Why the flute?
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gentlesavage
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Why the flute?
What brings everyone to the flute as their main instrument? What's the enchantment? Why do we all play the flute? Anyone have an answer?
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chas
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It's interesting -- many times the subject of "what brought you to the whistle" has come up on the whistle board, but I can't remember this topic coming up on the flute board before.
I took up the whistle something like 7 years ago, considering it a step toward taking up the pipes. I hacked on it awhile, then became a little more serious about it maybe 4 years ago. My wife is a (Boehm) flute player, and when Glenn Schultz (my favorite whistlewright) made a batch of flutes around then, I got my wife one of his flutes. She didn't really like the idea of a keyless flute after awhile, and the thing was so damn pretty, I couldn't part with it.
I couldn't get much of a sound out of it, so it collected dust for some time. I got a couple of flutes, a Mollenhauer 6-key and a noname 4-key, off ebay, and those were a little easier to play. Then I got the Bleazey, and I was hooked. Once I became somewhat proficient, I largely abandoned the whistle (see my sale on the whistle board if interested), and I have no plans to take up the pipes.
What hooked me? Any number of things, but I think the biggest is the expressiveness of the flute. Yes, if you're good enough you can make someone cry with the whistle. But the flute seems designed to romanticize music -- not only can the player modulate the volume and timbre much more, he can even change the whole character of the sound. The challenge is the other thing that attracts me to it. I'll never feel like I've gotten as much out of a flute as I possibly can, and I plan to die trying.
I took up the whistle something like 7 years ago, considering it a step toward taking up the pipes. I hacked on it awhile, then became a little more serious about it maybe 4 years ago. My wife is a (Boehm) flute player, and when Glenn Schultz (my favorite whistlewright) made a batch of flutes around then, I got my wife one of his flutes. She didn't really like the idea of a keyless flute after awhile, and the thing was so damn pretty, I couldn't part with it.
I couldn't get much of a sound out of it, so it collected dust for some time. I got a couple of flutes, a Mollenhauer 6-key and a noname 4-key, off ebay, and those were a little easier to play. Then I got the Bleazey, and I was hooked. Once I became somewhat proficient, I largely abandoned the whistle (see my sale on the whistle board if interested), and I have no plans to take up the pipes.
What hooked me? Any number of things, but I think the biggest is the expressiveness of the flute. Yes, if you're good enough you can make someone cry with the whistle. But the flute seems designed to romanticize music -- not only can the player modulate the volume and timbre much more, he can even change the whole character of the sound. The challenge is the other thing that attracts me to it. I'll never feel like I've gotten as much out of a flute as I possibly can, and I plan to die trying.
Charlie
Whorfin Woods
"Our work puts heavy metal where it belongs -- as a music genre and not a pollutant in drinking water." -- Prof Ali Miserez.
Whorfin Woods
"Our work puts heavy metal where it belongs -- as a music genre and not a pollutant in drinking water." -- Prof Ali Miserez.
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Jayhawk
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I've always liked flute (Jethro Tull junkie), and played Boehm flute for about 6 whole months when I was in 8th grade (I mainly played saxophone). Then, I heard Matt Molloy's Stony Steps CD in my early 20's, but was too poor for a flute so I bought a whistle. I later bought a Hall crystal flute and a renn fest bamboo flute - both of which were hard to play...luckily, I next bought a Dixon 3 piece and that was that - I'd found my instrument.
I love the expressiveness of the flute, heck, I love all the qualities Charlie mentioned as well as Denny's "lack of storage" comment...I'll add extreme portability, too. I put my Seery in my backpack and play at lunch break.
Oh, my whistle playing makes my wife cry these days...she much prefers the flute!
I love the expressiveness of the flute, heck, I love all the qualities Charlie mentioned as well as Denny's "lack of storage" comment...I'll add extreme portability, too. I put my Seery in my backpack and play at lunch break.
Oh, my whistle playing makes my wife cry these days...she much prefers the flute!
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Doug_Tipple
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I don’t think that the flute is special in having many devotees. The same could be said about the guitar, the violin, or any instrument, for that matter. Even the banjo!!!
