C natural question

[Cork]

Terry is special but not so special that you should overlook an American wooden flute maker who could place a hole for you while you are there in their workshop. That would be best.

I must emphaise that you should settle you current grip first. For instance, if you are using, say, a Hariprasad Chaurasia style bansuri grip (a type of pipers' grip), your left thumb may be opposite your chin/lower lip for stabilisation (rather than using the base of you left index finger for mstabilisation), and in this case thumbhole would not be good for you.

On my Irish flute I employ bansuric grip with the right hand and a regular come idiosyncratic grip with my left.

Good Luck.

My being a Boehm player from way back, I suspect that the position of the thumbhole you describe could be just right. Yes, it is good to have a local maker fit the flute to a player, but somehow I suspect that Mr. McGee and I could work things out. I am somewhat flexible, in that regard.

[sbhikes]

Is there a way to tell if your notes are in tune?

Somebody said that 0XX000 is more in tune but sounds less clear than 0X0XXX. I think my ear is ok, but not perfect. Sounds to me like 0X0XXX is more in tune than the other one, but how can I know for sure?

I don't want a thumb hole. I want my regular Irish flute to just be a regular Irish flute.

[talasiga]

.......I suspect that Mr. McGee and I could work things out. I am somewhat flexible, in that regard.

IMHO, Terry is a gentleman and if you are one too little flexibility will be required.


What is your main flute now?

[Cork]

.......I suspect that Mr. McGee and I could work things out. I am somewhat flexible, in that regard.

IMHO, Terry is a gentleman and if you are one too little flexibility will be required.
8)

What is your main flute now?

Main flute? Well, to my left is a Boehm, and to my right is a Sweetheart, in D. I have other flutes, but these are my mainstays.

[talasiga]

Is there a way to tell if your notes are in tune?

Somebody said that 0XX000 is more in tune but sounds less clear than 0X0XXX. I think my ear is ok, but not perfect. Sounds to me like 0X0XXX is more in tune than the other one, but how can I know for sure?

I don't want a thumb hole. I want my regular Irish flute to just be a regular Irish flute.

The regular Irish flute is an abridged keyed wooden flute of the 19th century and the tradition of its playing evolved from an irregular application of a concert flute. The tin whistle is traditionally the most regular simple system tube and its finger hole origins may be sourced tothe diatonic flutes of ancient China (and India) and these are traditions that currently prefer half holing rather than cross fingering.

If you prefer your flute as a simple system unkeyed six tone hole instrument, you just have to try out different ways of obtaining the particular "Cnat" that suits the particular music and that can reckoned
"regular" BY EAR as traditional Irish musicians do.

[Cork]

Is there a way to tell if your notes are in tune?...

Believe it or not, YOU are the best judge of a note being in tune.

Now, here on the C&F Board I could be forever flamed for mentioning this, but if you really want to fine tune your ear, then check out the music of the Baroque era, a time when "just" intonation ruled. Fortunately, your D flute is ready to play quite a few of those melodies. Moreover, they are often very simple tunes, but, if you are not in tune, your fault will become obvious to you, at once. That is, your own ear will tell you, right away.

That is one of the reasons why "classical" flute players often study the Baroque, just to get their ear in shape.

Now, SHHH, don't mention that I said this...

;-)

Edit:

1) Other than having a reference pitch, say, a tuning fork, you will be your own tuning meter.

2) To get the benefits of a Baroque study, you do not need to know a single Baroque ornament, just focus on the basic melody.

3) As the roots of ITM apparently began with solo performance, a Baroque study will help you shine.

[daiv]

Terry is special but not so special that you should overlook an American wooden flute maker who could place a hole for you while you are there in their workshop. That would be best.

I must emphaise that you should settle you current grip first. For instance, if you are using, say, a Hariprasad Chaurasia style bansuri grip (a type of pipers' grip), your left thumb may be opposite your chin/lower lip for stabilisation (rather than using the base of you left index finger for mstabilisation), and in this case thumbhole would not be good for you.

On my Irish flute I employ bansuric grip with the right hand and a regular come idiosyncratic grip with my left.

Good Luck.

dave copley has made at least one flute that i know of with a c natural thumbhole.

[Denny]

Is there a way to tell if your notes are in tune?

Somebody said that 0XX000 is more in tune but sounds less clear than 0X0XXX. I think my ear is ok, but not perfect. Sounds to me like 0X0XXX is more in tune than the other one, but how can I know for sure?

I don't want a thumb hole. I want my regular Irish flute to just be a regular Irish flute.

The regular Irish flute is an abridged keyed wooden flute of the 19th century

what came with a key for C nat
the thumb hole is just the hole without the key

no I don't have a flute with a thumb hole

there is a free tuner here

(called Sound color analyzer and Tuner for shakuhachi)

[dow]

Cork-

My flute has the c-nat thumbhole. As you look down the body of the flute, with the other six toneholes at 12:00, the C-nat falls at about 4:30. This is a very comfortable place for me. When I ordered my flute from Terry, I had no experience with a c-nat thumbhole (or much else flute-wise at the time ), and I asked him to use his own judgement on location. It has worked out remarkably well.

[Cork]

Cork-

My flute has the c-nat thumbhole. As you look down the body of the flute, with the other six toneholes at 12:00, the C-nat falls at about 4:30. This is a very comfortable place for me. When I ordered my flute from Terry, I had no experience with a c-nat thumbhole (or much else flute-wise at the time :) ), and I asked him to use his own judgement on location. It has worked out remarkably well.

I have no experience with a Cnat thumbhole, but I have heard of it, and am glad to know it is available. As far as simple system flutes go, a Cnat TH is a real attraction. Yes, it all began with just one key, then migrated to four, and then more keys, until eventually something like fifteen keys were added, whoa! But that one extra hole, the Cnat, does seem worthwhile.

A position of 4:30 or so seems just about right.

Thanks!

[kayaal]

I find on my keyed flute that C natural is really biting when using the key.It's one of the best notes on my flute.The cross fingerings are useful in certain circumstances,but with a nice long c you cant beat the keyed c.My keyed flute is a Grinter Rudall type instrument.I also have deKeyzer Pratten keyless.The cross-fingered Cs on each flute are differenet. On Rudall OXXXOX.On Pratten OXOXXX.

[dessinchat]

There are lots of threads about this.

I was wondering if it would not be interesting, because this question or about other particular fingerings, may often be asked, to group in a unique thread all the special fingerings and make a sticky thread with it ...