Anyone know what kind of flute Harry Bradley plays?
I’m not very familiar with his playing, but I just heard a recording of him and really liked the sound of his playing…
-Brett
Hey 'arry, didn’t you just get an Aebi???
M 
(that’s probably not the answer you had in mind, sorry)
jes’ be glad he’s got but one, Mary!
Bretton, Harry stops by here…you could even PM him.
I met Harry just few weeks ago. At that time he played two flutes: Keyed Sam Murray in D, and bigger keyless Martin Doyle (C or B, can’t remember exactly).
Truly amazing and powerful player!
(to Gary) For sure it must be a good flute according to the sound of his playing.
Well, now, remember people, it’s for sure the player, and not the flute… 
M
Nah, it’s the player and the flute together.
It’s not either/or.
–James
Thank you, James!!!
I was beginning to lose hope!
Now I won’t think I’m crazy every time I ring out a tune on that marvelously rich, round-sounding, loud Hammy of mine…
.
M
On ‘as I carelessly did stray…’
it says Harry is playing D and Eb flutes made by Sam Murray.
Marching Band Flute made by Short.
C Flute made by Hammy Hamilton.
Here’s the Aebi thread: http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?p=522503
I’m wearing my anorak today.
Was the Eb on “As I Carelessly Did Stray” the same as on “Bad Turns And Horseshoe Bends”? I believe the Eb flute on the latter was a Eugene Lambe. But the D was definitely a Murray.
Aaron,
CAST OFF THAT ANORAK IN SHAME!!!
It was an Eamon Cotter on “Bad Returns…”.
I had the Aebi out recently in the compnay of several well known flute players (and a couple of notorious ones), they all tried it, and they all sounded like themselves on it.
Funny old world.
Regards,
Harry.
Well, yeah, when the flutes are similar, so is the sound.
Try it with a Baroque traverso, a German flute, your Aebi, and a silver Boehm-system flute, and see if the sound doesn’t chnage a bit flute to flute.
Of course, you’ll still sound like Harry (which is far better than I currently sound), but you’ll sound like Harry on a traverso, or on an Aebi, or even on a silver flute.
My $.02, of course, and probably worth exactly what you paid to read it.
Respectfully,
–James
[quote="peepljTry it with a Baroque traverso, a German flute, your Aebi, and a silver Boehm-system flute, and see if the sound doesn’t chnage a bit flute to flute.
Of course, you’ll still sound like Harry (which is far better than I currently sound), but you’ll sound like Harry on a traverso, or on an Aebi, or even on a silver flute.
[/quote]
Obviously; the more important part of the equation is what the player brings IMO. Not that it’s something I loose sleep over.
My 2cents: don’t concern yourself with sounding better or worse than me or anyone else; when you sound exactly like yourself there will be no room for meaningful comparison, not that people won’t waste their time trying to compare of course. ‘finding your tone’ is the most important, grounding experience in approaching the instrument as far as I’m concerned. It’s not an intellectual excercise, if anything, intellectualising about it is a hinderance.
Regards,
Harry.
As the saying goes:
When I die and stand before God’s throne, he will not
ask me ‘Why werent’ you Albert Einstein?';
he will ask me ‘Why weren’t you Jim Stone?’
My problem is I hate what myself sounds like. (and believe me, it’s a purely visceral reaction - BLEEEEEEEAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHH! – no intellectualising there)
Thanks for the info on the band flute, too, Jim. That was the one I was wondering about. I love those marches or whatever (I’m bad about liner notes and CD inserts, sorry) on Bad Turns. 
don’t concern yourself with sounding better or worse than me or anyone else; when you sound exactly like yourself there will be no room for meaningful comparison, not that people won’t waste their time trying to compare of course. ‘finding your tone’ is the most important, grounding experience in approaching the instrument as far as I’m concerned. It’s not an intellectual excercise, if anything, intellectualising about it is a hinderance.
Harry, you’ve my deep respect, and you’re a very wise man: those words should be framed in gold and hang in every flutist’s music room.
Usually wise people get that way through pain; I also deeply respect the dues you’ve paid to get as far down the road as you’ve gone.
Mayhap someday we might get to meet in person; until then,
Best wishes,
–James
It is more of an “hair anorak” than an “anorak of many colours” and certainly not an “Amazing Technicolor Dream Anorak”.
When I first saw my first flute teacher, I sounded like shit. It was most certainly my own shit since I didn’t really know how to sound like anything else. Some time later he left the country for a year. I saw him a few days before he left, and he said something to the effect, “You have your own sound. Stick with it, cultivate it, there’s no reason to change it.” I was really flattered, and pumped too. Of course, one purpose of a teacher is to get the student motivated, which he most certainly did. But now, two years later, I see the wisdom in what he said and what Harry and James have said. Of course I’d love to sound like Harry Bradley, but the world already has a Harry Bradley. Not that another Harry, say, one who toured the US frequently, wouldn’t be welcome. 
I don’t think the world is poorer for having a Charlie, whose sound is kind of mellow with soft edges, which is probably why I’m attracted to boxwood flutes. It’s certainly a richer place for having the different sounds of Harry, Chris Norman, Dee Havlin . . . I wouldn’t have it any other way. (and a poorer place for having lost Frankie Kennedy 
)
What nice thoughts. Thanks, guys
M