A few people have mentioned the low E being weak…that’s normal and there’s not much you can do to strengthen it. When you look at the tone hole for low E you can see that it’s the smallest hole on the flute, so that note is always going to sound a bit pinched compared with the others. If you have a keyed flute, you can beef up the E considerably by opening the D#/Eb key, which will also sharpen it a bit so you’ll have to lip down to blow it into tune. On my flute when I do that the E is almost as powerful as the bottom D. But 99.9% of the time I don’t bother and just accept the weak E; I only use the key when I’m hanging on that note for emphasis or it’s the last note in a set and I want it to be strong.
I too am a relative beginner. I just discovered something last week that may be relevant, especially in light of Terry McGee’s post about Bainbridge’s observations.
I had the opportunity to play a Casey Burns Folk Flute for the first time. My own flute is a Sweetheart keyless, that I have been playing for just under a year. It took me ages to get a strong low D on the Sweet, and even now I have to get the sweet spot exactly right to play the D. However, on the Burns, I got a rich strong Low D right away. I found that it was pretty flexible in terms of my embouchure as well - didn’t have to get it exactly right every time.
If you compare the shapes of the embouchure holes on the two flutes:
- the Burns has much thicker walls on the head joint, so the chimney is deeper
- the Burns has a slightly larger hole
- the sides of the Burns emboucher hole are slightly chamfered or flared out.
I don’t know enough about flute design to know if these differences account for the marked difference between the ease of playing. Anyway, it may support Bainbridge’s assertion that one size doesn’t fit all.
For what it’s worth, there wasa side effect to this ease of playing the low D on the Burns. I found the second octave harder to get and control on the Burns as compared to the Sweet. Also, the low D on the Burns seemed a little flat to my ear - probably the way I was blowing it.
What am I trying to say?
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the ease of getting the low notes may be partly to do with the design of your flute - a different shape embouchure hole might be easier for you
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even so, you might want to persist with the “more difficult” flute because the trade off against an easier low D might be difficulties in the second octave. In the end, you want a flute and a playing style that works in a balanced way across all notes.
seanny, you have a Doyle flute, right?
So if it’s like mine, it’s two sections, unlikely to have a leak unless that cork is really worn…
Give yourself and the flute a break.
My Doyle (once I got used to it!) has the biggest low D of any of my flutes… and, the 2nd octave really sings…
But there was a learning curve.
I think it was just me.
Stick with that flute, and you’ll be proud.
M
I played Mary’s Doyle & I can vouch for the size of its low D, which is $*&%ing monstrous, but I gotta say Mary, I think your Olwell’s low D is still even bigger 
Hi Ben!
Are you back in LA yet?
No, Horn-boy, I think the Doyle is bigger! 
Let’s get together again when you get back, and we’ll have a show-down!
Anyway, I’ve been playing the Doyle more lately, and there is a bit of a learning curve, as there is with most flutes. I just had to get beyond that… the flute is fairly astonishing.
you have a good memory - I do play a martin doyle 2-piece unkeyed with no tuning slide
i saw a teacher recently who was a player of the baroque flute - she thought my embouchure was quite good - one thing she pointed out was that if i drew back my lower jaw a bit i was able to get a stronger tone on the low notes and was less likely to go into the second octave by accident - i may have been a bit hard on myself because i was comparing myself to very experienced players
Spent a few minutes with Brad’s overtone/harmonics exercise last night, and oh boy, the things I started remembering, including this even more fiendish embouchure exercise from my college flute teacher …
Start on a second octave D, ideally playing it XXX XXXX.
Blow the overtone, which should be an A, while still fingering XXX XXXX.
Blow the octave, i.e., high D, while still fingering XXX XXXX.
Then come back down from high D, trying to make it all sound as even as possible in terms of tuning and volume. Repeat exercise until you can do it easily and reasonably in tune.
<:twisted:>
THEN, if you’re really feeling bold, do the same exercise throwing in a low D on the front & back end for good measure – i.e., start on a low D, then go to second octave D then to A then to high D and back down, all the while using the XXX XXXX fingering.
