When moving to F natural, there are transitions tween notes I cannot make quickly with the short F key.
I half-hole the E hole on these.
Is the long-F key enough? I don’t have one right now.
How did Nicholson do it?
It depends on how skillfully you manipulate your keys. It’s enough for me, but there are still times I prefer the short F. Of the two, the long F is more useful in the long run, in my experience.
Similar experience here, long F seems to have more utility for the tunes I play.
However I find short F easier playing in fast passages and I’m having much more success with short F crans than any ornament with the long F
Thanks to both. Is it reasonable to conclude that the long key is the better choice if one can only
have one of the two? Trying to figure something out, I am. I doubt that I would use either
one to ornament, by the way. Well, I guess the answer is Yes.
Again, the question: How did Nicholson do it? He just had the short F.
I think it depends on the type of tunes you play. If you’re playing in C or any of the flat keys, a long F is essential.
If you’re playing in normal ITM keys, which may include Dm either the long or the short works fine.
I find that I use both the long and the short.
For instance if you’re coming up from E to Fnat to G and back down it’s simple on the short F. If you’re going from D to Fnat or Eb to Fnat, either up or down, it’s much cleaner to use the long F.
What I do for practice is play the chromatic scale D to d using the short F and the d to D using the long F; and then reverse it. The trick is to get used to using them so that it feels natural and second nature using either.
Nicholson was a genius. Ask Terry McGee what he did. He may have an answer, or at least a theory.
Hi Jim did you buy that Potter without the long F looked real nice and a good price? I could live with only a short f. I did for a while I had taped up the long f because I didn’t use it. I assume the problem is not sounding an E between D and F or between the foot keys and f like Flexismart mentioned above.
You can do it by inserting a momentary pause. A ‘stop in mid flight type of thing.’ I guess you take a breath where the E would sound and give a breath emphaisis on the D and F. It can be done but I think its harder to explain than do. You can also leave the e in but it changes the phrasing and adds a sort of triplet note in there.
Here is a nice tune to practice on:
Paddy Fahey’s
D2AD FEFG|Add^c d2de|fedf edcA|dcAG FDEC|
DAAG FEFG|Add^c d2de|fedf edcA|dcAG FDD2:|
|:Ad ~d2 ^fded|c2 Gc EcGc|Ad ~d2 ^fded|cBcd ed ~d2|
a2 ^ga ABcA|dcAG FD ~D2|D2 AD FEFG|Ad^ce d4:|
or Eileen Curran in Gm
A few places there where a long F would be handy but you can work them.
I think I would be more concerned about not having a short F because of the short f cranns and the slur from short F to F sharp effect. If forced to choose I would omit long F though it can be used in place of short f I have more fun with the short f key.
or
Ask Seamus Egan I’m sure he had no long F on his old Olwell?
Take Care, Pat
YMMV.
I instinctively go for the short F. Aaron Olwell uses the long F almost exclusively. June Ni Chormaic only has the short F on her flute. Most Irish players use the short F. At first there was a slight hitch when I used the short F but you get quicker over time. It’s nicest to have both and to use whichever seems most comfortable.
I have a flute with just the short F and I confess that I often miss the long F when I play it – but I can make do with the short key and if I had to do with just the one key, that’d be the one.
I would be more concerned about not having a short F because of the short f cranns
You can ornament perfectly well with the short F. Even crans…
Did you mean long f Julia? You quote me as if you intended to disagree and then agreed. Lack of short f would concern me more than lack of long f. I prefer the short f. The long f can do it all but I would still prefer a short if I had to have only one. Short F to F # slide mimicing an uilleann slide is one of the most enjoyable tricks I have learned it doesn’t work as well attempting the same move with the long f. It can be done just not as fluid for me but I have favored the short from the beginning. Best to have both but either one will do.
It seems we agree.