Advantages of an Eb Flute

Irish Flute
1

Aside from the keys of Eb, Ab, and Bb easily available, what does one gain by playing an Eb flute over a D flute? How much difference does a semitone make?

I currently play a lovely Copley delrin D flute and am thinking of getting one in F or G to challenge the embouchure and have a smaller instrument for travel or just for fun. But I’ve noticed some players–Malloy for one–often play and even record on an Eb. So I wondered–what is gained by going up just that half-step and is it worth looking into investing in one?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

2

Smaller, higher key, flutes are more agile and responsive than larger, lower key flutes. A whole tone difference between a C flute and a D flute is quite noticeable, and even the semitone difference from a D to an Eb makes the flute feel more responsive and require a bit less air, but I don’t think that is the main motivation for most people in getting an Eb. Other issues are likely more important. For example, if you have a local session in Eb that you want to play in, then an Eb flute is a must, obviously. But it is also nice to learn tunes by ear, and there are quite a few recordings out there in Eb, both in Irish traditional music and on some Breton recordings. I find it a lot easier to learn a tune by ear if I have a flute in the same key as the one being played on a recording. It helps right from the start when you are trying to figure out the notes. And if you eventually get the tune down at full speed then you can play along with the recordings. For me, that is probably the most compelling reason to have flutes in different keys.

But some tunes just sound nicer in one key than in another, even when playing alone. But this is more often a motivation for getting a C flute or a low Bb.

And if you have hand flexibility issues it can be a great help to have a flute which has its tone holes a bit closer together. I’ve had a couple of major hand surgeries over the past couple of years, and for a while I was unable to play larger flutes (D and lower) at all. Being able to pick up a smaller flute in F was a real blessing in helping me maintain my sanity during a long recovery.

Bottom line: there are lots of reasons to have flutes in different keys. Go ahead and indulge your obsession! :smiling_imp:

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3

I would guess that the majority of flute players in Irish traditional music who play an Eb flute do so because they like the sound. Listen to a bunch of recordings, go to sessions, concerts, music weekends, etc, and find out what flutes you love the sound of the best, then get one of those… So what is gained? The sound.

4

I have an Eflat…love it. As mentioned, it is great for playing along with some recordings by modern artists (Brian Finnegan, Aoife Granville, Steph Geremia in my experience). Interesting story I was told about older trad-flute Eflat recordings, that are presented on LPs (those flat, black, platter- disc things). This gentleman explained that the older recordings were in fact recorded on D flutes BUT the sound engineers would raise the tuning by manipulating the master tape, to an Eflat pitch. WHY? Higher pitch ‘sounds’ require smaller (narrower) grooves on the LP. Smaller grooves take up less space, so a musician could get more music onto the LP disc! This man was far more versed in sound recording and historic trad flute music than I am, and he was very knowledgeable, so I believe him.

5

Something I like on a G flute is that I can play easily in C, which is welcome in ensembles in which songs are sung in C. I use an F flute a good deal busking.

6

I wouldn’t assume that the flutists in old recordings are playing modern-pitch Concert D flutes. The odds are against it.

Vast numbers of 8-key simple system wooden flutes were made in Eb. Why?

  1. Many flutists in military bands played Eb flutes probably due to the brass instruments, clarinets, and saxophones being in Bb or Eb.

  2. Many of the flute bands played flutes in Eb (and Alto Flutes in Bb).

  3. The nominally Concert Pitch “C flutes” in Britain were generally in A=452, halfway between our modern pitches of A and Bb.

Beyond that, Irish flutist in America would encounter Taylor uilleann pipes ranging from somewhat sharp of modern Concert D up to Eb.

7

Eb flutes are hands down the most fun to play. Easier on the hands, speedier in response, tone is powerful.
Even Rockstro wrote that he thought Eb was the finest pitch of a flute.

I own only 1 Eb flute: a keyed Olwell that I nicknamed “God’s Flute” in the documentary…for good reason. It accomplishes anything I ask of it and never misses. (I actually had an Eb flute by Paddy Ward just before that and it, too, played exceedingly well)

Tunes as a whole are simply more fun to play on an Eb flute. They’re brighter. (I believe Dervish plays mostly in Eb)

Recall Molloy’s “black album” was in Eb. (not to mention that the cover was airbrushed to make the flute appear more “trad” by covering the silver embouchure band).

Get the flute. You won’t ever regret it.

8

I spent an enjoyable evening last night playing my Eb flute made by Damian Thompson. Articulations feel and sound a bit crisper, so it feels a bit like driving a small sports car. One of the players I was with remarked that it “cut” better too, which is good; the other instruments were banjo, accordion, bodhran, and guitar!