Geez! that's whistle? Holy cyborg!
How does it play, Jess?
How many keys?
The long F is good for slides from D to F natural. The location of the short F key, between the D & F holes makes the slide awkward to finger. The short F can otherwise be used for F natural.On 2003-02-08 21:35, jim stone wrote:
I found this afternoon a
used Artley (sp?) silver
plated flute, 395, with
holes in the keys--needs
some new pads and some general
tuning, otherwise OK.
May or may not buy it.
Back to Irish flutes:
Will somebody please explain
why there are two F natural
keys--long and short? Thanks again
Don't put a lot of money into an Artley flute.
Bill
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Gordon
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Jim, back to your question about Boehms, a decent intermediate-level flute (usually a silver head, silver-plate body, will run somewhere around $5-700, maybe less for some, more for other (brands), and then there's always used flutes. The eventual expense (infrequent, though) will be occasional re-padding, which is very hard to do yourself.
I have an open-holed -- allows for finger-slides, which the closed doesn't. You should try some at a music store, different brands (some are heavier, some more delicate, etc.) -- rent one, maybe -- and see if they turn you on. The fingerings are a bit different, but not hard to get used to. They are GREAT for blues or jazz, IMO, better than a wooden flute -- I played a silver for rock and blues for several years before I switched to trad playing. They're generally louder, brighter, and more bell-like in tone (unless you don't want them to be, but that's a technique topic).
I started on trad on the silver flute, but I eventually felt/feel it does not play trad music as well, sound/tone/feel-wise (Joanie not-withstanding) for me as a player.
But the topic is subjective, and the Boehm flute is undoubtedly the more versatile beast.
As said on earlier threads, instruments don't make the music. If you play a lot of blues, I'd try a Boehm, and stick to a keyless for Irish music, which will cover about 98% of the repetoire just fine. If you're not a purist, you can play any music style on any instrument and, if you do it well, no one else will care either.
I have an open-holed -- allows for finger-slides, which the closed doesn't. You should try some at a music store, different brands (some are heavier, some more delicate, etc.) -- rent one, maybe -- and see if they turn you on. The fingerings are a bit different, but not hard to get used to. They are GREAT for blues or jazz, IMO, better than a wooden flute -- I played a silver for rock and blues for several years before I switched to trad playing. They're generally louder, brighter, and more bell-like in tone (unless you don't want them to be, but that's a technique topic).
I started on trad on the silver flute, but I eventually felt/feel it does not play trad music as well, sound/tone/feel-wise (Joanie not-withstanding) for me as a player.
But the topic is subjective, and the Boehm flute is undoubtedly the more versatile beast.
As said on earlier threads, instruments don't make the music. If you play a lot of blues, I'd try a Boehm, and stick to a keyless for Irish music, which will cover about 98% of the repetoire just fine. If you're not a purist, you can play any music style on any instrument and, if you do it well, no one else will care either.
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peeplj
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I started playing flute on an Artley beginner flute, many many years ago.
The problems that flute had were: (1) the screws would back out of adjustment easily, requiring weekly (!) trips to the repairman; (2) the keys were silver plated base metal, and would gradually bend under normal use; (3) the plating on the whole instrument was very thin and my fingers quickly etched through to the base metal. Also this happened on the embouchure plate.
Having this flute is what first prompted me to learn to do my own flute repairs. Doing the adjustments, for instance, is trivial if you know how. And you can lock those screws down with clear fingernail polish if you're careful not to get it in the mechanism.
As for the bent keys, that is a worse problem, as a flute with soft keys will need constant adjustments to the pads, which are not trivial, as they require great patience, fine motor skills, and lots of time.
Bear in mind I got that flute in 1978 or thereabouts; there could have been many changes in that brand since then; also, I may have had a "lemon" (although I do know other flutists who encountered the same difficulties).
I would check Ebay for a used Gemeinhardt intermediate. Sometimes you can get them as low as $500, and you'd have a lot more flute for the money, in my opinion.
Best wishes,
--James
http://www.flutesite.com
The problems that flute had were: (1) the screws would back out of adjustment easily, requiring weekly (!) trips to the repairman; (2) the keys were silver plated base metal, and would gradually bend under normal use; (3) the plating on the whole instrument was very thin and my fingers quickly etched through to the base metal. Also this happened on the embouchure plate.
Having this flute is what first prompted me to learn to do my own flute repairs. Doing the adjustments, for instance, is trivial if you know how. And you can lock those screws down with clear fingernail polish if you're careful not to get it in the mechanism.
As for the bent keys, that is a worse problem, as a flute with soft keys will need constant adjustments to the pads, which are not trivial, as they require great patience, fine motor skills, and lots of time.
Bear in mind I got that flute in 1978 or thereabouts; there could have been many changes in that brand since then; also, I may have had a "lemon" (although I do know other flutists who encountered the same difficulties).
I would check Ebay for a used Gemeinhardt intermediate. Sometimes you can get them as low as $500, and you'd have a lot more flute for the money, in my opinion.
Best wishes,
--James
http://www.flutesite.com
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peeplj
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On the "Boehm whistle," guys that looks like a normal piccolo to me, with a whistle mouthpiece that's been made for it.
I think that may have been a somewhat tongue-in-cheek posting. (or fipple-in-piccolo might be a more appropriate way of putting it)
Best,
--James
http://www.flutesite.com
I think that may have been a somewhat tongue-in-cheek posting. (or fipple-in-piccolo might be a more appropriate way of putting it)
Best,
--James
http://www.flutesite.com
Jim,
It looks like James pretty much summed things up about Artley, and Gordon gave some good tips on Boehm flute selection.
