I played classical flute for years up until high school when i took up guitar. I now play celtic guitar and bouzouki and have been toying with picking up a beginner flute to mess around on.
Most of the flutes i have seen have six holes and sometimes two holes as a pinky extension. Are these flutes usually pitched in D and then you get other keys by cross fingering? Or do flutists buy different key flutes like whistle players do?
If you all can suggest any reasonable beginner flutes i would greatly appreciate it.
The two pinky holes are not played, they are vestigal from a C-Footjoint. Alternatively, you’ll sometimes see a short foot joint with no extraneous holes.
A keyless, simple system flute in D will play easily in D and G (like a D whistle). To get other keys without a lot of gymnastics, people usually opt for keyed simple system flute (with 4 to 8 keys). Though you’ll also see Eb and Bb flutes out there as well.
Good beginner flutes are the polymers. M&E, Seery and Dixon (3 piece, not pvc). Due to their relatively low cost ($200-$400) and low maintenance requirements.
A quick search of the board for any of those 3 names will give you a wealth of info.
I agree with the above on the polymer flutes. All three are excellent instruments. Another good choice (make that fabulous choice) would be an Olwell bamboo.
As to the key question; my personal opinion is that keys are of little use in most IrTrad music. If I need to do anything chromatic I use a Boehm.
I agree with the statements about the polymer flutes. I have an M&E and it’s a fabulous instrument, many people who own $2000-3000 flutes will tell you that the M&E’s and Seery flutes can stand up well against any flute in any session (in the hands of a good player).
It sounds like you want to play irish and celtic music mainly, so I would probably not recomend a Bamboo or Cane flute. Sure, they might sound nice but if you feel that you just want to try it out before you buy a quality poly or wood flute, you’d be better of buying a PVC flute. They are cheaper, they won’t play nearly as nice as a quality flute but they are good enough to learn basic embouchure on. Just don’t get turned of by it and decide not to get any more flutes, cause a quality flute will make a hell of a differance to say the least.
Both Desi Seery and Michael Cronnolly (of M&E) will make keys for you, Tony Dixon will not. You can get a keyless first and then get it keyed later if you feel like it. Keys does make you a lot more flexible, if you for instance would like to play Fiddle tunes in A or song accompaniment which can be in strange key’s, or not just limiting yourself to Irish music. http://www.worldtrad.org/Seery/ Desi Seery flutes http://homepage.tinet.ie/~mandeflutes/ M&E flutes
I would also suggest a polymer. I prefer a Seery but haven’t yet tried the Rudall version of the M&E flute.
Once nice benefit of the polymer is that if you decide to buy a wooden flute later the polymers are still useful as a travel flute since they are much more durable than wood.
I keep mine assembled and in quick reach for those times when I’ve got a minute or two free.
Seconding (since I lost count) the polymer and delrin advantages mentioned. The differences in tone from your wooden sticks are fine enough to be perfectly acceptable, and a well-made one looks as good as a blackwood instrument. The M&E RR is a bit chunky in design, though, especially with keys (I own and routinely play one), and I understand heavier than other makes. Still, it plays very well, indeed.
Please don’t settle for a synthetic flute that looks like plastic (and they’re out there)! That’s just plain wrong.