Yep, it’s hard and yep, it’s ugly (especially at first!), but if you want lip pushups, there ya go.
There’s a similar overtone series on E and some other notes as well, but I’ve not tried them yet on a simple-system flute (plus I have to remember them first).
Final note: if you have several flutes around, especially flutes with different blowhole types, try it on them all. You’ll find it very interesting for hunting down each flute’s sweet spot in terms of overtones…not to mention locating your lip’s weak spots!
Haaaaaaave fun!
Great players … a blessing and a curse, huh? I sometimes wonder if I’ll ever get decent, but then I have to remember who I’m comparing “decent” to – and they’re all people who make at least a bit of a living at it!
Hang in there, seanny, and welcome to the boat! 
That’s pretty much my experience. Size and shape of blowhole affects playability & tone, but everything has a tradeoff 
My smallish-blowholed flutes have a brilliant high register; larger-blowholed flutes a little less so, but getting the bottom D is easier. IMO, that’s part of why people find things like Hamiltons and some of the older flutes tougher to play – they’re got wee little blowholes in comparison to the most popular models of Burnses, McGees, etc.
My Murray flutes fit right in the middle of the spectrum between my Hamilton and my McGee – the McGee’s blowhole is so big two people could probably play on it, and it’s got a GIANT effortless bottom D – the Murrays’ are smaller, but still more spacious than the Hamilton’s – and they require a bit more work down low but also seem to deliver more reward up higher. Meanwhile, the Hamilton just is.
So anymore, I’m starting to think it’s not only a question of body style and bore dimension, but also blowhole size and shape. In fact, I’m wondering if that isn’t really the biggest individual difference for a player?
(no, I still haven’t scraped up the money for the new McGee smaller-blowholed headjoint yet, but hopefully after tax time!)
Anyway, just my observations to add to yours…
Well I broke my own rule yesterday and instead of putting together my Pratten and setteling down to covering those huge holes I saw my old Samuel Barnett single key just sitting there in the humadore and seeing as though I hadnt played it in months I picked it up instead. Now I had already decided to start on a new tune using the slowdown mode on my media player so I was breaking all kinds of self-imposed taboos. Anyway the Barnett is a very small holled flute made of cocus with quite a small blow hole. I tootled around a bit with it and was amazed, again, at its volume and harmonics. But the low D blew me away. The flute is not very thick walled and will actualy vibrate in my hand. I dont always try for a good hard D as I guess I play a little mellower and tend to practice quitely still trying to get a better handle on the upper octives. The other thing that happened was, when I started to play along with the tune I was trying to learn I was right in tune with it and the harmonics and reedy sound that was coming from the player I was listening to was easy to achieve. Now she was playing a Rudel and Rose no tuning slide and the Barnett is the same. So I just don`t get it. I would expect to get a good hard D from the Pratten but here I was getting it from this tiny holed 19th century sweety. Anyway this has been a real interesting thread. Thanks for all the advice.
Take care
Tom
Hey, Tom, good to hear from ya! Are you still parked in the barn? I love that image … 
Actually, I think you should be able to get a good hard D on any kind of flute. It’s more a question of volume and ease and embouchure shape, etc. - Pratten or Rudall or slide or no slide or lining or no lining shouldn’t really make a difference (leaks or no leaks, however … ).
I love those flutes that vibrate in your hands. They’re the coolest, especially when you’re sitting on a big fat low D!
Anyway, again it’s good to hear from you and I’m glad you’re having fun. And hey, when it’s a self-imposed rule you’re the only one who can break it, eh?
Ya Cathy still parked in the barn. Wish I wasn`t even here today. Ferrier is here and we have to work on the mares feet. 4 mares, the smallest at about 2300 pounds and none of them have been handled in about 3 or 4 years. Realy a death defying mourning.
