I’ve just been given a flute by my farther, who had an folk music club in Denmark back in the 60’s. the flute was given to him by this alleged folk musician who my farther said was irish/english–somthing. later the folk musician ended up in a hospital as a vegetable and was never heard from again… well long story short.
Ive ended up whit this old 7 hole flute, which has silver at it’s ends, and plays a nice D at xxx xxx o and a Db at xxx xxx x, it’s tuned at A 415. it has no markings at all but feels steardy and heavy.
So i wonderd if anyone of you, experts/specialists and fluteplayers alike, could help me identifying it?
Asmus
These are still played a lot where I live and we have a few marching bands in my area using them although they more often use the metal ones. I think they call them Spielmannsquerflöte. The one I have has tuning problems and to play irish music you would need to leave to little finger permanantly on the bottom hole.
A “Spielmann” is a member of a marching band (a “Spielmannszug”: Babelfish will probably translate that as “Play man train”) and would usually play a drum, some brass instrument or one of them flutes.
I have such a flute hidden somewhere in the cellar I think… Fairly loud little weapons they are and they do also serve well as a truncheon. (I Haven’t actually tried that…)
it’s funny to think of this alleged english/irish folk musician playing a german “Spielmannsquerflöte”. but it’s unfortunatly a little late to ask him why.
do you know if this kind of flute is meant to be played mostly on the highest octave like marching fifes? Is there hope of finding a fingering chart somewhere?
or barter one, send me a PM.