i have come into possession of what’s been called a “low-D flute”. it is a keyless wooden flute but waaaay down near the end has two holes that i can’t quite figure out what i’m supposed to do with them. they’re too far to cover with the right hand when it is already engaged in its standard three holes.
i haven’t found any fingering charts online for it…all of them seem to be either for six holed, or keyed.
is anyone familiar with this type of eight hole flute?
You have what’s commonly called the “Tinkerer” model flute. The last two holes are used to hold useful objects when in a session situation. I often use one to hold a pencil to jot down tune fragments and the other to hold a cigarette for our piper. I’m sure others use their spare holes for other purposes.
The holes are there for improving the tone. (At least that’s what numerous other people have said.) Basically (I think) the holes strengthen the low D ( and maybe the Low E) notes, and help to bring the whole thing into pitch.
so you never cover them like the others, they’re just a kind of “exhaust”. it should be played as if it were a six hole?
Yep, just ignore them.
I got a chuckle out of the “Tinkerer’s flute,” by the way! 
–James
Tinkerer model! LOL!
Those are the holes for C and C# (below D). Ignore them. The reason they’re there is that originally flutes had keys, including 2 keys for those holes, but people started making flutes without the keys, for Irish music. It’s easier to keep the holes there, and the flute sounds more like a keyed flute would. It’s also possible to redesign the flute so that you don’t need the holes, and those are called “short foot” or “D foot” flutes, as opposed to the standard “C foot”.
g
Steve - How does your piper know that your not playing a D and sucking his cigarette? with the price of cigarettes an all.
don’t you guys use incense sticks at the sessions?
I was told that those holes were put there by government regulations, preventing the use of blow darts, used to come with a tag suggesting a penalty if covered. I just try to ignore them.
okay..it’s actually a very cheap flute that i have. when i blow it for the bell note it sounds an A with ease and a low D with difficulty. it’s supposed to be a low D flute. Overblowing is a problem.
is there anything i should look at the embrosure hole for and perhaps modify with a file to allow it to blow and overblow easier (ie. should it be at an angle, if so, pitched in or out. shold it be perpendicular to the bottom of the bore etc)?
the extra holes are just for venting the low D, they’re there to make the low D the same volume as the low E. I don’t buy the idea that they were left there because it’s too hard to redesign the flute with a short foot, you just calculate where the bell note should be and chop the end off at that spot, it’s less labor to make it a short foot and less wood too.