Aluminium flutes

jb · Post by jb » Thu Aug 02, 2007 12:01 pm

Has anybody tried one of these?

http://www.firstflutes.co.za/index.html

Jack

rh · Post by rh » Thu Aug 02, 2007 12:13 pm

from the website:

The Flute employs Irish and Japanese methodology which makes it very easy for a novice to play a full octave.

jb · Post by jb » Thu Aug 02, 2007 12:19 pm

This flute is Irish in design and is much more logical to play than the recorder.

The flute can cover 3 octaves and with practice all 12 notes in the octave. There is also a Chinese addition to the flute – the thumbhole that will assist novices in obtaining a full octave easily.

Cork · Post by **Cork** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 12:59 pm

Er, these appear to be fifes, not flutes.

Thumbhole?

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 1:22 pm

I calculated the price of a small C flute/fife mailed to the USA @ about $55. It looks like the largest flute that they are making is a G flute ($65 USA), which is still a small flute. Clearly they have no interest in the ITM market, as they don't offer a flute in D. I don't think that they accept paypal payments either. Rather they would like for you to deposit directly into their bank account, which seems a little backward in the age of the internet.

jemtheflute · Post by **jemtheflute** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 1:24 pm

Cork wrote:Er, these appear to be fifes, not flutes.

Thumbhole?

Nah, Cork, they're flutes - I've had a good read of a substantial amount of the FF website - the guy isn't very au fait with stuff a lot of us take for granted and has probably done a fair bit of wheel-reinvention, but I think these can as legitimately be called flutes as Doug Tipple's or Tony Dixon's basic poly tube flutes or Hammy's metal tube thingy. The site doesn't make it totally clear, but I think the thumb hole must be for the "C nat" fingering (on a D flute - with which he seems to be having some mysterious problem!) - again, something that has been discussed on this forum and is offered by some of "our" makers. Just being cylindrical doesn't make 'em fifes.

Cubitt · Post by **Cubitt** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 1:36 pm

Cork wrote:Er, these appear to be fifes, not flutes.

Thumbhole?

They do appear that way, don't they? I looked through all the material, and although you get no point of reference to determine the size, everything he says leads me to believe that they are indeed flutes. BTW, for those who don't pay for things in South African Rands, his example of a total cost of R391 translates to about $55 US. That's alot for a fife, but reasonable for a flute of this nature.

It doesn't appear he has one in D (claims to have had a problem with the tuning, which seems odd). The G would be best to just mess around with, but until he gets a D one right, I don't see it of much practical good for anyone here. It does seem a good solution for someone who just wants a folk flute to play alone or with others in C, G, or D (plus relative minors) if you get the one in G.

And I'm with you on thumb hole, as in "huh?"

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 1:57 pm

It's a starter flute for children. Good for him.
The Hammy practice flute is probably
better for us.

By the way, I'm increasingly impressed by how useful
a G flute is--G, C and D aint' nothing to sneeze at.

I.D.10-t · Post by **I.D.10-t** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 2:00 pm

It seems to have a very thin lip plate and so it would have a shallow chimney. It is interesting that they decided to give it vent holes. Seems like more work than it would be worth.

Also note that the flutes all have the same bore diameter (I assume from the picture) which may explain this part…

After establishing some fundamental rules with regard to finger-spacing and hole size and the effects of the mouth piece, I wrote out a mathematical formula using these rules and applied them to the following keys: G, Ab, A, Bb, B, C, Db, D (Fife). The math’s meant that the hole positioning and their sizes had to be drilled to a precision of 0.1 mm that could not be obtained in my garage at home. So, Ali-fab in PMB machined the flutes on their C&C routing machine. To my surprise all the above flutes were spot on in tune except for the Key of D.

Sounds like this is his first crack at making these things. There may be a few bugs yet to be worked out.

I wish him luck.

Cork · Post by **Cork** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:07 pm

By definition, apparently a cylinder bore (head, body and foot) indicates a fife.

While there could be a Cnat thumbhole on a flute, in this unspecified instance perhaps such a thumbhole could more refer to a recorder, of sorts.

Thank you, but no thank you, please.

Cubitt · Post by **Cubitt** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:14 pm

Cork wrote:By definition, apparently a cylinder bore (head, body and foot) indicates a fife.

What (or whose) definition are you referring to?

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 6:24 pm

When the fellow says the flute is 'Irish,' hence simpler
in fingering than a recorder, he almost surely means
it's simple system--six open holes.
So probably the thumb hole is the
C natural hole, that is, its equivalent
for the key the flute is in.

Again this is meant to be a starter flute for
children, to be used in music classes in
grade schools in South Africa and elsewhere.
It's meant to provide children an alternative to
recorder. He is not trying to corner the ITM
market, etc. A noble effort, not to be looked down
upon, IMO.

Cork · Post by **Cork** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 11:52 pm

Cubitt wrote:
Cork wrote:By definition, apparently a cylinder bore (head, body and foot) indicates a fife.

What (or whose) definition are you referring to?

Terry McGee mentioned on an earlier thread that a transverse instrument having a cylinder bore throughout is a fife, not a flute, and I made a note of his comment because I have little to do with fife playing.

The aluminum flute (?) mentioned in this thread apparently uses a thumb hole as a recorder does, but I have never seen a cylinder bore recorder, nor a transverse recorder, so I am tempted to think of this particular flute, or fife, as being an odd duck, of sorts.

Now, perhaps an odd duck could be a good thing, but in this instance it just doesn't seem to fit the description of a flute.

talasiga · Post by **talasiga** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:19 am

Cork wrote:......
Terry McGee mentioned on an earlier thread that a transverse instrument having a cylinder bore throughout is a fife, not a flute, and I made a note of his comment because I have little to do with fife playing.
.......;

I suspect that you have not given the whole of Terry's definition. On the basis of what you have said here a concert Boehm flute is a fife.

I say, all fifes are flutes but not all flutes are fifes.
All cows eat grass but .....

Cork · Post by **Cork** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:28 am

talasiga wrote:
Cork wrote:......
Terry McGee mentioned on an earlier thread that a transverse instrument having a cylinder bore throughout is a fife, not a flute, and I made a note of his comment because I have little to do with fife playing.
.......;
I suspect that you have not given the whole of Terry's definition. On the basis of what you have said here a concert Boehm flute is a fife. :P

I say, all fifes are flutes but not all flutes are fifes.
All cows eat grass but .....

Ah, but the head joint on a Boehm flute is not a cylinder, apparently.