So my Reviol arrived a few minutes ago with its beautiful keys. I knew, intellectually, that these keys would not be like the ones on the silver flute I learned as a kid. All my adult flutes have been keyless so far. So I’m holding on to this thing thinking “where does my thumb go”..and…“do I keep the Eb down except on D like when I was a kid?”…and…“D down to C is a bit weird with this new key.”
I played a chromatic scale for the first time. Painful. My boehm fingering kept trying to take over. I have to talk to my individual fingers…“ok, NOW go down!”
Probably vent the Eb key unless playing a D is the way to go, just like a Boehm flute. Unless Maurice has designed it specifically to work without. Let your ear be the guide!
The E in the second octave is a bit sharper with the Eb engaged but I like the tonal quality of it so I adjust with embouchure. Definitely better low E when engaged. Beautiful tone.
I’m really enjoying the new flute. I have a Forbes which is very easy to play, especially the low register, and has a very dark quality to it. Then I have the Reviol “student” flute (maple with cast bore) which is bright and piercing…very loud and fun to play. This new flute (African Blackwood) seems to share qualities of both.
It’s easier to play than the student model but a bit harder than the Forbes (could be a Pratten’ish vs. Rudall’ish thing). The tone is right in between dark and bright and I’ve got a lot of leeway to color it.
I’m really enjoying it. I’m trying to break it in slowly but it’s hard to put down.
