I am a college student who is searching for advice on purchasing a wooden Irish flute. I played clarinet religously for 8 years until my hands and wrists finally gave out. I have recently started playing the penny whistle again and actually taking it seriously (I used to think it was just a toy, but boy was I wrong!). I haven’t had any problems playing the whistle in terms of hand and wrist pain, but I am now interested in playing a simple-system flute. I’m having trouble finding local stores or persons that have knowledge of this instrument and I’ve become overwhelmed by the options available on the internet. I am a college student with meager finances but I am not interested in buying a “junk” flute. What should I look for, and what should I be weary of to avoid hand pain.
Whistle is good if you have bad wrists of hands. Flute on the other hand you need to be very careful with. It can trigger long dormant probelms and even casue problems. Of course, if playing certain ways this can be avoided. What specific problems do you have?
I have Carpal Tunnel which was dormant for close to two years, but has recently come back from bad Flute holding. If you have CTS be really careful of holding the Flute too tightly with an odd wrist angle. The holding tightly is called the “Death Grip” and should be avoided at all costs.
I would say a Casey Burns Folk Flute is probably the best way to go. They are very nice for the price and are good sounding Flutes which play well. Plus, Casey makes Flutes meant to be comfortable. Although, with a Death Grip it will still cause problems to wrists. If you want to spend more and get his higher models, I play a Pratten in Boxwood and it is a fine Flute.
dear celtic child: i have no advice to give you. i’m a newbie myself and the only two flutes that i have seen are the hall crystal flute i bought and the pvc pipe flute i made. i’m pleased with both. well, maybe a little bit of advice. if finances are that meager, you should consider making your own pvc flute. a 2 foot length of pipe is about $2. if you have access to a drill press (like at the college arts and craft center) you have a flute that you can afford. i’m no craftsman of any sort and only ruined a few feet a pipe using a hand drill before i decided a drill press would be needed for me. heck, you could probably get some hardware store to drill the holes for you for free, once you marked the holes. it’s easier than it sounds. i’m in kanawha county wv and glad to see another whistle/flute player nearby. let us know how it goes. the flute could hurt your hands if that’s a problem but the sound is probably worth it.
I see you are in West Virginia. How far are you from Elkins?
A well respected flute maker, John Gallagher, has his workshop there. Might be worth a visit or at least a phone call. Look him up in this directory of flute makers. I believe his prices and wait list are moderate.
Also, in Elkins at the Augusta Heritage Center they have an Irish music workshop every summer. You could improve on the whistle and maybe get tot ry some flutes and see how they feel before plunging in.
Welcome and good luck.
-Aaron
Hi,
I just got a flute made by Doug Tipple. I am a beginner too and I am still struggling but there at times it sounds really beautifull, very much like the wooden flute recordings I listen to.
Check for Doug’s site. He is very friendly and helpfull:
http://home.earthlink.net/~life2all/dougswebspace/index.html
The price should also be very much to your convenience.
BTW I got the speckled-bore D with Tipple-Fajardo wedge. I strongly suggest to get the wedge too, as it really improves tone and playability.
Moritz
If you’re in Virginia at all you should call and visit Patrick Olwell. He’s one of the great makers. His number is 434 277 9215. People at his shop will help you. You couldn’t do better for the money than get a bamboo flute made by him. He might have a “second” you could get for cheap. Ian Anderson plays one.
I would think the stretch on the Tipple and the Olwell bamboo might not be great for carpal tunnel. I have carpal tunnel, and have struggled to find an Irish flute that doesn’t give me trouble. Cylindrical flutes have wider stretches (don’t they?), and hence could cause more trouble. Of course, it depends on your holding style. If I used piper’s grip, my wrists would finally give out, I’m sure.
My Olwell Rudall, however, is very comfortable. It’s boxwood, so it’s lighter than blackwood. This helps my wrists, too.
Good luck, Jeanie
Welcome and stay with us. You might try
http://www.irishflutestore.com/
especially the pre-owned flutes and whistles. Give Doc a call, he’s a great help. Lots of good stuff there.
BillG
I second the recommendations for getting in touch with John Gallagher in West Virginia and Patrick Olwell in Virginia. Both are real gentlemen (at least John sure seemed to be the one time I met him, and Patrick I’ve known for years so I can definitely vouch for him) who I’m certain would be glad to answer any questions you might have about the flute and offer guidance on how to obtain one.
Patrick Olwell’s bamboo flutes are indeed gems (especially so given their affordability), but based on what I saw on the recent eBay sale of an Olwell low C flute, they may not be as readily available now as they used to be. For those who might have missed it, Patrick and his shop-mates Aaron and Kara listed this bamboo C for sale, and in the eBay blurb they said “We are still focusing exclusively on wood flute orders and our supply of bamboo in the shop is extremely limited, so this is a rare opportunity to get one of these flutes.” So, if you happen to find an Olwell bamboo flute anywhere, grab it! And if you’re new to the flute and just getting your feet wet, you don’t necessarily have to get a D bamboo flute. You could learn just as much from playing one of Patrick’s bamboo flutes in a non-standard key (Eb, E, F, etc). Good luck!
A word of caution about Bamboo flutes: conical (most wooden Irish flutes) vs cylindrical (whistles and bamboo) bore and wider finger span. These may present a problem for a person beginning and already having a hand problem Casey Burns Folk and Doc’s site might be the better way for a beginner to go.
