"Ordinary Flute" review

[glauber]

My review of Clive Catterall's "Ordinary Flute"

by Glauber Ribeiro
Carol Stream, USA
May 26, 2004


Clive generously let me try this flute out for two months. Now it's time to send it back and i feel like Frodo at the end of The Lord of the Rings: i don't want to give it back!

The flute is made of boxwood which has been stained in a "tiger sripes" pattern. It has siver rings and silver key. It's a beautiful thing to look at, balanced to hold, and with a beautiful strong sound. The one i evaluated was tuned to A=440Hz (modern tuning).

The most gratifying thing about playing the ordinary flute is the feeling that you're dealing with the next step in the evolution of the one-key flute. We all know that flutes went through several steps, from Renaissance to Baroque flutes, to keyed wooden flutes, to the modern system flutes, but each stage in this evolution is an instrument that's worthy on its own. The one-key Baroque flute is important not only as an historical artifact, but as a capable instrument that can be used to play all sorts of music. I often wonder what could be done if flute makers saw the one-key's potential beyond the Baroque period music. This "ordinary flute" is Clive Catterall's attempt to provide an answer.

The flute i evaluated came with two foot joints: one straight and the other flared. I found that the straight foot gave out a clearer and easier third octave, while the flared foot gave out a much stronger first octave, and especially, a beautiful first octave G# (a note that's often weak on the Baroque flute). Clive mentioned that the third octave in this particular flute was optimized for the straight foot, which might explain the difficulties with the flared foot "up there". The key on the flared foot was a little bit noisier (clicky) than the one on the straight foot, but i expect this is something easy to fix.

It also came with two headjoints: one traditional and the other with a cutaway on the front. Both had a traditional round Baroque embouchure hole. The modern (cutaway) head has a stronger sound and is easier to play, more "free blowing". It responds well to Baroque technique, but can also take a greater volume of air. In some ways, it feels more like a modern flute's headjoint. The traditional head feels like you would expect a Baroque headjoint to, and allows for crisper articulation, but the tradeout is a slightly smaller sound than what you get with the moder head.

Overall, this is a very cool flute to have. I had a great time playing jazz, bossanova and ethnic music on it, besides the Baroque repertory. It can take whatever style you throw at it with ease.

The only improvements i can think of suggesting are: making the third octave notes easier to play with the flared foot, and improving the articulation with the cutaway head. Some people might prefer a model in African blackwood, for it's greater durability.

Note: after reading this review, Clive says that it's possible to achieve a crispier articulation with the modern head by using tighter lip pressure. He says he's working on the third octave too.

Another interesting project of Clive's is a traverse flute with recorder fingerings. I've been trying to convince him to name it "the transcorder".

[Byron]

Glauber,

Thanks for the review. If you don't mind, what's the price (ballpark) of the flute.
My impulsive side is longing for an upgrade in flutes and my practical side is stubbornly reminding me that I'm still workin on "core" flute skills. However, I believe this is a "Resistance is futile" situation .

Thanks again,
Byron

[glauber]

I seem to remember 750 pounds? But ask Clive if you want to be sure. His email address in in his Web page. The flute normally includes one type of head and one type of foot. I had both because i was testing them. There is also an option to have ergonomically placed fingerholes, which i didn't test.

[jim stone]

So the flute is easily chromatic with cross fingerings?
How does one play the thing? Is the third octave
readily available (with the proper foot)?
How does ITM sound?

Thanks for the great review.

[Jayhawk]

Glauber - thanks for the review! I knew you had the flute, but didn't realize it was a loaner.

Jim asked the same questions I had, so...what do you say?

Eric

[glauber]

Easily chromatic, using Baroque flute fingerings. These sound better with the flared foot. The first octave G# is still tricky, but it's stronger on this flute than in the other Baroque flutes i've tried. People who play recorders might want to ask him about the other flute i mention, because one of the goals there is to get the stronger cross-fingered notes that you can get with the recorder (better than Baroque flute).

The third octave: you can play more or less easily up to the high A (easy up to high G, getting more difficult but still doable after that). The high F-nat is hard (as in many Baroque flutes) but doable. Comparing to my Rod Cameron Grenser flute, the Grenser is easier in the third octave (because it's a much later model -- the "ordinary" is based on a Potter (English) model). I think the one i had was fine-tuned with the straight foot, but it could be made to speak more easily in the third octave with the flared foot. He's thinking of making the bore a little narrower too, which would make it more similar to the Grenser, gaining a better third octave but losing a little power in the first.

Irish music works fine. The flute is not as loud as one of the flutes made for Irish music (e.g.: Hammy), but it's loud enough to play at home or a small group. With the modern head, it can take a strong blow (the Baroque head wants the more gentle Baroque approach). The F# feels a little flat at first (like in many English flutes) but you get used to it. What i really enjoyed playing on it was bossanova. I wish i had recorded some, but i was a little "down" and then i decided i wanted to keep the sound in my memory instead of in a recording. I play bossanova on the traverso a lot, but the "ordinary" sounds more like a modern flute, more open.

How do you play the thing: with the modern head, a lot like a modern flute; with the Baroque head, more carefully and using less air, like a Baroque flute. The blowhole is the same (circle), but the modern head has a cut, and that makes a big difference. So i guess you play it like a modern flute, but you still have to be very precise, because the blowhole is small. Of course there's stuff you can do there that you can't in a modern flute, like finger slides, finger vibrato, cuts, rolls, etc. It's kind of cool, for example to do a glissando from A down to F# (if you're into jazz).

I had originally planned to sell my 6-key Eamonn Cotter flute and buy the "ordinary", but i chickened out on the last minute, thinking that if i sell the Cotter i may never buy another keyed flute. I decided to postpone buying the ordinary, to maybe a year or 2 in the future, and so also give Clive a chance to develop a blackwood model.

I had no trouble with the boxwood, but i had the flute when the R.H. in Chicago was around 50%. I think i'm just paranoid, though. Plenty of people have Baroque flutes in boxwood and they work just fine.

g

[kevin m.]

Thanks for the review Glauber,which I found very informative,answering a lot of questions that came to mind.
I enjoyed your speculations about this being a new generation of one keyed flute,or at least a new direction in one keyed flute evolution.

[jim stone]

Yes, terrific info, very well written, too.
Some of us were born to review wooden flutes.

I think the fragility of boxwood is overstated,
personally. Reasonable care is fine, IMO.

[Blackbeer]

Everyday, it seems, I learn how little I know about the flute and flute playing. My only solis is that my love for the darn thing is equal to my ingnorance. Thanks for the review glauber, nice job.

Tom