How’s a goin’ everyone?
I’m new to this forum and am a banjo, mandola and guitar player. I also play a little bit of whistle but am now really interested in a flute. I’ll be buying one sometime over the easter and got a lot of information on flute maintenance from other websites and people I know.
I’d like to ask you flute players here for some general tips relating to the playing of a flute. Things such as breathing and fingering techniques and how they differ from the whistle (D).
Thanks.
HI, welcome,
If you do searches an these topics, or just look over
past threads, there’s a lot of info.
If something specific remains, do ask.
Best wishes, Jim
Thanks Jim. I’ll have a look.
Excellent. Please stick with us.
Paddy Cummings:
I’d like to ask you flute players here for some general tips relating to the playing of a flute. Things such as breathing and fingering techniques and how they differ from the whistle (D).
Whistle fingering is almost identical all the way. Breathing differs somewhat and embouchure is totally different. Much has been said here about embouchre so run a search for that key word.
Stay with it - - - and us.
BillG
i am fairly certain that by and far most of us are pro-breathing and pro-fingering. there will of course be those few who disagree. please keep at it, the sound is worth it.
Paddy, with regards to your questions: Do yourself a favor, read the thread titled “Rolls” and then, run like hell.
Loren
Loren, Dangit, another ruined keyboar. I just spewed soda pop everywhere. 
Dow, those birds in your sig are uber-cool, I think I just spent about 10 minutes watching them.
I think the best advice Paddy, as everyone else has said, is stick with it, don’t get discouraged. She can be frustrating in the beginning, although I guess if you have the musical experience it will not be as bad.
Which of us is “she?”
Jennie
The flute? My flute is a “he”.
I don’t own any flutes, they own me. And I paid a great deal of money to have them dominate my entire life.
I play guitar, banjo and mandolin - well, I sold my tenor banjo a few yaers back, so I don’t play banjo any more. Have been playing guitar for about 30 years now.
I took up flute about 1 year ago. Slow progress at first - I even felt awkward just trying to hold it at first. After about a month, I could get a scale and a weak effort at a slow tune. If you stick at it and are patient, it just keeps improving. I can now play a handful of jigs and hornpipes up to speed, but myreels are too slow (working on that!).
So are mine.
How could these guys not have noticed . . . !!??!! Men . . . go figure!
Paddy, right now, you’re hearing everyone say “don’t become discouraged” and “keep at it,” and you haven’t a clue what they mean.
Soon, though–about 10 seconds after picking up that flute the first time–you’re going to have an inkling. About 10 minutes after that you’re going to want to stomp your flute into toothpicks. This desire will recur every time you pick up that flute for the next year. Possibly longer. And with good reason.
So, print out this entire thread, fold it up neatly, write “DO NOT BECOME DISCOURAGED!” on the front of it, and insert it into your flute case in such a way that those words remain visible at all times. You’ll need them.
Progress in flute is measured in micro-increments. Be happy with those and do not fret because you are not achieving performance-level success right away.
Just hedging my bets: If the flute making thing doesn’t work out for me, I plan to go into the keyboard repair business - gotta create some demand, just in case. 
Loren
Hi Paddy
Like yourself and Jumbuk, I came to the flute recently after having played another instrument (Fiddle in my case–sorry) for years. You will find the first month or so very discouraging. Don’t give up! (Isn’t that what Churchill said?) The only other thing I can add to the good advice you have already heard is to get the Wooden Flute Obsession CDs and listen obsessively–it works for me.
–Larry
I bet you didn’t know you can wash keyboards!
If you spill diet soda on it, your keyboard should be fine after it dries. If it’s sugar-sweetened soda, or coffee, it probably won’t be fine. In that case, if it’s ruined anyway, washing it won’t make it more ruined and it might fix it.
Pop the key tops off, run warm water in the bath, and swish the keyboard around until the sugar has dissolved. Rinse the same way. Shake out the water and put the keyboard in a warm place to dry in front of a fan. Prop it up so that the water can’t puddle in it.
Sometimes, you can take the case off, too, and that makes it easier to clean.
When it’s completely dry . . . there is no moisture between the bits of plastic inside . . . it might work again.
We now return you to the regularly scheduled discussion . . .
Great, now I’m stuck making flutes whether I like it or not. Killjoy.
Loren
They’ll forget quickly enough! People never remember the good advice, don’t you know?
You’re going to be a fine fluthier. Don’t worry.
Thanks everyone for the answers. The “DONT GET DISCOURAGED” part is very important to me, thanks.
In the mean time, I’ll possibly be buying a flute from Boorinwood in Tyrone (northern Ireland). He sells very cheap flutes (about €100) so that way, if I don’t get on with the flute after a few weeks and I lose interest, at least I havn’t spent a lot of money on something I’ll no longer use. I don’t think that will happen anyway but to avoid regretting something like that, I think it’s a good choice.
Also, on Saturday, I’m heading out to Mayo to visit Michael Cronnolly, M&E Flutes. I’m only looking and just getting an experience out there. I’m not going out to make a purchase but, maybe some of you here will have opinions on M&E flutes that I could take into consideration?
*I suppose it might be another “search the forum” issue but anyway… 