I’ve been playing the whistle for a couple of years and would like to give the flute a go. I’ve just bought a cheap (£35) Tony Dixon tuneable PVC flute to see how I get on. Are these any good as a learning instrument, and are “real” flutes easier to play?
I am also a whistler who wanted to try the flute without making a huge investment. I got Tony’s low whistle/flute combination. It took me a long time before I was even barely comfortable with it, but it happened. I now have one of Tony’s 3 piece polymer flutes. The sound of this one is far richer, and it is clearly a better instrument, but IMHO no more or less difficult to play. I think you made a good choice to see if you like it.
Steve
Hi Joshua,
I started on one of these flutes, and while they are fine for getting your feet wet, I would get on somebodies waiting list, or buy a better flute as soon as possible if you’re serious about learning the flute. That flute will be good for you to start your embouchure developement and get used to the reach, but that’s about it. These flutes are exactly what you pay for them… a $35 flute. The dixon pvc’s have very weak tone, and no depth, so you won’t get much insight into how a flute sound or plays. So keep that in mind, and don’t get frustrated that it doesn’t sound right. Another thing to keep in mind is your hand positioning. I ran into this problem and it was very hard to fix. Due to the fact that the dixon pvc is not conical, the reach for the D hole is very big, bigger than on any other flute I’ve tried. The left hand is normal so you shouldn’t have a problem, but when you position your right hand, make sure your palm is farely parallel with the flute and your fingers are coming almost straight over the top, not pointing at the foot. You don’t want your hand angling away from the flute because if that happens the stretch for the ring finger to reach the hole is too big. This will overwork and overstretch your ring finger and make playing difficult. It will make your D notes and your D rolls sloppy. It might be difficult at first but it will pay off. And it is much easier than fixing bad habits in the future when you get a “real” flute. So good luck and get a better flute ASAP… whether it be a moderatly priced flute like the dixon polymer, the almount, seery, ect… or one of the biggies like Copley, Hamilton, Olwell, Grinter, ect.
Hope this is helpful,
Jack Murphy
I started on “The Duo” and though it wet my appetite, the 3-piece is much easier to play in terms of hole coverage (I have skinny fingers) and air requirements. So the 3-piece could be a better interrim flute while you wait for a wood unless hole coverage and air aren’t big issues.
Cheers,
Aaron
I’ll pose a slightly different question to the group:
I want to get my feet wet with low whistle, and am looking a Dixon tunable low D as my first whistle in that key. I’m also interested in, further down the line, Irish flute.
Right now, the only transverse “flute” I have is an Aulos fife in high C with baroque fingering - I can get sound from it, but the tone (and air requirements) leave much to be desired and the fingering is odd - matches neither tinwhistle or baroque recorder.
So - should I bother with getting the low D duo set (essentially, the Dixon tunable low D with an extra flute head) or just hold off until I’m ready and go directly to the Dixon 3-piece polymer?
Remember: I will be getting the Dixon Low D tunable whistle, anyway - all I’m wondering is if the flute mouthpiece is worth bothering with, since it only adds $20 or so to the cost.
Personally, for only $20 more, I’d get the flute head, too, just to see if you really want to buy a more expensive conical flute later. I don’t have Tony’s duo set, but I do have his 3 piece conical flute and love it. I have made and played PVC two piece flutes like Tony’s, and I think they’re a good way to get started. A decent cyclindrical PVC flute has a slightly less rich tone (IMHO) and a weaker second octave (often a bit flat which needs to be lipped up - this is due to the cyclindrical vs. conical design), but I think it’ll help you decide about playing the flute overall.
Since starting off on flute is flat out hard (I nearly passed out the first three days just trying to get a tone), being able to stick on the whistle head and instantly sound better would be cool and soothing to the spirit.
Thanks for the encouraging words, Jayhawk.
Though I’m tempted to go all-out into something new, it makes sense to figure out what I really want before diving into the thick of things. This looks like a relatively painless way for me to decide how serious I am about flute - especially since no matter what I should have a pretty decent whistle (the Dixon low D is reputed to be one of the easiest low D’s to start out with).
If I do decide to get more seriously into it, I can start thinking about a Dixon or M & E conical.
I was on the market for a low D when I saw “The Duo” on The Whistle Shop. I figured it would be fun to try and ended up playing the flute more than the low whistle. I was amazed at how the same body sounded so differently with the two heads. The low whistle is soft and mellow and the flute is big and sonorous. After getting a few tunes down on the Duo flute I jumped at the chance to buy a 3-piece and now have a great flute and a great low whistle (which can double as a flute).
Cheers,
Aaron
You and Jayhawk have convinced me! Not that it took much - I have a Dixon soprano D whistle I like quite a bit, so I knew the low D whistle ought to be pretty nice. That it’s also a decent beginner flute is a bonus.
When/if I get more serious I can upgrade to a conical flute, but this looks like a painless way to get started. And (maybe) a way to get my used-to-play-Boehm older daughter to play Irish trad with me - I keep telling her that she needs a portable instrument for when she’s away from the piano.
Just about the same question I was going to ask! (I’m also a whistle player considering flute. Incidentally, whoever asked: the Dixon low D is an ideal starter low D).
Over the weekend, a friend let me try out her £300 Rutzen blackwood flute - a steal at the price I thought. But I don’t know about flutes - is the Dixon 3-piece polymer a better bet for a beginner or is the Rutzen a good flute? (I’ve heard enough about the Dixon duo to not bother with that one, might as well start higher up)
Thanks for any suggestions
Nick
Nick,
I’ve never played a Rutzen, but I do have the Dixon 3 piece. There are a lot of good reviews of the Dixon you can find if you hit the search button. I really like mine.
Hopefully, someone who has played/owned both flutes can provide a good comparison.
Eric