Best Boehm flute mechanisms

I have been wondering for a bit now: what’s the “best” Boehm flute for trad music? OK, let me make the question a bit narrower before we all descend into a flame war. I am interested in identifying flute makers that, in their professional models, offer particularly light action mechanisms. My hypothesis here is that a light action mechanism will make Irish-style ornamentation easier to execute.

This is driven by two recent observations. I switched from Yamaha (series 2) to Trevor James (Virtuoso) and I am noticing that the mechanism is a little bit more stiff. The difference is satisfying – a heavier mechanism feels more professional – but that also makes it a bit harder to do taps. The other observation is that Geremia, Madden, and Périer all play Miyazawa flutes which often use the Brogger system. And that got me wondering: is the Brogger mechanism particularly light action and is that one of the reasons why the chose it?

Again, I understand that there are many other variables at play – as illustrated by the fact that other excellent Bohem players went with other makers. I also understand that not all models from the same maker are the same – and that sometimes light action mechanisms come with lower quality flutes.

With all that in mind, based on your experience, what is a flute you would recommend based on mechanism alone?

My only experiences playing ITM on Boehm was with a typical Yamaha student-ish C flute (silverplated, perforated keys, with Sterling head) and with a Gemeinhardt Alto flute.

The action on both seemed perfectly adequate for Irish pats and cuts.

I would think for ITM you’d want a sturdy flute, the sort that works despite being abused by young students. Coming from Old System open-hole wood flutes, and pipes, I do the thing of raising a finger just before doing a pat to get extra velocity, meaning I’m whacking on the keys somewhat (not keeping the fingers low in contact with the touches like proper Boehm flutists).

Also due to not being a Boehm player, what I liked about the perforated keys was that I could cheat with fingering, not holding open the Eb/D# key for example.

(Oddly, I worked with a woman who played Boehm exclusively her whole life, and she confessed that she didn’t either!)

Delete this attempt and read the next one.

I played Boehm flute for many years, but can’t imagine using one for trad although I think Joanie Madden, Steph Geremia, Lucie Périer, Áine Heslin, and the young Tara Breen sound wonderful using one. I agree with Richard that sturdiness is an important criterion assuming one is choosing among top-level flutes. Lucie Périer wrote that she tried Muramatsu, Sankyo and Altus flutes before settling on her Miyazawa and that she wanted a sturdy mechanism. She says it has a ‘pinless partial Brögger System’. If you’re just starting trad, I would give the so-called ‘Simple System’ wooden flutes a try. The tone comes naturally, the oval embouchure is flexible and feels right on a wooden flute, and the feel of the fingers on the holes can’t be beat. Chet

Thanks for that list of flutists! I’d only known Joanie Madden, Paddy Carty, and Paddy O Donahue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjspnhlW_w4

I think Old System flutes are superior for ITM for all the things you list, and also for reasons of tradition and the somewhat shared fingering and technique between Old System flute, whistle, and uilleann pipes.

However when experienced Boehm flutists express interest in taking up ITM I tell them that most of the ITM sound is in the style (breathing, tone, phrasing, articulation, rhythm, ornamentation, etc) rather than the instrument, and they shouldn’t let the fact that they play Boehm flute discourage or derail them from learning ITM.

I’ve seen it many times: a skilled Boehm flutist becomes interested in ITM, is told that to play ITM they must switch to a Old System flute, they acquire an Old System flute and struggle with it, and end up dropping the whole thing.

How much better it would be for them to stick with the instrument they’re comfortable with and immediately begin learning ITM style and tunes.

(I give opposite advice to Highland pipers wanting to play ITM: they’ll need to learn uilleann pipes to participate in ordinary Irish trad sessions in any meaningful way.)

About the oval blow-hole and woody tone, were I to play Boehm for ITM I would get a wood headjoint with oval blow-hole. I’ve tried them and they feel more “right” to me.

Thanks for that list of flutists! I’d only known Joanie Madden, Paddy Carty, and Paddy O Donahue

There are a few more Richard. We raked over that ground several times, eg on this thread


Here are a few little clips:
Nicky & Ann McAuliffe, Billy Clifford

Deirdre McSharry & the Droneys(the flute is not very visible on the video)

That’s an excellent list of players. I will certainly check them out.

cac, do you happen to know where you saw that write up by Périer comparing different flutes? Sounds exactly like what I’m looking for, but Google is not helping me find that post.

The “weight” or stiffness of a Böhm type mechanism has little to do with design or make or even quality (provided not downright badly made) or price. It is primarily to do with set-up, most specifically the weighting of the springs, which can be adjusted. Sure, the mechanism should not be sloppy due to damage or ill-adjustment, nor should it be sticky due to oil in the axles having gone gloopy (a routine maintenance issue), but assuming all else is as it should be, look to the springs.

Beginner/student level flutes tend to be fairly stiffly sprung ex-factory, presumably because they’re expected to be played heavy-handedly, and when it comes to maintenance different woodwind technicians have their own ideas about what constitutes appropriate, or light/medium/heavy key response. You do not have to stick with the as-made spring weighting if it doesn’t suit you! I’ve had a flute overhauled by a well-known, reputable technician which came back so heavily sprung that playing it was like stirring concrete, even though I’d requested as-light-as-feasible springing. I had to readjust the springing myself. I don’t have experience of higher end modern Böhm flutes, so don’t know how different brands tend to set them up, but I do know that most of the now many Rudall Carte Böhm (and related) system flutes I’ve handled which didn’t seem to have been meddled with significantly in their life histories were not at all “heavy” in terms of their action/springing.

For myself I like a mechanism which is adjusted as light as possible to maintain a fairly even “feel” between single action open-standing keys and multiple action ones where linkages mean you are playing “against” two or three springs combined. Closed-standing keys are necessarily more heavily sprung, but still should be no stiffer than required to close them reliably, which can be pretty light if the adjustment/set-up/action is spot on.

That goes also for simple system flutes. I’ve met/played keyed flutes by reputable modern makers which were (clearly as made/sold) so heavily sprung as to make the keys virtually unusable! I have re-set-up several in that respect! I believe the logic may have been, “most players won’t use them and if they’re (usably!) lightly sprung they’re too easy to make leak by accident (leading to complaints), so make 'em stiff…”, though heavy springing of closed-standing keys can also cover for less than well done padding and rough pad seats etc.

One caveat to very lightly sprung set-ups on Böhm flutes - they do tend to sound a bit more rattly and key-slappy than if more heavily sprung, but if you want fast response and play light-fingeredly, it’s much preferable.

If I was buying a higher level new Böhm flute from a reputable music shop and I made a choice which I liked for its sound but thought the action too stiff, I’d insist on them having their technician lighten the action before completing the purchase. With beginner level instruments at the prices they sell for, they’d probably tend not to be willing to accommodate such finickiness (though if you don’t ask, you don’t get), but with anything more expensive, they damn well ought to!