I have always wanted a low-cost, high-quality flute that I could point people to when they ask about learning Irish flute.
I’ve always wished I could recommend something that didn’t have a three-digit price tag; now I think I can.
Doug Tipple sent me one of his PVC flutes with the wedge and lip-plate.
Here are my initial thoughts on this flute.
First, use the wedge! The upper octave is very out of tune without it, predictably flat but also hesitant to speak.
With the wedge, this flute comes to life. You have a very full, robust low octave, a good second octave, and even the third octave is there, even though it is weak and very slow to speak.
The flute is surprisingly loud for a flute with a rather smallish embouchure hole. You can play on it in the Irish style. Rolls and cuts and taps have their characteristic sound, especially in the first octave.
I’ll do a longer post with all of my usual long-windedness when I’ve had the flute for a couple of weeks and spent some time getting to know it a little better.
Nice one James. Is this one with the newer elliptical embouchure or Doug’s original round one that I’d describe as “enlarged baroque” - like the one I did the demos for him on? (Have you checked those out, BTW? - http://www.youtube.com/user/dougsflutes) Whichever, I entirely agree with your comments. If you can do some video clips I’m sure Doug would like to add them to his YouTube channel.
I will answer that question for James, just to keep things straight. The flute is a 3-piece, 6-hole low D flute with lip plate and my newer elliptical embouchure of about 10 mm x 11.5 mm (or slightly larger). I don’t remember exactly. Contrary to what James said, I wouldn’t describe the embouchure hole as relatively small, as the outside dimensions are in the range of the Rudall & Rose, Wilkes, and Doyle classical Irish flutes that I have pictured on the “Flute Embouchure” page at my website.
–the Tipple flute (which I’d call medium-small or small embouchure)
–the Hamilton blackwood flute (medium embouchure)
–the Seery polymer after Pratten (large embouchure)
That’s how I call 'em, that’s how I see 'em. Don’t get too hung up on the size of the embouchure hole, though, because although the Hamilton has a medium embouchure, it’s got one huge booming sound.
I have an old-style Tipple with the round hole. The sound is very nice with a bit of a pvc resonance. My one complaint is that it clogs on me too easily. I can’t play for very long before the sound peters out. Then I have to let it dry. Shaking it out only fixes it a little. Since no one else seems to have this problem, I attribute it to my breath moisture and playing style interacting with the pvc.
I posted about my run in with a tipple a while back - it had the wedge if I recall correctly, but no lip plate. I really liked it. I’d recommend one to a beginner, or anyone wanting a nice travel flute…or even a preference for a simple polymer flute.
I walked to my session tonight in 20 degrees weather. had my Tipple in my bag. Always plays in tune. The wedge makes it sound more conical (if that’s possible). I painted mine black. I don’t recommend that. Be proud of your Tipple! It’s a real Irish flute.
I’ve been wondering about some of your comments since I read the post initially. I’ve had two Tipples, one without the wedge, and the other with, but no lip-plate on either, and both with the original smaller embouchure hole. One was my first flute, and the other I got along the way a couple of years into playing the flute.
I played my first one without the wedge too, and the upper octave was a bit flat, like all cylindrical flutes, but it was (as I remember) very much in tune with itself, so all I had to do was to roll the flute out a bit to be on pitch-well, no big adjustments anyway, that I remember.
So your comment about yours being very out of tune without the wedge seems a little different than my experience, unless you just meant it was flat overall, like you would have on any cylindrical bore flute? Granted, when I got the newer Tipple with the wedge, I didn’t play it without it, since it made it easier to play and I liked the tone better too, and now I wouldn’t play one without it just for those benefits with it. So I agree that it adds much to the flute playing with it in those regards, except I wouldn’t say that with it, it comes alive-but possibly your experience is different?
I also thought without the wedge, it still had a lot going for it, with a pretty strong lower octave too, and I also don’t remember the 2nd octave being hesitant to speak, as you found. Could it be yours is different because of the larger embouchure hole (and lip-plate), or is it possible you just need to adjust to it as you become more used to it? I’d appreciate it if you could tell me more of your thoughts on those points too when you play it some more. Of course, no two sets of lips are alike, nor how we blow, so there are bound to be different views on the same flute, or one like it at times.