I tried to learn to play the silver flute when I was in grade school. My mother found an old silver flute in the attic, and I tried to learn to play a flute with leaky pads. And it didn’t help that I was the only boy in the flute section in the band. Finally, I got the message that only girls played the flute, at least that is what I thought at the time, and I gave up the flute and concentrated on the guitar, a more manly instrument.
If wasn’t until 40 years later that I came back to the flute, and I am not sure why, because I can play a number of other instruments. But at this point in my life of 60 years, it is my great pleasure to play the flute every day. I play it during commercials on TV. I play it in my car while I am waiting at a stoplight. I have played my flute at memorial services, at contra dances, in churches, as a street musician, and I even was the pied piper than led a group of dignitaries for the opening of a foot trail along the Wabash River where I live. They gave me $20 and a free box lunch, and I even got to eat dinner with the state congresswoman, all because I could play a few tunes on the flute. I guess that makes me a professional musician.
I tried to learn to play the silver flute when I was in grade school. My mother found an old silver flute in the attic, and I tried to learn to play a flute with leaky pads. And it didn’t help that I was the only boy in the flute section in the band. Finally, I got the message that only girls played the flute, at least that is what I thought at the time, and I gave up the flute and concentrated on the guitar, a more manly instrument.
If wasn’t until 40 years later that I came back to the flute, and I am not sure why, because I can play a number of other instruments. But at this point in my life of 60 years, it is my great pleasure to play the flute every day. I play it during commercials on TV. I play it in my car while I am waiting at a stoplight. I have played my flute at memorial services, at contra dances, in churches, as a street musician, and I even was the pied piper than led a group of dignitaries for the opening of a foot trail along the Wabash River where I live. They gave me $20 and a free box lunch, and I even got to eat dinner with the state congresswoman, all because I could play a few tunes on the flute. I guess that makes me a professional musician.
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sboag
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When I was pretty young, I heard some flute music that my parents had on a record player late at night. I thought it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard, and from that day on I wanted to play the flute. But I never had much oppurtunity, and thus am only really trying to learn how to play now in my 40s.
The other thing about an unkeyed Irish flute, and other types of "folk" flutes, is that it is so primal. A hollow stick with holes.
There are some good quotes about flutes, and perhaps why people play them (or don't) at http://woodenflutes.com/quotes/. One quote presents the concept of sculpting music from air. I love that.
-scott
The other thing about an unkeyed Irish flute, and other types of "folk" flutes, is that it is so primal. A hollow stick with holes.
There are some good quotes about flutes, and perhaps why people play them (or don't) at http://woodenflutes.com/quotes/. One quote presents the concept of sculpting music from air. I love that.
-scott
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Berti66
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When I was in my teens, I loved the sound of the flute and wanted to learn play it...........but no money for a flute or lessons I had to put dreams aside.
Last year I learned to play the whistle and then heard someone of this forum play the irish and bamboo flute and felt THAT was the long lost love I had been looking for and THAT was the instrument I wanted to learn to play.
Besides, I think the flute allows you to be so much more expressive, put all your true feelings in..........and yes you can do that on a whistle when you are very good, but the flute gives you so much more to play with, so to say.
Also, for me, it is an extra big challenge.
That flute/ whistle player I mentioned above, told me the flute is one of the hardest instruments to learn.........and for me, even harder because I do have a hearing problem and not a moderate one.
Yet, I am following my dreams and will never give up the flute......it already brought me to places where I otherwise not would have come!
Berti
Last year I learned to play the whistle and then heard someone of this forum play the irish and bamboo flute and felt THAT was the long lost love I had been looking for and THAT was the instrument I wanted to learn to play.
Besides, I think the flute allows you to be so much more expressive, put all your true feelings in..........and yes you can do that on a whistle when you are very good, but the flute gives you so much more to play with, so to say.
Also, for me, it is an extra big challenge.
That flute/ whistle player I mentioned above, told me the flute is one of the hardest instruments to learn.........and for me, even harder because I do have a hearing problem and not a moderate one.
Yet, I am following my dreams and will never give up the flute......it already brought me to places where I otherwise not would have come!
Berti
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pixyy
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- Tell us something.: Just updating my profile after 16+ years of C&F membership. Sold most of my flutes, play the ones I still own and occasionally still enjoy coming here and read about flute related subjects.
