JUst a question for the general fluter populace. I;ve been spending some time lately thinking about what my next D flute might be, and naturally, listening to a bunch of soundclips. What I;ve discovered is that the biggest variable is the player. No surprise there. BUT, the degree to which this is true is overwhelming.
FOr instance, James P has his great site with lots of clips of his M&E, Hammy and so forth. I listen to him play, and, unless I’m very actively listening for differences between the flutes, I don;t hear them at all. The differences that do show are very subtle.
Again, listening to Michael Eskins’ clips, the same phenomoenon holds. Michael sounds like Michael whether he’s playing the McGee, the Hammy, or the M&E.
ONe could multiply examples ad nauseam, especially once commerical recordings are introduced.
What explains this phenomenon?
a) My ears are undeveloped?
b) No soundclip can communicate the real timbre of any flute? or
c) All decent flutes pretty much sound the same, and our reasons for selecting them have less to due with sound then other factors?
But a good player doesn’t make everything sound the same either.
The wooden flute obsession CDs give a good overview over the flutemaking world, too - it is noted on the Worldtrad site which flutes were played on which tracks (where known).
I think that helps - I noticed a pattern in the tracks where I like the sound of the flute best (i.e. the flutes come from the same 2 makers).
To me, the differences between my flutes are pretty vast.
I think the player always picks up on the subtleties of the sound of an instrument much more than the listener. And, of course, the listener really doesn’t get much of an idea of the feel or response of the instrument.
When I go back and listen to my own recordings, I can usually ID them as to what flute they came from by sound alone. But then again, I know the differences between these flutes like no one knows them: they are mine.
And I will definitely grant your main point: I sound like me no matter what flute I play. And I think that’s true of just about every player.
One thing that in my opinion makes Matt Molloy both unusual (and well worth listening to) is that this really isn’t true for him: he gets an astonishing variety of sounds and tone colors out of his flutes. But that’s just me, I know Molloy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
Best wishes, and thanks for the kind comments about my site,
Yes, I think that’s the key – we feel the difference. But that can come out in our playing. Maybe not in tone quality, but in other ways. For example, if one flute feels “crisper” to us, we might take advantage of that, and play in a crisper style.
Here’s what my experience has been with oboes. (I hope there is not a collective sigh at that.) It’s just the opposite of the wooden flute world. IN the US, there is a very narrowly defined sound that is acceptable for orchestral work. So just about every serious player in the US plays the same brand of oboe. (It’s much different in Europe; there is more tolerance for different tone qualities, and so more different brands).
But when someone is ready to purchase a new instrument, we will usually get about three instruments on trial. Then, we’ll make a big pot of coffee, call all our oboe cronies, and have a big blowout. Everybody tries the instruments, and everybody listens to the person who is buying play all of the instruments and gives plenty of feedback. I can hear differences, but more importantly, I can feel differences, and those differences will make a difference in how I play: for example, if the second register feels more free on one instrument, it will come out in my playing. But I always sound like me, and my friends always sound like them.
I just wanted to add, again, that the samples on my site aren’t intended to be used by those seeking to pick out a flute sight-unseen.
My recordings are more for comparisons between the broader categories; for instance, if you wanted to know what the same tune sounded like on a Baroque flute, an Irish flute, an antique flute, a polymer flute, a recorder, and a whistle, you can find that on flutesite.com.
There have been some special comparisons of flute-to-flute and whistle-to-whistle that target specific playing techniques, but I have stopped doing these and it’s been quite some time since the last one.
And of course, the main reason is for fun. I enjoy making the recordings and making them available online. So in conclusion…
I don’t have professional recording equipment (or professional skill, for that matter) and I really urge folks not to use my recordings as a means to pick out what kind of flute to buy. Also, my collection simply isn’t broad enough to be used this way: I am missing the work of many fine makers who would certainly need to be represented.
Another thing I’ll point out is that the same player tends to use the same equipment for his recordings. I’ve found that the equipment makes a HUGE difference. Add to that the possibility that one recording may add reverb, another might have different accompaniment, and you have kind of a jumble. You can gain some insight to different flutes by noticing patterns. Also by noticing which players choose which flutes – if many players with a huge sound play one sort of flute, it would tend to indicate that that flute is one that lends itself to a huge sound. And if a bunch of players with a more subtle approach tend to play another type of flute, that one probably lends itself to subtleties.
There are a couple of my flutes that just plain feel more comfortable in my hands, thus somehow are a bit more enjoyable to play. It’s very subjective, so…Given that they all sound fairly similar, are all nice flutes, and I always sound like me, this is the variable I think means the most.
And you don’t get to know which flute that’s gonna be until you’ve tried lots and lots of them…
I think Whistlin’Dixie has the right of it–nothing beats trying out a flute. There is no substitute.
Unfortunately, there are two problems:
One is that many aspiring flutists live in places where you cannot try flutes, so you have to have another way to make your choice (or at least narrow your choices, because of course some makers will send you a flute to try).
The other is that an aspiring flutist may not be in a position to know what flute will respond well for him (or her) a few years down the road. Particularly, for a beginner, judging one flute against another on how they seem to play right now is not going to be very revealing. But, without a flute to learn on, you are forever stuck at that beginning level, so it’s a catch-22.
Somehow, some flutists find their way through this maze and wind up being very respectable players. Others doubtless fall by the wayside and are lost to our craft, to the lessening of us all.
–James
P.S. Just wanted to add a postscript to this, and say that on the whole, I think if you buy a flute from any well-reputed maker, you will have a fine instrument that will take you as far into the music as you care to go. It may not be ultimately your “one and only,” but after you know how to play you’ll at least be equipped to recognize a flute that responds remarkably well for you; when you are still just learning to play, you’re not yet able to know even that much. So as long as you stick with the respected makers, I think you’re good whichever way you go.
All flutes on sound clips sound good to me, so
I can’t judge flutes that way. I suppose one method,
fallible, but perhaps less risky than others, is
to buy a flute that one knows the pros play.
Of course one has to choose tween Prattens
and Rudalls and… My solution has been to
buy them. I figure I can sell them ultimately,
even if I take a loss. Obviously not everyone
can do this, but, well, it costs a lot less than
things people often buy. It helps if flute
is a passion…
This is the approach I’m using too, fortunately. It makes it a bit different to be lefty (Narrower reselling pool) but at some point, no matter how many flutes one tries, the plunge must be made and the leap of faith taken. But again, playing as many as possible is always a good idea.