Anyway I remember my Lehart had a heck of a hard D, though when I had it I was too stupid to know what I had in my hands and I never realy did bond with that flute. I do know I am tending twards smaller blowholes now a days. Seems easier to get a reedy sound out of them then the big embochour tubes.
Take care;
Tom
does anyone else do this? i dont play simple system yet (had to put off the purchase for a concertina), but i plan on ordering one from Jon C. in march.
so, with that caveat (that i play boehm, which is a different, more tame beast), i am wondering of other people change their air direction with the direction of their head. i do notice myself doing that, but not as a rule. sometimes if i want to hit an A real hard or something. the problem with that is that it gets a nice buzz on the low d, but it will throw you really far out of tune. also, i generally try to change air direction with my jaw, not my lips. but i guess you need to put yourself in front of a tuner (or just listen if you have a good ear) and try everything out. there’s room for everyone to do it differently, and even for everyone to use more than one way to get each sound.
the frown thing cant be overemphasized. does anyone know where it comes from? (unless i’m mistaken, it is a newer technique, i.e. 20th century, tho i need to reread my classical / baroque treatises) my uncle one thanksgiving or something taught me how to frown. went in front of the mirror and i tugged and pulled at my face. it took me a year or 2 to be able to play while frowning, but its made all the difference. i think you should always frown, it is less fatigueing.
it’ll be interesting to see what differences i find in my techniques when i start playing conical (like, i do all my tone colouring with lip shape and tuning with my jaw, but it sounds like maybe on conical i would have to use more jaw work to get that low d to bark). my expectation is that it will be all the same, except just a step up more work, and exaggerated in more places.
I share your pain – Evil Filly kneed me in the forehead Monday and knocked me over yesterday, slamming my head into the stall wall. I haven’t been this bunged up since I was a kid riding racehorses off the track. Can’t wait to see what she’s got in store for me tonight – and the blacksmith’s due tomorrow or Friday. Argh, I’m getting too old for this nonsense; I’ll take wrestling with the hard D in any way, shape, or form any day! 
I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head, there. Personally, I’m all about the frown (got it from my high school Boehm teacher), and I still use my jaw too (dropping your jaw does nice things for tone here as well); the only thing that surprises me is how much harder simple system seems to be! Or maybe I just care more, or have forgotten how hard I worked on the Boehm, I don’t know. It’s definitely a journey!
been looking at myself in a mirror, and i guess i drop my head a lot! i cant get the same sound not doing it as doing it, but i’m doing it to change air direction most of the time. its a diaphragm thing. every time i push my air harder my head drops noticeably. now thats something i didnt expect to find. i did catch myself coloring a couple notes with the head drop tho, so i’m going to pay more attention to figure out exactly what i’m doing.
Talking of classical flute playing, I can recommend the “Tone” book in the Trevor Wye series of classical flute tutors.
There’s probably a lot in there which applies to irish flute style as well.
Find it on Amazon, e.g., under “A Trevor Wye Practice Book for the Flute. Volume 1: Tone”.
Experimentation, and learning to relax while doing it, I think is helpful. A teacher of course would be best!
daiv
Lest I be misunderstood, I was suggesting tipping the head up and down as a way to learn about the effects of airstream on tone production. The same principle is useful for learning to play in tune. But once one gets the idea/learns where the airstream should be for the desired tone/pitch, then it’s not necessary to tilt the head (it can be done with the lips, or rolling the flute, or combinations). That being said, I notice that a lot of baroque flute players tilt the head, likely because it is easier to control, and for some notes, you have to tip, roll, and change the airstream to get them in tune. Curiously, tone colour doesn’t change all that much on my baroque flute while all this is going on, but it does change a lot on my Irish flute.
It may be worth saying that since mouth, lips, jaw, teeth all vary a lot, the point is to find what works for you, and that much experimentation and persistance is necessary. I was trying to point out some of the variables.
I agree that the flute does make a difference. Some flutes are easier to play right off, and some are less easy. As others have pointed out, there are tradeoffs. I think that learning how to get a great tone on any one flute is a good preparation for being able to get a great one on all flutes.
Hugh