BillG
Thank you everyone for writing back so quickly! I actually contacted John Gallagher last night, and as my Irish luck would have it, he was in Morgantown. I met with him this morning and he was positively wonderful. He actually let me borrow a flute he had with him. It is a Rudall & Rose design made of African blackwood with 8 silver keys. It has a gorgeous sound! However I am having a burning sensation from my fingertips up my forearms. I am new to flute posture (being a clarinet player) and I expected it to hurt, but is it supposed to hurt this badly?
THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE!!!
No, you are not supposed to have this sensation.
On the other hand flutes are hard to handle initially,
so this may be transient.
Absolutely good idea: if you are going to play flute,
get a lesson with a teacher about holding the
instrument properly. Also the Grey Larsen
instruction book is very good on holding
flutes. But you do not want to do this
incorrectly!
If this keeps on hurting, stop and get advice
from a teacher.
Cylindrical flutes have longer stretches.
Best to avoid if you are having problems.
The Casey Burns folk flute is a good idea,
and it can be resold if ever you upgrade
or give up.
Do you know what happened to you on the clarinet
and why?
Borrowing an 8-key Rudall by/from John Gallagher is a great way to see what it’s all about although you won’t need to worry too much about the keys at this stage.
A lot of what happens with your hands starts with balancing the flute properly so that you don’t strain them at all. Your hands support the flute more than hold it and the only work your fingers need to do is playing the notes.
A primary balance point is how the flute sits in your left hand. It should balance in that crook where your thumb meets your hand. The second balance point is your lower lip and chin where you put the headjoint. Then when you put your right hand to the flute your right thumb will add extra support. And like your hands just need to support the flute, your arms just need to support your hands.
You may have learned similar stuff in your clarinet days. Just remember that any voluntary muscle tension will only make you work harder, and most of it is voluntary (with the obvious exception of injuries and medical conditions).
As for ergonmic flutes, they may help with some hand tension but you still have to hold the up flute.
Cheers,
Aaron
Hey! Nice to see someone else from W.Va. on here!!
Here is a suggestion that may help, but I am not sure if it will work with Irish flutes and/or if it will attach to one. There is a Bo-pep finger saddle that you can place on the flute to help with the left hand and the “scrunching” of the left hand index area. Many players may cringe at the thought, but if it helps, perhaps it is an option. I have had many students in the past to use them…that is on Boehm style flutes. If I remember correctly, I think at one time you could get them for small or large hands.
Here is a web address that should take you to one.
http://www.fluteworld.com/Merchant/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=1&Product_Code=BP-FS&Category_Code=AC33
That’s great that you’ve been in touch with John Gallagher! I don’t have carpal tunnel but do have small-ish hands and John made me a keyless ‘ergonomic’ (ie the holes are a little closer together) that I LOVE. The reach is super comfortable.
BTW, I am going to be in Elkins for the Augusta Irish week, if you are down that way during that time I will have the flute-in-question with me & you’d be welcome to try it out. Drop me a line off-board if you like.
A couple of things to point out: An 8-key flute is heavier than a keyless; if the flute that John (What a guy, eh?) lent you has a lined head, that will add to the weight and throw the balance off; and blackwood is very heavy. A keyless, unlined, boxwood/rosewood/possibly cocobolo or mopane flute might be a helluvalot easier on your hands. Plus, as others have pointed out, there are things the makers can do with the toneholes that can alleviate things.
I have sporadic arthritis that often manifested after playing Pratten-style flutes. I have no problems with Rudall-style flutes. If I’ve been doing a lot of computer stuff at work and my hands are hurting, I always reach either for a Bleazey, with very small toneholes, or a Sweet, which has larger holes but weighs in at 5 ounces.
I don’t mean to sound discouraging, but more concerned for your health (of your wrists)… but I would imagine that if clarinet playing knackered your wrists, then it could very well be the same case with a wooden flute. I would hate for someone to spend a small fortune on a good flute, and hear a few months down the line that they’re wrists/hands are cabbaged again.
My best advice is to stick with the whistle for another while and see how that goes, i.e. if the wrist problems return, and if all goes well then maybe think about the flute? I think at least that way you would have some musical outlet, and would know if the tendonitis or whatever it is, would be likely to return.
Best of luck with it!
Celtic Child,
I read this thread and am curious if you ever got a flute. What is your budget? At different times over the years I’ve bought different flutes in all different price ranges, and believe it or not there are great flutes even on a modest budget.
(my son made me put the little face here)
Doug Tipple can make flutes with “ergonomic” hole placement (look at the pictures on his sight). In addition, with a 3 piece flute, you can move the sections to find a comfortable spot.
Two flutes I think are easy on the hands are Bleazy and Copley. The Bleazy has the shortest stretch and is quite easy to play. I have a Cotter and the sound is awesome, but it’s a bit of a stretch and the holes are large…too easy to make a mistake if just starting out. The Bleazy has teeny holes so you can’t slide like some othere flutes but it has a sweet sound and is easy to cover. The Copley is somewhere inbetween, still comfy for a small-handed dude like me. I’ve played a Casey Burns and found the stretch to be pretty comfy also, although my ear tends more towards Bleazy in terms of personal preference. The Burns is easier to do slides on.
Dave