of Plymouth, Devon c.1840 both in beautiful, pristine condition. I also have a wooden c.1880 English keyed flageolet. My home is in North Somerset a short distance from where my family come from at Blackford in the Mendip Hills and my repertoire are the tunes that are local to my area. That is the rural vernacular English music from when ordinary working people simply played and danced to their own rhythm with little concern for that which lay beyond a day's walk.
- Location: Somerset, England
Re: What does one use an F flute for?
I play tunes on mine.
More enjoyable than unblocking a sink with it.
More enjoyable than unblocking a sink with it.
- plunk111
- Posts: 1524
- Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 3:02 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: Love playing trumpet and modern flute at church as well as Irish trad flute in a band. Been playing Irish trad and 18th century period music for about 15 years.
- Location: Wheeling, WV
Re: What does one use an F flute for?
???RudallRose wrote:Gallegos, please Casey.
Pat
Pat Plunkett, Wheeling, WV
- MadmanWithaWhistle
- Posts: 697
- Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2012 10:15 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: Instrument maker and researcher exploring new methods of creating traditional instruments with longevity aforethought. Player of the whistle, flute, and continental European border pipes.
Re: What does one use an F flute for?
You use it for Boss. (bleep). Tunes.
In fact I think it's actually illegal to use a D flute to play Dermott Grogan's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfqirEriI4k
Only bangin' tunes are played on the F flute (or three-quarter flute, as it's often called).
....
Seriously though, the way I heard it was that they made their way down from the flute (marching) bands Northern Ireland into areas like North Connaught, where they were taken up by traditional musicians. Being a poorer area historically, maybe only a few people per village could own/play an instrument, and so the fact that it was in the key of F didn't really matter. It's also more comfortable for the fingers, cuts through noise better since it's higher pitched, and requires less air. Certainly if I were the one fellow tapped to play for a kitchen full of dancers, I'd reach for my F.
In fact I think it's actually illegal to use a D flute to play Dermott Grogan's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfqirEriI4k
Only bangin' tunes are played on the F flute (or three-quarter flute, as it's often called).
....
Seriously though, the way I heard it was that they made their way down from the flute (marching) bands Northern Ireland into areas like North Connaught, where they were taken up by traditional musicians. Being a poorer area historically, maybe only a few people per village could own/play an instrument, and so the fact that it was in the key of F didn't really matter. It's also more comfortable for the fingers, cuts through noise better since it's higher pitched, and requires less air. Certainly if I were the one fellow tapped to play for a kitchen full of dancers, I'd reach for my F.
- RudallRose
- Posts: 2404
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2001 6:00 pm
Re: What does one use an F flute for?
We prefer to be called Gallegos, not Galicians.plunk111 wrote:???RudallRose wrote:Gallegos, please Casey.
Pat
Galicia is where we are from; Gallego is what we are called.
-
- Posts: 84
- Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:40 am
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: Thank you for hosting an awesome place.. Been gleaning info for many years but now i need to speak.
I play silver and timber flute whistles and bass trombone
Re: What does one use an F flute for?
I imagine it would be nice for playing many Dm tunes also.
Been thinking about adding one to the quiver
EZ
Been thinking about adding one to the quiver
EZ