I do remember thinking that with the wedge it seemed a little harder for me to adjust to initially, but that soon changed as I played it more, and it definitely gave the flute a more wooden sound, and less Boehm-ish, as long as I did my part in adjusting my embouchure. I could make it sound very much like an Irish flute then when I wished to.
I never did try to get the 3rd octave on it, so I can’t speak about that, and I would think not many who buy a Tipple are looking for much into those higher reaches, though it’s nice to know it’s there if you want it.
Thanks for the review-I’ll be interested in your follow-up, as you have much more time on the flute than me, and more experience in evaluating flutes for sure. I’ve yet to try one of the newer Tipples with the lip-plate, but know I would order one with it too if I got another Tipple in the future. I may get one in F, E or Eb one day, just so my old hands have an easier time with the stretch, and to have a different key. Don’t know if I’d go for the larger or original embouchure hole though, but I do know I liked the original pretty well!
Thanks James, and keep up the good work Doug!
Barry
Barry, just a quick note on the 3rd 8ve - the original embouchure style flute Doug sent me to do the demo clips on (also with the experimental larger hole heads I’m working on when I have time…) goes quite happily up to A in the 3rd octave if you know the correct cross fingerings. One of the demo clips on Doug’s YouTube channel is of scales and arpeggios showing the range up to 3rd 8ve G if I remember aright. I’d be interested in your comments, Barry, if you haven’t checked it out before.
Right-o Jem, you did a fine job exploring the 3rd octave there, thanks for mentioning the clip. It’s just that I don’t care to go up into the nether regions because my ears don’t find it very pleasing-just like a high whistle to me, which I also avoid pretty well. I’d much rather have more notes on the bottom end. Guess I’m headed for an 8 key sometime or other!
This may be premature, but as a proud owner of a black cap Tipple D flute without lip plate and with the original embouchure and F-wedge, I’d be interested if anyone can address the differences tonally between my style Tipple and the ones with the newer embouchure and deeper chimney afforded by the lip plate.
Deisman - I would if I could… but I haven’t got one of those to make a direct comparison, and even if you posted some audio clips on it (why not?) it would be hard to make a very useful or objective comparison just from those. Most of any differences would likely only be very perceptible to the player in terms of how it feels to play rather than in a hugely different sound from a listener’s stand-point.
I’ve been doing some experimental extra heads for my Tipple in collaboration with Doug, though that work has been in abeyance for a couple of months due to other pressures on my time - I’m hoping to get back to it soon - and those experiments include some without lip-plates, but with various different larger embouchure styles. There is certainly a difference in the way they speak/respond with a shallower or deeper chimney, and I’d say there are pros and cons to both from a player’s perspective, but probably not much sound difference to a listener.
As to embouchure size and shape, I do think there are clear advantages for tone production with a larger hole of whatever conformation - limitations in that respect on the demo flute Doug sent me with his original embouchure (with lip-plate) were precisely what led to my experimentation, further interaction with Doug and his own changes - but we haven’t yet seen/tried each others’ modifications and I still have some ideas to work through.
Several years ago I used to cover some of my flutes with contact vinyl shelf paper. I thought it was cool, but others thought it was not, so I stopped doing it. Here is an old photo showing one of the flutes in black marble.
Just thought I’d jump in here, I recently got Doug to make an E/F combo. My first flute was one of his rosewood contact paper models, it certainly got me going on Irish flute. The new F flute came with the wedge, I tried it both ways and like the sound and in tune-ness with the wedge in place so i glued it in. It’s really easy on the hands, Barry, the F is a fun key. Don
Thanks for mentioning that Don, that sounds like a good idea-getting a combo E/F, or another one like that. Yes, no doubt it would be an easier stretch. I can play the D, but with my hands, easier is better.
Hi Jem - sorry for the delay responding - all work / no play… Thanks for the update on what’s been going on. I agree with your thoughts - IMO my Tipple is great all around, with a sweet upper, but more bark & growl would be nice. I’ll await the fruits of your and Dougs collaboration with interest.
with the wedge in place so i glued it in. It’s really easy on the hands, Barry, the F is a fun key. Don