On-topic stuff: The Great C-natural Deathmatch

[Wormdiet]

Those of you that have keyed flutes, how often do you use your Cnatural key and Why?

(I'm talking specifically about normal D-flutes here, not Bb or other monstrosities.)

The issue I am facing is this: would it be better to get Both fnat keys and no C or Cnat and one Fnat. Probably long.

And yes, I know about the "just get all six" argument. That option is out of bounds for the purposes of this discussion.

For a bit of background, I like cross-fingered Cnatural just fine and am pretty good at it.

[GaryKelly]

Nuts. My only keyed flute is an Eb monstrosity, I am disbarred...

[Denny]

Nuts. My only keyed flute is an Eb monstrosity, I am disbarred...

good thing ya still have pubs, eh?

on topic

[bradhurley]

The issue I am facing is this: would it be better to get Both fnat keys and no C or Cnat and one Fnat. Probably long.

If that's your issue then I'd say get both f-natural keys. You can easily do without the c-nat key, but having only one F-nat key is more limiting. You could get by with just the long f-nat, but the short one is handier in most situations...it's just (as has been said dozens of times in this forum) that you can't cleanly go from D to F or F to D without the long f-nat key, so you need that too.

[KateG]

Speaking as someone who's had a keyed flute for less than a month , I think I would vote for the two F nat. keys over the C nat. key. That said, I find the C nat key particularly useful in quick B - C nat passages where I used to half-hole (opening bar of Dusty Windowsills for instance). However in quick C nat. to D passages cross fingering still works better. I tend to use the 0X0 XXX fingering for C nat., which makes hitting an 0XX XXX D a matter of dropping one finger.

Actually when it comes to keys my feeling is "get all EIGHT!"

[maire]

I use the key as an accidental note or to get from one note to the other without compromising my timing.
Sometimes I use it just for fun, because it feels nicer.
I dont think that there is a hard and fast rule for using or not using the key, it must just be a matter of taste.
But it is great to use as part of your ornamation.

[Matt_Paris]

And yes, I know about the "just get all six" argument. That option is out of bounds for the purposes of this discussion.

I couldn't do without the Cnat key, and I find the long F awkward to use but necessary. I never use it if I can avoid it, and always prefer the short, but D-F transitions just can't be played properly without it. I play some classical, and some french folk, I really need to play in C.

I'd say chose any of them, but have the blocks for both, so that you can have the missing one installed later.

[Cathy Wilde]

I use the Cnat key more than the long F, but this is in part because my favorite flute is missing its long F. (heck the only key that really works on that flute is the short F; everything else is rubber-banded down!)

Anyway, like maire I use it more for blips and burbles and odd bits of ornamentation (clean CdC triplets come to mind); it's becoming more second-nature, but I still have to think about using it instead of cross-fingering the C. I do like the key on 2nd register Cs; seems a little more in tune.

I appreciate the logic of the long F, but as I have yet to master it on my flute that does have all its teeth , I can't really comment there. The short F I love, but I've had one of those for years.

Boy, that was helpful, huh?

[Cathy Wilde]

<snip>
I'd say chose any of them, but have the blocks for both, so that you can have the missing one installed later.

Very, very, very, very, VERY good catch!

[pandscarr]

I'd go for the long F and the Cnat. I haven't used my short F in over a year - once you get used to reaching for the long F, it's magic.

But having 6 blocks made is a great idea, too.

[Cathy Wilde]

One other question/option/alternative to jettisoning the long F or C .... how many of us use the Bb key much? I can think of one tune where it comes in handy so far (Arthur Darley's), but that's about it. Might just be my limited repertoire, though.

[peeplj]

I play the Mountain Top...a G-minor hornpipe. That tune's just not workable on flute without the B-flat key.

If I had to live without a key, I'd say the long C-natural would be the best choice to do without. I would miss it, though, as I do use it quite a bit, both for C-natural as well as to bring C-sharp up to pitch.

--James

[Wormdiet]

Lotsa early music in C-Mix, so the Bb is a keeper for me!

[Cathy Wilde]

Okay-doke. Back to the thread in progress ....

[mutepointe]

i'd like to know why getting all the keys is out of discussion. if you're going to the bother (and cost) of getting all the other keys what's a few more dollars/pounds/pesos/euros? it'll have better resale value.