Do you play Irish Flute?
Gerry Strong
>If so, who is the manufacturer of your flute and what do you specifically
>like about it (e.g. sound is loud so it enables me to be heard over my
>band buddies or the tone is sweet which lends itself to Airs which I like to
>play...etc...)?
I play a Rudall & Rose flute made around 1830-1850. It has a lovely
tone and is very easy to sound. The thing I like best about this
particular one though is that it is actually 2 flutes in one. Instead
of moving the head joint in and out to tune around D, there is a screw
mechanism at the end of the head joint which when turned allows you to
go from D to Eb, which is pretty handy as I only have to lug around
one flute..................Gerry
Kathryn Camfield
Aimee Grimes (ai...@sybase.com) writes:
> If so, who is the manufacturer of your flute and what do you specifically
> like about it (e.g. sound is loud so it enables me to be heard over my
> band buddies or the tone is sweet which lends itself to Airs which I like to
> play...etc...)?
Right now, I'm still playing a Sweetheart keyless flute. I'm trying to
decide who to order a keyed flute from, the trouble being a) long waiting
times and b) no flutes by these makers that I'm able to try before
ordering.
Are you also considering buying one or are you just comparing manufacturers?
Kathryn
--
***************************************************************************
* "You don't need a light when there's a fire inside you." *
* - the Primitives *
***************************************************************************
Francis Sedgemore
,>I play a Rudall & Rose flute made around 1830-1850. It has a lovely
>tone and is very easy to sound. The thing I like best about this
>particular one though is that it is actually 2 flutes in one. Instead
>of moving the head joint in and out to tune around D, there is a screw
>mechanism at the end of the head joint which when turned allows you to
>go from D to Eb, which is pretty handy as I only have to lug around
>one flute..................Gerry
This is an interesting comment. I really do not understand why some
players use high-pitch tunings that make D closer to Eb (modern pitch).
It's only in trad. music that one will find tunings based on other than
A=440Hz. As for moving the cork to change pitch, surely this screws up
the intonation so much that you have to make an extreme compensation
with the embouchure?
-----------------
Francis Sedgemore, Adran Ffiseg, Prifysgol Cymru, Aberystwyth SY23 3BZ,
CYMRU (Wales). tel: +44 (0)1970 621907; fax: 622826; email: kj...@aber.ac.uk
-----------------------------
"DOS error: Press any key to continue or any other key to quit."
RJNA
Co. Roscommon, which I play when I need accidentals! We visited Mr.
Ganley's shop and I played a number of his flutes before I decided on this
blackwood one. The key mechanisms are a little stiff, but it plays nicely
in tune and has a good tone, although not everyone finds it easy to blow.
Anyway, his address is The Demesne, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon. Telephone:
(0907) 10738 80115.
Good luck! Rebecca Arkenberg, rj...@aol.com
Francis Sedgemore
>If so, who is the manufacturer of your flute and what do you specifically
>like about it (e.g. sound is loud so it enables me to be heard over my
>band buddies or the tone is sweet which lends itself to Airs which I like to
>play...etc...)?
Until recently, I've been playing a modern 4-key flute by the well-known
English maker Dave Williams. This is based on the 19thC Rudall-Rose design.
However, I've just bought a pre-1840 8-key by the London maker Rede. This is
a very nice flute, but its age is showing, and could do with a bit of work
on a few micro-cracks. It's a fairly loud flute, with tone holes about the
same size as a Rudall.
I'm now awaiting completion of an 8-key Rudall-style from Dave Williams. Of
all the modern makers I know of, Williams, in my humble opinion, is the best
(if that comment start off a lively debate...).
Francis Sedgemore
>Right now, I'm still playing a Sweetheart keyless flute. I'm trying to
>decide who to order a keyed flute from, the trouble being a) long waiting
>times and b) no flutes by these makers that I'm able to try before
>ordering.
The Sweetheart flutes I've tried are quite nice, and given how cheap they
are, there's not much that can be said against them. Sweetheart makes good
wooden flageolets too.
I know what you mean about the long waiting times for 8-key concert flutes.
I've commissioned Dave Williams to make one for me, but the wait is two
years! My flute won't be ready until Easter '97. Regarding your last point,
makers such as Dave Williams and Chris Wilkes produce two styles of flute:
Rudall-Rose and Pratten. These seem to be standards nowadays, and the
reproductions I've tried are fairly consistent. I wouldn't worry too much
about variations.
You could, of course, opt for a 19thC flute, but the problem with that, as
I've encountered, is the condition of such antique instruments. You may buy
a Rudall, Pratten, Rede, Liddell, etc, for less than the equivalent of
GBP1000, but it may not be in playable condition. The most common problem
is cracks in the wood that go right through the bore, allowing air and
moisture through. Large cracks are easily seen and dealt with (by a
competant repairer!), but smaller stress cracks, seen most usually near the
tenon joints, can be overlooked until they become a serious problem. I've
just bought a pre-1840 flute by Rede, for GBP675. It has a couple of large,
but now sealed cracks in the bottom tone-hole joint. After playing it for
30min or so, I noticed a few beams of water appearing on the surface (same
joint) that appear to have emerged from barely visible cracks near the tenon.
The point IO'm trying to make is: be very careful when assessing an old flute.
Consult someone who can do repairs, and take into account the cost of
renovation when making a decision as to whether to buy. I hope this info is
of help.
migoya
I use a Monzani (c.1819 Dover St. London) 8-key flute made of boxwood (the keys are all
sterling with leather pads). It's a wonderful sounding flute that,
thankfully, came with two heads, D and Eb (which I use occassionally).