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I have played different instruments since I was 9 years old. Mostly keyboards and a bit of bass.
A major change happened when my house got robbed. I lost my synth, amp, and bass-guitar. A good friend gave me his guitar on permanent loan. I only tought myself to pluck some chords on it (which I still do )
After I moved to Denmark, I bought myself a tinwhistle, found this forum, met my (almost) neighbour Jens through this forum and got in contact with other people playing Irish music in Copenhagen.
I struggled with the tinwhistle, learning tunes, but always cringing at the notes in the high register.
3 years ago I tried an Irish flute for the first time (during a workshop with her majesty Mary Bergin).
I was very excited I could get a tone out of it - I was hooked, and still am. One of the greatest thing I find is that the player forms and produces the tone. When I fill the flute and can feel the air vibrate under my fingers....
YES, that's it!!!!!
A major change happened when my house got robbed. I lost my synth, amp, and bass-guitar. A good friend gave me his guitar on permanent loan. I only tought myself to pluck some chords on it (which I still do
)After I moved to Denmark, I bought myself a tinwhistle, found this forum, met my (almost) neighbour Jens through this forum and got in contact with other people playing Irish music in Copenhagen.
I struggled with the tinwhistle, learning tunes, but always cringing at the notes in the high register.
3 years ago I tried an Irish flute for the first time (during a workshop with her majesty Mary Bergin).
I was very excited I could get a tone out of it - I was hooked, and still am. One of the greatest thing I find is that the player forms and produces the tone. When I fill the flute and can feel the air vibrate under my fingers....
YES, that's it!!!!!
flute clips
Some Tunes on my Box.net
Some Tunes on my Box.net
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RudallRose
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Hmmm.....Well Flute is not my main instrument I play twelve others
so how do you actually know when one IS your "main" instrument?
Sounds like an awful lot of work!
I'm happy just to stick with one. My flute, thanks. Easy carrying case, too! And no need to take up valuable session space (although pint space is another matter on the tables) for a case.
I chuckle when I see people pile into sessions with ump-teen instruments in tow. One woman here has guitar and harp in tow, another fellow has banjo/zook/guitar in cases with stands(!), and anther fellow has guitar/banjo/accordion. Why torture yourself? Why not just pick one for the night?
Oh well.....
I started "flutes" at age 4. I can't conceive of playing anything else (although I've dabbled). It's music from the soul.
dm[/quote]
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Eldarion
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For me it was simply because it seemed like a natural progression from the whistle, which I was already playing for a couple of years then. Convinced myself that the flute was a cool enough instrument to pick up and so here am I.
Lately I'm itching for a half set of flat pipes or a maybe decent fiddle though..
Lately I'm itching for a half set of flat pipes or a maybe decent fiddle though..
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artsohio
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I started playing flute at 8 years old. My older sister had procurred me one because she had always wanted to play. She was in college at the time and we were a lower middle-class family, but she procurred a used flute and got a friend to give me lessons and we listened to "Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano" ad nauseum in our room. When it came time to choose an instrument for school band, the teacher wouldn't let me pick the flute because I had the wrong lips (I have a very prominent cupid's bow shape. Nice for kissing, considered bad for playing). I had to convince him that I could, in fact play. I guess he got the last laugh because I've always had a wicked crooked embouchure.
I played very seriously and competitively through junior high and high school. I was an okay player but a great competitor so I would routinely beat players that were actually much better than me. I don't know how exactly. I think I had good stage presence and knew what the judges wanted. I always maintained good eye contact, too. It takes conductors and adjudicators back until they get used to it, then I think they are emotionally connected to me in a tiny way. Thinking back, it wasn't fair and I know I didn't fool everyone, but that's how it was.
Anyhow... come senior year I had a few music scholarships offered (that stage presence thing, I was not a great player) but a medical problem left the bottom part of my face paralized and I couldn't play at all for about 6 months. Couldn't get out of the bottom octave for about 2 years. I still took advantage of the teachers on campus, but not as a major.
And now, after much wordiness and digression, to answer the original question.
I guess I play the flute partially out of habit and partially because it has always been there for me, even when I had to fight to play it. When I open my case I still get a little surge of happy remembering my sister and how she scrimped on other things to buy me a flute. When I play, I remember this experience or that teacher or some time in my life. Because I always played or ached to play, every "epoch" of my life can be traced back when I hear the competition piece or etude or fun piece that I was working on then.
