Hi,
simple question for those with keyed flutes: is there any way to play b-cnat-d or d-cnat-b, not tongued, at speed, by using the Cnat key, or do you all just use the cross-fingered Cnat in this combination?
thanks,
Sonja
Cross-fingered. I think the key is there mostly for trills and for real slow notes where you want a solid C.
Hmm. I do that as:
XOOOOO
XOOOOO +CNAT
OXXXXX
with the index finger of the RH (or bottom hand) falling off the Cnat key to close its hole. You can do it fast with practice with just a tiny pop, like an articulation, between the Cnat and the D.
Going downwards, I lift the RH fingers and crossfinger.
OXXXXX
OXXOOO
XOOOOO
It seems MORE awkward to use the key going down, but maybe some folks do. I know people that just half-hole the Cnat in there as well, going either way.
Stuart
I’ve always cross-fingered, but my tutor tells me that now that I have a C key, I must do like Stu (or at least be able to).
Doo be doo be do.
He says that because he doesn’t like you. 
John S said, by the by, that
you can use the key to do slides into b,
you slide the right hand leftwise
onto the key.
That would be he, who according to g, must not like me.
(I’m into rhymes today)
P.S. He also said it works better for some things than others, so it’s good to be able to do both. Ditto for the F keys.
I note that it is possible to use the c nat key to
do cuts on g and on a. Anybody do this?
Also one can do crans on g using the key and second finger.
And cuts on D, low and high, using the
long F key.
I love the Cnat key. When I play a keyed flute, I always use it instead of the cross fingering, regardless of the notes around it.
Ok, I’ll go practise, then… right now I feel that I could really use an 11th finger here and there, but I’m a beginner, after all.
thanks for your answers,
Sonja
The C nat was the key i used the least. I think it may be because i have short fingers, but i always thought it was awkward and forced me to move my right hand out of position.
g
For me the C nat is one of the better keys on the flute. The G# is a harder one, so is the Bb. I always use that key when playing C, and I usually hit it with the first knuckle, mostly by just rolling my right hand a bit to the left.
I think that the G# is much more naturally placed (at least for me) on French flutes, and I’ve been eyeballing Dominic Allan’s flute’s.
but you don’t have to tell my wife
Oh yes, the G# on a Pratten style flute is horrible. Sidney must have had long curved pinkies. But there’s no other way to do a G# in a large holed flute, so you get used to it. The Bb becomes usable if you use “Rockstro’s grip”, which frees the left-hand thumb to operate that key. I’d much rather have a thumb key for the Cnat too, as it is in modern flutes.
Incidentally, G#/Ab and A#/Bb in the first octave are the hardest notes to play on a Baroque flute (not hard to finger, but weak in tone and hard to play in tune). These 2 notes were one of the stronger reasons for people to start putting additional keys.
g
KEYS.
(that was a joke … sort of)
my tiny monkey brain reels.
It’s funny how key use can vary so much on such a simple instrument. I never, ever use the Cnat key on my old German flute unless I’m trilling between B and C (which I rarely do).
Then again, my flute also has a high E trill key and an alternate Bb touch for the RH thumb (which I love BTW). Basically, the set-up with 3 touches for the RH thumb makes hiting the Cnat key rather difficult, but the other two touches one on top and one below the Cnat touch are easy to hit.
Also, being a smaller holed flute, the cross-fingered Cnat is very, very strong. I’d bet with a Pratten keyed flute I’d use the Cnat more.
What’s all this weirdness with G# on a pratten flute? Is it not operated by the LH pinkie? On my flute, it’s wonderfully easy, but Dave Migoya did say the G# key on my flute was special enough he’s having it copied on a custom made flute he has on order. At first, I just figured he was joking about it, but maybe there is more to this issue than I first thought.
Eric
On my Pratten, the G# snuggles right up next to the long F key. It’s dicey which one I’m going to hit, but it’s getting better … albeit sloooooooowllllyyyyy (and rather painfully!).
<KEYS.
NO Cat - you can’t have them! you’re too rough.
Back to the Bamboo!!
Eric - does the G# key crosses on top of the flute, from back to front? or does it run parallel to the long F key?
I wish you’d tell John that. Last lesson, he saw the rubber bands, rather wearily raised an eyebrow, and went on. (but he’s the one who hooked me on hairbands to start with!)
FWIW, it’s the short F I keep bending.