Hey, I’m an experienced whistle player, and I’m looking to start playing flute as well…I was wondering what would be the best introductory instrument for me to invest in.
Price is important, but less of an issue than tone or suitability for session use
Thanks
You whistle work will, of course, be of great benefit for fingering (although the stretch can feel different at first) and all, but the key to the flute is your embouchure. If you’ve not played any flute before, expect it to be tough at first and if it’s not, count yourself lucky.
Good starter flutes that’ll work in session include:
Seery ($450ish these days) delrin
M&E polymer about the same price as a seery
Burns folk flute - $250 (I’ve not played one, but I’ve heard several of Casey’s flute and they’re good stuff) - made of mopane
Sweetheart Rosewood - $350?
The Seery and the sweetheart are both large hole prattenish flutes that take a lot of air and a good embouchure to get the most out of them. It doesn’t mean you can’t start on them, but don’t be surprised if they’d sound quite different in an experienced players hands than in a beginners.
THe M&E is a tad more forgiving I think, and I’m guessing the Burns is, too.
Welcome to the world of flutes!
Eric
Doug Tipple PVC Flutes are great begginers Flutes I own two one in Low D and one in Low C.
http://home.earthlink.net/~life2all/dougswebspace/ That is the website Doug also sells them through ebay. The tone can have many facets it is up to the player to discover the tone he/she likes. For the price there is nothing better but I would assume a Olweel bamboo is just as good, there are more expensive (not nessaccarily better) options but I recommend the Tipple. They can be really loud Session use is not a problem. Since I have never brought mine to a Session because the only ones I have been to were out of town and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time with a Whistle on me I have not played my Tipple in a Session but other here have.
It may just be arrogance, but I’m not expecting much trouble with stretch or breath control, because I also play low whistle and tenor/baritone sax…My hands are quite large, and I’ve got lungs of steel 
Anyways, thanks for the suggestions, I’ll look into them.
I was also looking at a Tony Dixon PVC…It’s quite cheap, but the samples I’ve heard sound nice…Anyone have any experience?
Also, would you suggest low or high octave to start out with? I’m hoping to eventually make it to low, so I was wondering if it would be worth the investment to buy a high octave to start with…Or if I should just dive into the lower octave…
You can choose between several ‘models’ with the Tipple flutes,
and they are easy to get a decent sound out of,
and Doug’s service is second to none too.
For a first flute you can’t go wrong with a Tipple.
IMHO for a 2nd or 3rd one either.
I have 2 tipples, one for the car,
and the other for grab ‘n’ play when-ever-the moment!
Almost no maintenance required.
If yer don’t like 'em you’ve lost next to nothing,
and if you love 'em you’ll have a great flute for
less than the cost of a medium price whistle.
HTH
Where ya at in Wisconsin? My wife has family in Eau Claire.
It’s not wind power you’re needing to play flute well, but a good embouchure. If you play low whistle and barry sax (I used to play barritone and alto myself), wind will be no problem and low whistle will easily prepare you for the flute finger stretch (it’s usually worse on a low whistle). You’ll need to train your lips to get a good sound because for the first time you won’t be relying on a fipple or a reed to create the proper space and flow to make noise…it’s a pretty unique instrument in that regard. Then again, for some folks it’s not hard at all, but even for them they’ll sound about 100% better a year later.
If you’re thinking Dixon, I’d go with the 3 piece polymer - it’s MUCH better. If you want $100 or less, listen to the folks above and get a Tipple - it’s regarded as the best cylindrical PVC flute out there by most.
Eric
I just made the jump after 14 years of whistle playing I acquired a Tipple low-D two-piece eight-hole flute in grey. Tipple is a no-brainer because of the low price and high quality. If you really get into it, you can always trade or sell the Tipple, or keep it as a travel flute.
I am enjoying it. I was able to get notes out of it almost immediately. The transverse position is taking some getting used to. I have to resist the urge to blow harder on B and A. I have to concentrate and focus my breath. The flute feels quite a bit louder than most of my whistles and I prefer to play it outdoors with earplugs. I am playing every day, but limiting my time because of my discomfort with the positioning. With all of that, I wonder what took me so long.
The Tipple PVC is better than the Dixon PVC I have heard.
I went with the Tipple first, then a few months later the CB folk flute. I play them both constantly. The Tipple has large holes, the CB has small. The feel is different on both. I couldn’t say one is better than the other to start one, but the Tipple cost a great deal less and you’ll get it much quicker. For the money and conveience, it should be some kind of a sin not to own a Tipple.
Its a “duh!”
Meh, I live in Sturgeon Bay [it’s on the “thumb”]
Thanks for all the suggestions folks, I’m going to keep looking and hopefully I’ll be able to post in here and know what I’m talking about…maybe.
Howdy and welcome,
I agree on the Dixon advice given by Jayhawk.
The three-piece polymer is a much better flute than his “PVC” model.
I had a Dixon three-piece polymer early in my flute career and quite liked it. Excellent flute for the money. The M&E and Seery are also excellent. My first flute was a Tipple which is also a great flute for the money. The Casey Burns folk flute is a dandy as well if you’re looking for wood.
Have fun,
Doc
Acctually the M&E sells for $375. I reccomend M&E, but I do not have a lot of experience with these other mid-range flutes. I can tell you that I prefer my M&E to many high-end pro model flutes I’ve tried. It’s a remarkable flute for the money. I have just got a little experience with the 3pc Dixon, but the advice I recieved prior to getting my M&E was from people who first got the Dixon, then the M&E, they wished they had just skipped the Dixon and gone straight to the M&E, cause it’s much more of a pro flute. It’s got tuning slide and lots of potential, it will grow with you and I highly doubt that it would ever restrict you like many of the other mid-range flutes would. The Seery would probably not restrict you eighter but it would probably be a much harder flute to play. Regardless of how big your lungs are, you are going to run out of air, this is due to your embouchure, not your lungs.
I would also choose the M&E over the Seery because the Rudallish vs. Prattenish issue. The Seery is perhaps capable of a dryer, louder tone, but the M&E has all that sweetness, reedyness, fatness and fullness that I love, it’s probably capable of greater nuances as well. Note that I have never really played a Seery, but I’ve played other Prattens and from what some people have said, the Seery is more Prattenish that Pratten itself. This is all a personal preference though.
Just my 2c