Which is the easiest, most satisfying simple flute you’ve ever played, and why?
This question will probably raise a lot of qualifiers, but go ahead anyway …
My humble opinion is that the most satisfying flutes to play are by no means the easiest!
Arbo
fipple flute
next forum up
playin’ well is an other matter
Easiest to get a full sound out of–Copley Delrin with rounded rectangle embouchure.
Hardest to get a good sound out of–Copeland. (But I know two fine players who really like their’s. Mine was a later model and a real bear).
That’s my straight answer to what I think is a fair question which will probably be dismissed by some who want to tell everyone how beyond thinking about that they are. Still, I do agree that what is the easiest and what has the best tone are two entirely different questions. That’s not to say the Copley is not a very good flute, just that where it really delivers in the way it is designed to.
There is absolutely no substitute for a well-developed embouchure.
Every well-made flute plays easily with one.
Failing that…the simplest to get a sound out of…
is a penny whistle.
there are no shortcuts
What David said…
My question is why you are asking this question. If you’re looking for flute playing to be simple, it is, all you got to do is pick one up and start working at it.
Mutepointe, I think “simple” here means simple system flute, not an assumption that playing the flute is simple.
easy simple, wasn’t it…
I’d think that an examination of the word “easy” would be a place to start.
Easy as in drum?
hit it = sound
the rest of it is all uphill, innit?
Grammar police false arrest.
Perhaps the question should be, “What is the simplest simple system flute to play?”
Casey Burns’ flutes I hear have a less steep learning curve (not sure how else to describe what I think the OP is asking), the Folk Flute, the Standard, or the Rudall. The Large Hole has a steeper curve, methinks, due to the larger air requirement to play it and larger tone holes.
for me, Olwell Pratten
Seek ye a grain of salt, gentle reader; brother Jim is having us on, I fear.
Rob
After reading the question over carefully, I think that Keith and Sandra were intending to ask, “what is the easiest flute to simply play?” I hope that this clears up the semantic confusion.
or … what is the easiest flute to play simply, but in a satisfying way?
As I said, for me. The Olwell Pratten is for me relatively easy to sound,
and I don’t seem to have any trouble holding it or fingering it;
nor filling it. And it’s very satisfying. I don’t mean I’ve got out
of it all that’s in it, but for me it is a very satisfying flute
to play that is relatively easy to play. The Bryne, by contrast,
took me years to get the low D right, and if I don’t
keep with it, I lose it.
Of course this may not apply to other fluters.
Here’s a recording.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np4MUAWUQ9U&feature=channel_page
Flute is an easy instrument, if you don’t agree, try fiddle and pipes first 
There’s some hard to play flutes out there, but not too many.
So don’t worry, if you can blow a few notes when you pick up a flute,
you’ll get the hang of it. And like with every instument, you need to practice daily.
I’ll change the question slightly:
Which is the easiest, most satisfying Simple Flute you’ve ever played, and why?
By this I mean the Simple Flute, the Irish flute, the fippleless flute, the keyless flute.
I don’t know about you but I’m finding some of the answers validating and informative, encouraging too - I’ve been playing my Tipple D with ever increasing ease and satisfaction since the insights started … Thanks. Keep 'em coming.
Keith.
For me, after a lot of different flutes in the past 1 1/2 years, I found the McGee GLP with the “improved elliptical” embouchure to be the easiest to get a soul-satisfying sound from. That being said, I am extremely happy with my Copley&Boegli now that I am past the point of getting a strong low D.
I got a delrin Copley, rounded rectangle embouchure, one year ago. It was bursting with sound within a few days.
I’ve advanced very far since then, and it stayed with me. I’m still learning to sculpt all kinds of new sounds out of it, and I’m always getting compliments on the wonderful, rich tone.
I’d say it’s very simple to play casually, and also richly rewarding when you put time into it.
(By the way, I’m compare it with the Tipple and the aluminum hammy I’d had before, as well as miscellaneous expensive ones my friends have.)