The Irish flute addiction is a recent thing for me. This summer I played pit in a production of "The Secret Garden". The part had a large penny whistle section so I studied up on the needed techniques. I started plunking around on an old bamboo piccolo and the addiction started. I also like the portability and low maintenance aspects of the traditional flute. It's pretty joyful to play without all the prep work.
Plus, I'm totally new to the genre so even though I'm sure I sound like crap, I can't tell I can pretend I actually sound decent!
I played very seriously and competitively through junior high and high school. I was an okay player but a great competitor so I would routinely beat players that were actually much better than me. I don't know how exactly. I think I had good stage presence and knew what the judges wanted. I always maintained good eye contact, too. It takes conductors and adjudicators back until they get used to it, then I think they are emotionally connected to me in a tiny way. Thinking back, it wasn't fair and I know I didn't fool everyone, but that's how it was.
Anyhow... come senior year I had a few music scholarships offered (that stage presence thing, I was not a great player) but a medical problem left the bottom part of my face paralized and I couldn't play at all for about 6 months. Couldn't get out of the bottom octave for about 2 years. I still took advantage of the teachers on campus, but not as a major.
And now, after much wordiness and digression, to answer the original question.
I guess I play the flute partially out of habit and partially because it has always been there for me, even when I had to fight to play it. When I open my case I still get a little surge of happy remembering my sister and how she scrimped on other things to buy me a flute. When I play, I remember this experience or that teacher or some time in my life. Because I always played or ached to play, every "epoch" of my life can be traced back when I hear the competition piece or etude or fun piece that I was working on then.
The Irish flute addiction is a recent thing for me. This summer I played pit in a production of "The Secret Garden". The part had a large penny whistle section so I studied up on the needed techniques. I started plunking around on an old bamboo piccolo and the addiction started. I also like the portability and low maintenance aspects of the traditional flute. It's pretty joyful to play without all the prep work.
Plus, I'm totally new to the genre so even though I'm sure I sound like crap, I can't tell
I can pretend I actually sound decent!"Colors changing with the keys, uneven timbre, even defects in intonation were elements of instrumental playing... Lover's eyes change into virtues the beloved's defects."
-Michel Debost, "The Simple Flute"
-Michel Debost, "The Simple Flute"
Me, I blame Dave Migoya for me wanting to play the flute.
Let me explain.
Dave lived in Detroit for a while and came to the Gaelic League every once and time and sat in on the sessions. travelling light as he has mentioned with just his flute. At the time I was playing the bodhran and whistle and thought that that was that for me ( my version of travelling light).
Then one Friday night at the League, Dave got up on the wee stage and played the tune "GarryOwen" at the most wonderful blistering speed, playing it three times and I think in three different keys for each round!
It blew me and the audience away!
So there Dave! Thanks for getting me started on a most lovable journey.
MarkB
Let me explain.
Dave lived in Detroit for a while and came to the Gaelic League every once and time and sat in on the sessions. travelling light as he has mentioned with just his flute. At the time I was playing the bodhran and whistle and thought that that was that for me ( my version of travelling light).
Then one Friday night at the League, Dave got up on the wee stage and played the tune "GarryOwen" at the most wonderful blistering speed, playing it three times and I think in three different keys for each round!
It blew me and the audience away!
So there Dave! Thanks for getting me started on a most lovable journey.
MarkB
Everybody has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.
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RudallRose
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JamesF
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I feel the same.Berti66 wrote: the long lost love I had been looking for
I have wanted a flute for as long as I can remember. Such a lovely-looking instrument and that gentle sound. Then I found out about the cost
(silver flute)I've tried the harmonica, fife, kingflute, recorder, piano, guitar and tinwhistle (all not seriously) and hoped that someday I can afford a flute. I've never even touched one, I just knew it was for me. There was a time when I would surf the web for hours just to look at pictures. Then I discovered the Irish flute through C&F.
Fast forward to June of this year, I sat all day at the kitchen counter waiting for the UPS truck. When my flute arrived I was shaking. I wanted to cry. Some things are just meant to be.