I visited Ireland a couple summers ago, and I picked up a D tin whistle. I learned how to play the tin whistle, and I wanted to give the flute a try. I picked up a ebony wooden flute on ebay.(I know you say to stay away from these but I wanted to try a flute that wasn’t too much money.) This ebay flute only cost $89, but from it I learned to play this. The key was Bb, which is weird, but it showed me I can play the flute.
Now I want to upgrade. I have a couple questions:
What does the term “keyless” mean for flutes?
If I get a flute in a certain key, can it be changed? If not, what is the best key to get that plays along with guitars? What I really want is to have an Irish flute that can play with as many different instruments as possible and still be in key.
What is a good Irish flute maker and online store I can purchase from? I don’t want to spend more than $300, but would this buy me a good flute? There are no Irish flute suppliers in my area, so I’d have to purchase from an online seller.
What you want to get to play with other musicians is a D flute. This means, in the context of folk instruments, that the “bell note” (the note that is played when all the tone holes are closed) is D, and as you lift your fingers, you play the diatonic notes of a D scale.
A keyless D flute can play the vast majority of traditional tunes, as it plays very comfortably in D and G and their related modes, and reasonably comfortably in A and C and their related modes. That’s enough to cover almost all commonly-encountered session material.
There are a couple of options in your price range, but, were I you, I would give Doc Jones a call and talk with him. His website is https://www.irishflutestore.com/newsite/ and his contact number is on the page. Doc is a straight-up, honest guy, and he can help you wind up with a flute that will serve you well.
Best wishes and good luck in your search, and welcome to the boards! Please let us know how things progress.
Those are the early symptoms of a chronic condition for which the only cure is a really crappy flute. But it looks like you’ve already tried that unsuccessfully. Welcome to the club.
Keyless means without Keys, little metal flaps that assist covering holes that help to play additional notes. A keyless flute has six holes covered with the fingers much like a whistle. There is some good information on flutes at [Terry Mcgee’s site].
A flute in D is popular for ITM and will play in G, but for other music in different key signatures keys are useful. Cross fingering and half holing can help with other keys, but there are limitations, and that is an entirely different discussion.