8 key vs boehm

[LorenzoFlute]

so, i was thinking, if u can choose to do slides and other cool staff with a simple system, but still be able to be fully chromatic because of the keys (8 keys should be enough right?), why should you choose a boehm flute?

[Denny]

makes no sense does it?

Kinda wonder why the sell so many of 'em

[Gabriel]

Chromatic music is much easier playable on the boehm, they say.

[Denny]

Boehm is louder.

[Doc Jones]

Trust me, there is a reason that keyed simple system flutes suddenly became inexpensive and available second hand in vast numbers the day after Mr. Boehm invented his shiny silver tooter.

In fact, I believe the flute entered Irish music en force that very day because they were suddenly cheap enough that the Irish musicians could afford them.

Keyed Irish flutes are lovely but don't kid yourself that they're remotely comparable to a Boehm for anything in a really weird key or with more than two octaves.

If you want to play folk music that requires keys get a keyed Irish flute. If you want to play Debussy or Jazz stick with a Boehm.

Doc

[Doc Jones]

Keyed Irish flutes are far superior to Boehms for Irish music (unless your Joannie Madden )

Doc

[LorenzoFlute]

irish flutes INEXPENSIVE??? i can easily find them at 4000 euro, and boehm silver flutes usually cost around 1000 (and they have all the keys)... of course u can buy the gold ones, but anyway i cant see such a difference in price

[cocusflute]

I don't think a Boehm flute is louder than a good wooden simple system flute. At least I never played with a Boehm player than whom I couldn't play louder. Let me hasten to add that I don't value volume per se.
I think the Boehm flute is rather effete. It sure doesn't have a honking bottom D.
What do the rest of you think?

[Denny]

I think ya should'a offered to sell him a flute...

[Denny]

Joanie Madden sounds "rather effete"...ah, no...ya think?

[cocusflute]

Joanie Madden is not effete in any way, so you're right in this case. Tony Rice also blows with authority.

[mutepointe]

so that people have a clue as to what you are playing?

[KateG]

And not all folk music works on an 8-key. I took a workshop in Balkan Tunes this summer with my 8 key, and some of those modes were challenging: F nat to G# was a common interval, and I never did that one smooth, and there were others equally finger busting.

The workshop leader was mostly a Boehm player, but also had a nice Burns. He said he kept thinking of my fingers as we worked through the tunes, since I was the only other flute player in the class (the rest were fiddle/mando players).

Finger busting intervals notwithstanding, I recommend exploring the Balkan rep if you want a change. Those polyrhythms are beyond cool!

[Cubitt]

I love my eight-key, and wish I could play it exclusively. My Boehm is best for just about anything other than Irish. But nothing beats the connection I feel with the music and the instrument that I get from the eight-key.

I can't get anything close to the right sound for Irish on my Boehm, though.

That's just the way it is.

[pancelticpiper]

Kate, that's why I took up the Kaval when I got into Balkan stuff. The Kaval is chromatic with no keys, and all those modes are equally easy to play.
Paddy Carty, for one, demonstrated the advantages of playing Irish music on a mechanised flute (in his case, the Radcliff system): you can play all those D minor and G minor fiddle tunes effortlessly.
Most of the Irish flute style comes from the breathing, breath pushes, and digital articulation, all of which can be done equally well on a Boehm system or an 8-key. Don't get me wrong, I prefer playing Irish music on the 8-key flute, and I'm a klutz on the Boehm (though I did play Boehm when playing in a Church group).