hey folks: no one else i know understands about this. after receiving a silver flute as a gift from a nun over a year ago, i finally figured it out. i accidently taught myself to play the whistle and irish flute left-handed. it took me over a year of half-hearted trying to play right handed before it didn’t pain my hands anymore. learning the notes only took two weeks. i’m by know means ready to play in the key of C# or play flight of the bumblebee, but i really have no reason to play those type of things.
edit: the nun died this past year, so i guess she knows.
What part was difficult to figure out? The embouchure? The fingering? How to do ornaments with all those clacky keys in the way?
I got both a silver and a wood flute on the same day. I tried to keep up with both, but I just have so much more fun with the wooden one I’ve let my silver one sit idle. I gotta pull it out again one of these days.
the hardest part by far was holding it right-handed. the 2nd hardest part was figuring it out, it looks way more complicated than it actually is and someone needs to make a good fingering chart like that nice one we have for whistles. it isn’t logical that an Eb is lower on the flute than a D but it is. there is no ornamentation in my playing the silver flute yet. i also have a few unanswered questions about some of the littler keys. i know a lady who plays that i just need to spend some time with her. i’m not playing itm and if i had the luxury of just playing in the keys of d and g, i would only play the irish flute. once i get this silver flute adequately mastered, then i can get a new instrument. i have no idea what i’ll learn next.
Here’s a few things about the smaller keys whose function may not be immediately obvious.
Ok, the first finger right hand has a little lever that sticks out next to the F-key, usually with an “S” shape to it. This is the B-flat shake; it’s handy as either another way to make B-flat, or a way to do a rapid B to B-flat trill–it’s faster than using R1 because R1 moves so many other keys.
Next are the two trill keys. The one for R2 is used to trill C to D in the first octave; the one for R3 is for trilling C to D in the second octave. Also these serve as vents for some of the third octave fingerings like high B-flat and high B-natural.
If you have a flute with a B-natural foot, you may have a small touch attached to the roller for the low B key which is for R4. This is the “gizmo key,” formally called the “high C facilitator,” and it’s used to help the third C above middle C speak clearly and cleanly, as this note can be difficult, especially when you have to play it softly and sweetly.
However, if you are playing a slow piece, using R3 instead of R2 will give an F-sharp that is stronger and has a nicer sound.
Also, an important alternate fingering for first octave C-sharp on many flutes, especially older ones, is o x o | x x x [Eb]. On many older flutes the “standard” fingering o o o | o o o [Eb] is very sharp and has an unpleasant timbre.
This doesn’t seem to appear on the fingering chart.
I have a hard time with that Eb key. I keep forgetting I’m supposed to hold it down, but then I can’t seem to figure out what to do with my pinky. I need it to help hold the beast. So I either prop it against something sticking out or I finally remember it’s supposed to hold down Eb. Then I forget to pick it up again when I play a D.
Excellent illustration of my (bee-in-my-bonnet) argument that we should BAN keyless ITM simple system derivatives and insist they all have at least an Eb key. If you acquire the Eb habit, you then have it - and it is a GOOD THING.
All European flutes from the Baroque on until the post 1970’s development of modern ITM keyless derivatives have an Eb key that is intended to be held open for almost all notes except D. It is advantageous to do so, (especially to the strength, tone and intonation of low E, which is not well compensated for on keyless flutes chiefly because it is not really possible to do so!) and not difficult once the habit is acquired. In a trad context, if you progress to flutes with more keys, you’ve already cracked it rather than having to learn it as an add-on. How on earth do the nay-sayers imagine all those school kids who only ever learn Boehm cope with doing what their teachers expect? If they can, why can’t we trad musicians? And of course, parking the little finger on the Eb key helps with stability of hold, though you have to be careful it doesn’t become a substitute for proper use of the R thumb! Why does it seem almost to be a point of honour NOT to do it? This is a bit like the trad v classical fiddling controversy over bow-holds! (Whoa!! Let’s not go there!) Furthermore, if you do get the Eb habit, it does not cause any problems when playing keyless instruments like whistles etc. - the R little finger may wave around a bit pointlessly, but it doesn’t disrupt anything!
On my flute (made in 2004), opening the Eb key certainly does improve the power and tone of the low E…but there’s a trade-off, because it also goes sharp; the maker designed the flute to play in tune with the key closed (or without the key altogether). I imagine this is not uncommon for modern Irish flutes.
And Diane is right, of course we can play both - it’s just that if you learn the Eb key technique it kinda becomes harmlessly habitual even if there is no key there. But if you get very used to playing key-less, it is harder to adapt to them if you subsequently get them. So where is it best to start?
My call for a ban is hardly serious (would anybody take me seriously anyway?) - and obviously unrealistic/unachievable in any case. But there is a serious point behind it. Deliberate hyperbole for effect. Sorry, crass, I know!
thanks folks. the advice is appreciated. i figured out the alternative F# fingering. now i know what the deal is with the Eb key. i’ll try to do better. the links are appreciated too.
i’m teaching myself and hope to pop up in front of a serious flute teacher one day and shock the heck out of him/her with my so wrong way of playing. i’ve already made a couple of silver flute players scream in agony when i played the irish flute left-handed. one of them had to sheild their eyes while i played. although you folks are nice, is there an instrument that has a bigger draw to snootier people?
May I suggest to anyone trying to learn the silver flute to pick up the Rubank books. There are easy, intermediate, and advanced level books which have a beautiful fingering chart. They do have a propensity towards classical music, but if you get through these books, you’ll be playing some flute!!
Well, what do you play on the silver flute if not classical?
Sincere question. I can play one, I’ve discovered. I’ve
noodled enough on 'em, read enough threads like this one,
and the embouchure is way easier that an Irish flute.
I sound pretty good on a silver flute.
But short of learning music and launching into classical
or jazz, which I’m not about to do, what do you play?
I mean I know I can play ITM on 'em, if I figure
out how to stop the clacking on rolls, but Irish flute
is better. And they sound kind of airy fairy to me.
Is there a folk repertoire for these. You know the
violin makes a great folk instrument, but
but imagine bluegrass silver flute!
That leave music for my own pleasure. Worth thinking about.
Right, Scheky. Joannie rocks. But jeez the clicking,
and how do you make it sound irish. Open holes
sure beat key-covered holes for ornamentation.
‘Hi, ho Silver, clickety, clickety!’
yep, that’s my goal to play in church with the folk group. i play pop songs from the 50’s to the 80’s, christmas carols, old hippie music, and just background stuff in a meditative manner. that’s what i was playing on the whistle and the irish flute and that’s what i plan on playing on the silver flute.
you can be an atheist and still play music in church. one of our friends, a good catholic gril, married an atheist. he played the guitar with us in the folk group for a year til i knew enough to take his place. you might even be a good influence on the other group members. nothing makes you question your faith like an atheist.
