Tell us something.: I'm a fiddler and, latterly, a fluter. I love the flute. I wish I'd always played it. I love the whistle as well. I'm blessed in having really lovely instruments for all of my musical interests.
Location: Unimportant island off the great mainland of Europe
waltsweet wrote:The Treble flutes have indeed been done before; I saw them in Northern Ireland, and I should make the trip to the Finger Lakes in NY to try my friend's examples. Mine is one whole tone lower, and I will be incorporating some "woodflute" construction features.
Ah yes, I see. I try my hardest to keep the trad vs classical confusion over key naming at bay, but it's seems I failed.
waltsweet wrote:With a flute of this key (a tempered fourth higher), I think that the playing will be easier by adding one sharp to everything, as opposed to one flat. Besides, to match violin's low G, I wanted to do it with "6 fingers down (fingering a D)," rather than having to use the right pinky (as would be necessary on the standard treble flute). The instrument of lower pitch would be one step more flutelike, and less piccolo-like.
Right. Get it now. Now, I know nothing of flutes in that key - has that been done before?
waltsweet wrote:My wife has given preliminary approval to "DULCETTA".
Nice name that. It has the ring of something that either has been, or should have been, used before. Is it possible to tell?
benhall.1 wrote:Right. Get it now. Now, I know nothing of flutes in that key - has that been done before?
Hammy Hamilton also made G practice flutes that used a tapered head, but they were the six holed variety and did not have raised holes. I believe they were for those little tikes that couldn't play a full sized flute and I have no idea what register it was optimized for, so pretty much a different animal. Historically I believe there were descant flutes in g' (old system naming I think) for Renaissance flute quartets. I think they were optimized for the mid range, and again a different style of instrument.
Back to names.... Following the Dulcetta/Doucette train of thought, but hopefully getting away from over-well-worn musically referent usages, how about an acknowledgement of Walt's quixotic quest with this design whilst retaining the play on/reference to "sweet": http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulcinea?
I respect people's privilege to hold their beliefs, whatever those may be (within reason), but respect the beliefs themselves? You gotta be kidding!
As for G treble flutes (trad terms, not the Böhm flute band/choir ones, which are in A in our sense, same as but an 8ve higher than the Böhm alto flute), I first saw a simple, keyless wooden one in the hands of a member of some band from southern France 30-odd years ago. I believe they are not uncommon in French and Italian trad music, though I suspect they are more a modern introduction than a deeply "authentic" feature of consistent long standing. Whatever, they make good sense in traditions which tend to be C/G based in terms of commonest tonalities. Think about common hurdy-gurdy and bagpipe tunings in France and Italy, and thence the key-signatures of the tunes. Geert Lejeune in Belgium is one maker I know of who caters to that market with a lovely G flute, though off-hand I believe his design is a scaled down version of a Prattenish, English-derived style. Angus Fifes in N Ireland offer G mdels too.
Last edited by jemtheflute on Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I respect people's privilege to hold their beliefs, whatever those may be (within reason), but respect the beliefs themselves? You gotta be kidding!
I think Dulcinea is an excellent suggestion. I certainly feel that I have spent considerable time tilting at windmills. I just searched Google, and Dulcinea seems to be clear of other commercial applications; the Dulcinea Effect seems to be appropriate for this quest. Dolce, Dulcet, Dulcetta and Dulcella all seem to have a history.
One year, I looked all over the flute convention and did not find a flute in F. G or Eb, but not F.
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waltsweet wrote:I think Dulcinea is an excellent suggestion. I certainly feel that I have spent considerable time tilting at windmills. I just searched Google, and Dulcinea seems to be clear of other commercial applications; the Dulcinea Effect seems to be appropriate for this quest. Dolce, Dulcet, Dulcetta and Dulcella all seem to have a history.
How about Dulcibella if that general line appeals? Or even Dowsabel ('an obsolete word for sweetheart')?
Walt, it being a Boehm flute, surely you should go back to the name that Rudall suggested to Boehm for his flute? Rudall suggested it be called the "Siren flute". Christopher Welch, putting the boot into Rockstro for putting the boot into Boehm, tells us:
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"The earlier metal flutes made after the model of Boehm
were most wretched in tone, as well as in intonation, and it was
only after a series of improvements, culminating in 1864, that they
became the charming drawing-room instruments they are at
present." So we are told by Mr. Rockstro in the 320th section
(p. 145) of his Treatise on the Flute. But a gentleman who devoted
himself exclusively to drawing-room playing, and was acknowledged
to be the most finished drawing-room player of his time, writing to
Boehm in the name of the firm of which he was the head, and
underscoring the words here italicised, expresses himself as follows :
"The French seem to be going from your original intention, and
their instruments are not equal to your silver flute in our possession ;
there is not the slightest doubt as to the vast superiority
of your metal flute over every other. Indeed, we think that there
is no wind instrument that possesses so many charms." Referring
to a metal flute of Boehm's make, he adds : "The Name of the
Flute has been suggested by a Gentleman of Classical Knowledge
and a Flute-Player of great Taste, as the most expressive of its
perfections, viz. the Siren Flute?"
This was not written in the year 1864, when the silver star was
" Riding near her highest noon "
in the meridian of the Rockstro model, but on the 2nd of September,
1847, just after the new luminary had appeared above the horizon,
it having emerged from the creative brain of Boehm in the previous
year. The gentleman who wrote thus of this " most wretched "
drawing-room instrument was Mr. George Rudall.
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I guess we have a different view of what a siren sounds like these days!
And are there any Jasons out there, daring to lash themselves to the Boehmian Mast, while Siren Flutes test the musical mariners' mettle? Thanks, Terry, for the glimpse into history.
"DULCINEA" seems to be the winner thus far. Maybe the flute will be up and running by the end of next month. For hinge tubing, I'm using standard 1/8" OD brass with #41 drillrod as the axles.