It predates Rudall & Rose by about 20-30 years (ergo slightly smaller
holes and no pewter plugs) and was the flute preferred by
Nicholson for whom Rudall/Rose designed their flute and eventually Boehm.
I prefer the boxwood sound over all other woods as it's mellower and
responds better to intonation changes. While it's a softer wood, it
requires a little more TLC, which is easy when you're a dedicated player.
It has no tuning slide, which I prefer as tuning slides put a little too
much weight toward the top of the flute and doesn't allow it to balance
well in my hands. This flute is a gem and until I find a mint (or near
to it as possible) boxwood Rudall, I'll play it forever.
I also own a Sweetheart (he's a friend) that I use as my practice flute.
It responds ok, but not nearly to the extent of my Monzani.
Hope it helps.
Dave McNamara Migoya
Glenn Sunshine
>
> ad...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Kathryn Camfield) wrote:
> >Right now, I'm still playing a Sweetheart keyless flute. I'm trying to
> >decide who to order a keyed flute from, the trouble being a) long waiting
> >times and b) no flutes by these makers that I'm able to try before
> >ordering.
>
> The Sweetheart flutes I've tried are quite nice, and given how cheap they
> are, there's not much that can be said against them. Sweetheart makes good
> wooden flageolets too.
Haven't been able to try them, but Sweet is now making a 6-key flute $995 US
(I think). His no-key and one-key flutes are available with or without tuning
slides.
I play a blackwood flute with silver headjoint by Eugene Lambe. Nice tone
quality, but not a lot of volume, I'm afraid. Since I mostly play in my living
room, that's not generally a problem, but in groups or with background noise I
can't really make myself heard very easily.
Glenn
BREWERPAUL
himslf.
engl...@midget.towson.edu
y'all. patrick olwell in nellysford va makes some of the best flutes
available for irish musicians.
8 key blackwood flute is about $1800.
the tone is lyrical and sweet
4 year waiting list
seamus egan plays one (need i say more)
Nicolas Eisen
And the waiting time is OVER 4 years for a six key, he does NOT make an 8
key flute...
Nicolas
Richard Lee Wenzbauer
[etc.,]
: This is an interesting comment. I really do not understand why some
: players use high-pitch tunings that make D closer to Eb (modern pitch).
Ever try playing with along with highland pipes?
--
+---------------------+--------------------------------------------------+
| tes...@miso.wwa.com | Soon the Winter will begin - |
+---------------------+ Walls will fall when drops the pin |
| RES IPSE LOQUITUR | That holds your Universe so taut. |
+---------------------+ For what were all your battles fought? |
| For what were all your gray walls wrought? |
| Broken, all broken, |
| they crash to the ground! |
| -Brennus |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
wi...@maine.com
$700 US. I bought it from him in Miltown Malbay during Clancy week in
1993. Has great tone, and a lot of feeling. E-mail me at wi...@maine.com
if you'd like his address.
Brad Hurley
Eisen) wrote:
Ditto on that: I've been waiting over 6 years now for a flute I ordered
from Patrick. Some good new makers are appearing, however: Bryan Byrne has
reportedly made some excellent prototype flutes (he used to live in Barre,
Vermont; spent the summer in Boston and may still be there; I've lost
touch with him), and Skip Healy is gearing up to make flutes as well as
the fifes that he makes now. Either of these would probably be a good
alternative to an Olwell flute.
-Brad
--
Brad Hurley
Editor
Office Ergonomics Update
31 Gage Street, Bellows Falls, VT 05101-1616
Tel: 802-463-9417; Fax: 802-463-4217; E-mail: bhu...@sover.net
Mike Reddy
Is it odd to have such a thing? I picked it up for 5 British Pounds in an
ex-army shop in Plymouth. What can I do with it? (I normally play whistle
in Irish sessions which require D, G, A and C, not E).
+-----------+----------+-------------------------------------+
| | (\ | {0}_{0} |The first ever interactive |
| \\|// | {|||8- | ( . . ) |.sig file. Please press an |
| (o o) | (/ | \_x_/ |icon on your screen NOW!!! |
+o00-( )-00o+-- -------+-()---()-+---------------------------+
Email: mre...@glam.ac.uk CU-Seeme: 193.63.130.40 (On request)
Web: http://www.comp.glam.ac.uk/pages/staff/mreddy/
Snail: J228, Dept. of Computer Studies, University of Glamorgan,
Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan. CF37 1DL Wales, UK.
TEL: +44 1443 482 240 Fax: +44 1443 482 715
Gerry Strong
>I have 'acquired' a five key wooden flute which appears to be tuned in E!
>Is it odd to have such a thing? I picked it up for 5 British Pounds in an
>ex-army shop in Plymouth. What can I do with it?
Hang on to it. There was a string on here earlier about where to get
an E whistle. Someone needed one to play along with a singer who sang
in E, so you never know when it'll come in handy!
Gerry
Richard Moon
why many traditional players play 'sharp'. i.e with D tuned
arounf modern E flat. I think the answer lies in the history of
the instruments themselves. Certainly old English flutes are
tuned to a sharper pitch than modern A=440 and they are quite
difficult to play at modern pitch - of course there was no
international standard in the early 19th century when the
English concert flute was the orchestral instrument. Since it is
quite easy to tune a fiddle or a guitar up a semitone perhaps
they do it in deference to us old flute players (players of old
flutes that is !).
--
Richard Moon
DCS Information Systems Ltd
Tel ++44 (0) 1908 210 510
Fax ++44 (0) 1908 211 123