I highly recommend a silver headjoint, as Gordon stated. A silver plate body is okay, but most silver plate flutes are low end, except e.g., Prima Sankyo, and the key action might be sluggish. Get an with in-line G, and a C foot.
In the under $1K range, look for a new or used Yamaha, Gemeinhardt, etc. There are other equal and better makes, but the better makes are expensive, and typically have a silver head and body.
Bill
It looks like James pretty much summed things up about Artley, and Gordon gave some good tips on Boehm flute selection.
I highly recommend a silver headjoint, as Gordon stated. A silver plate body is okay, but most silver plate flutes are low end, except e.g., Prima Sankyo, and the key action might be sluggish. Get an with in-line G, and a C foot.
In the under $1K range, look for a new or used Yamaha, Gemeinhardt, etc. There are other equal and better makes, but the better makes are expensive, and typically have a silver head and body.
Bill
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Gordon
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I agree, Bill, though my Boehm is a nice intermediate Armstrong, which also goes down to a B, and the keys are quite nice. I liked the idea of buying American (yeah, I know, but every once in a while, my patriotism kicks in), but I also liked it because it was a more solid-feeling and darker sounding flute than the (I think it was) Yamahas I was trying against it at the time. Interesting because this was years before I went for a wooden flute, and I was attracted to the deeper, darker tone of the Armstrong over Gemeinharts and Yamahas.
Either way, as we've all said here, as well as on other posts, the head and embochure is a big piece of any flute's sound, so a solid silver head is very important (assuming you're not in the gold or platinum market!) over an alloy or plated one, regardless of the body.
If I were to buy another Boehm, and couldn't get one in blackwood, I'd follow Bill's advice and go up another notch to solid silver, head and body.
Either way, as we've all said here, as well as on other posts, the head and embochure is a big piece of any flute's sound, so a solid silver head is very important (assuming you're not in the gold or platinum market!) over an alloy or plated one, regardless of the body.
If I were to buy another Boehm, and couldn't get one in blackwood, I'd follow Bill's advice and go up another notch to solid silver, head and body.
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mvhplank
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While we're talking about Boehms (that's what I play), keep in mind the wood headjoint option. There are a couple of makers who make wood headjoints for metal flutes (Abell, in particular).
I was fortunate to make a couple of lucky finds and now have two wood Boehms, both pretty old and very flat by today's standards--hence my looking into replacement head joints, if I ever win the lottery, should I ever buy a ticket. (By the way, that may or may not solve my problem, but I can't really afford to find out right now.)
I once took lessons from a woman a who plays a metal Boehm with "French" keys and she does indeed do slides.
My flutes both have "plateau" keys and C feet; arthritis damage to my left hand seems to have taken me out of the simple-system flute option. But I also enjoy being fully chromatic.
I concur, too, on the Gemeinhardt recommendations. I bought an M1 silver plate on eBay for not too much (ca. $250), but it was the more basic student model, with closed keys. (It went on to my tae kwon do teacher's 5th-grade daughter.)
Have a blast!
M
I was fortunate to make a couple of lucky finds and now have two wood Boehms, both pretty old and very flat by today's standards--hence my looking into replacement head joints, if I ever win the lottery, should I ever buy a ticket. (By the way, that may or may not solve my problem, but I can't really afford to find out right now.)
I once took lessons from a woman a who plays a metal Boehm with "French" keys and she does indeed do slides.
My flutes both have "plateau" keys and C feet; arthritis damage to my left hand seems to have taken me out of the simple-system flute option. But I also enjoy being fully chromatic.
I concur, too, on the Gemeinhardt recommendations. I bought an M1 silver plate on eBay for not too much (ca. $250), but it was the more basic student model, with closed keys. (It went on to my tae kwon do teacher's 5th-grade daughter.)
Have a blast!
M
Marguerite
Gettysburg
Gettysburg
OK, I finally got my hands
on a keyed flute, an MandE
blackwood with 5 keys
which belongs to a
fellow I know here in
St. Louis who kindly
let me play it.
Conclusion: keys help,
especially the C natural
key. The other keyed notes
I can get by half holing,
but nowhere near as
easily, quickly and accurately.
This leads to another
question: how do you
play in C? This flute,
and I take it most
keyed flutes that aren't
set up especially for it,
has no low C. The 'bell'
note in C is the
keyed C natural at the
top of the first octave.
Is this doable?
With 6 keys, can you play
in every key? Sorry for
the bonehead questions,
but I'm actually beginning
to understand keys a little. Jim
on a keyed flute, an MandE
blackwood with 5 keys
which belongs to a
fellow I know here in
St. Louis who kindly
let me play it.
Conclusion: keys help,
especially the C natural
key. The other keyed notes
I can get by half holing,
but nowhere near as
easily, quickly and accurately.
This leads to another
question: how do you
play in C? This flute,
and I take it most
keyed flutes that aren't
set up especially for it,
has no low C. The 'bell'
note in C is the
keyed C natural at the
top of the first octave.
Is this doable?
With 6 keys, can you play
in every key? Sorry for
the bonehead questions,
but I'm actually beginning
to understand keys a little. Jim
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TerryB
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I would qualify the "yes" answer given to this question. The biggest issue is the block mounts for the long F key. On some flutes these mounts are so close to the finger hole(s) that they make piper fingering difficult if not impossible. I believe most makers, however, will accommodate you on this issue by rotating the mounts slightly away from the finger holes. Terry McGee did this for me.On 2003-02-11 21:14, jim stone wrote:
Hi, another question.
On an Irish keyed flute (six keys)
can one use piper's grip on
the right hand?
Terry (not McGee)