I just received an Eamonn Cotter 6-key blackwood flute I ordered. He was exceptionally prompt (8 months), finishing ahead of schedule, and the price was very, very reasonable. The workmanship is great.
I’ve played a Sam Murray flute for a while, but I’m having a difficult time adjusting to the Cotter flute. The emboucher is much different; this flute, when I do get it right, has a huge sound, and really has an “edge” to it. The holes are also pretty big (all of them) and the spacing different from the Murray flute. It is also essentially perfectly in tune across the first two octaves, which is a pleasant switch.
I was wondering if other people who have gotten new flutes have a hard time adjusting to the emboucher? Every now and again, I get sound out of it that’s just awesome, but it’s difficult for me to maintain. I know it’s just a matter of time, but I was wondering what other people’s experience is.
Every flute has a “sweet spot,” and it’s your job as a flute player to find it!
Makers use all different sizes and shapes of embouchure holes, matching them mostly to the shape and design of the bores they employ.
Some are round, others elongated oval, and even some slightly square (as Healy does with his Ironwood flutes…see my website for a photo of one).
The amount of “undercutting” of the embouchure means a lot, too. Some have a fairly straight chimney and others cutaway a lot of maximize airflow.
You’ll have to adjust the head piece inward or outward, and your own embouchure, to feel the difference as you blow.
A great exercise was when I first played a Rudall&Rose with a Patent Head. Because there are two tubes inside, a more directed blow downward was necessary to maximize the flute. It was symptom of design, but no less different than what you’re experiencing on the Cotter.
\
David Migoya
Fyfer Restorations http://www.home.earthlink.net/~migoya
“Bringing Yesterday’s Flutes to Today’s Players”
Denver, Colorado
USA
[ This Message was edited by: David Migoya on 2001-08-19 17:17 ]
Hi e
You are not alone. I received my Casey Burns flute, a keyless D in mopane about six months ago, and it took me a long time to fine the “sweet spot” that Dave mentions. See my posting "Michael Cronnolly " and the replies.
My first flute was a Ralph Sweet flute in D and I never did get the hang of that one. It is only now that I can pick it up and hit the emboucher and edge and play, not fast but slow airs.
Mark
[ This Message was edited by: MarkB on 2001-08-20 08:15 ]
Hmm,
I’ve only played a half dozen or so quality flutes now (Grinter, Hoza, Healy, Copley, and Olwell Cane) but from my perspective as a beginner, some flutes are much easier than others when it comes to hitting the “Sweet Spot”.
I hate to see anyone suffer through frustration, the way I did with my first few flutes - Sometimes being able to hit the sweet spot, other times getting precious little tone at all.
It seems to me that if one can’t find the sweet spot on a flute within say ten or so hours of practice, one ought to consider another flute. Several flutes I’ve picked up were so easy to play that I almost couldn’t miss the sweet spot. The Blackwood flute I bought from Dave Copley has been the easiest by far and has made practicing so much more enjoyable it’s amazing. I don’t even touch my other flutes anymore, and in fact have started selling them off. I hear Terry McGee’s flutes are also really easy to play, if you don’t mind the two year wait. (Dave, the next time you’ve got a used McGee for sale, please post it here as well as woodie-L).
Anyway, my point is, if you’re really struggling with a flute, it might be well worth your while to try to get your hands on some other flutes for a test drive, you’ll likely find one that is much easier to play.
When I asked about how to pick out a flute, A wise flute player told me “You just have to play a bunch and when you play the flute that’s best for you, you’ll immediately know it.” I thought this was sort of a cop out answer at the time, but I later found it to be quite true.
Enough of my rambling…
Loren
Loren
Thank you for your ramblings. I wish (like we all do) to have the money to do as you say and purchase or try many different flutes.
But I have a friend who has done just that. He owns a Healy, Copley, and Glen Schultz, and I forget the fourth one. He is in love with them all.
And he has let me play them. I think that it is the Glen Schultz and Copley that I like. They were easy to play and hold. So I will just have to dream and save my pennies.
Thanks again for the ramblings. And yes it is nice to see David posting to this forum.
Mark
My first good flute was a Cotter and the same thing happen, sometimes I couldn’t get a thing out of it and I think it was me and not the flute.This also happen on my second flute which was a Healy but less often.It’s probably a beginner thing so just kept at it.The only problem I had with the Cotter was the stopper strunk when the humidity got low
so I had a Bigio stopper and crown installed and it just kepts getting sweeter and easier
to play.and yes Mark you can play the McGee
when it gets here.
Eubie makes a good point. Air leakage.
I presume the flute you’re tooting is a keyless, so there’s less likely a leak. But, alas, sometime air does penetrate out through the slide or the joints. They should be snug, but not super tight.
With keyed flutes, air leaking is always a problem. We should find a way to test them underwater like they do a flat! Would be so much easier.
Sometimes the “sweet spot” is a victim of moisture – or lack thereof – as well. A flute that’s not oiled and “played in”, especially the old ones, sometimes suffer thin tones and no D worth mentioning. Found this out firsthand lately with the Metzler for sale on my website. I’ve been playing it the last week or so, each morning, and it’s getting better and better that now I wonder whether I should even part with it! It’s not the blaster that my Rudall is, but wow. So, lesson learned. Unplayed flutes die. If you’re playing it lots, try oiling just the foot. You’ll be amazed at the results, I’m sure.
Oh, and remember to swab out the tuning slide. All that water can gum up the chamber, too.
I had one client last year with a beautiful Firth, Hall & Pond flute whose tone was hissy and crappy. He couldn’t figure out why and wondered if there was a leak.
A little closer look revealed the problem: Crud on the inside edge of the embouchure down inside the chimney. A little Q-tip and some cleaner and bingo, big tone again.
Lesson: Don’t overlook the little stuff as it’s probably what’s ailing it.
Hi All,
I bought a Eamonn Cotter flute in 1999 and much to my shame i haven’t used it at all. i am now looking to sell it - it might suit someone as i believe there is a long waiting list for these hand made products. i am willing to negociate on price. send me an e-mal if you are interested; sarahdennehy83@yahoo.com - i am willing to post to anywhere. also can send images of the wooden flute and box
cheers,
sarah
Time and practice is probably the only way to get the best out of a new flute. But if after a year to two, you still aren’t getting the sound that you want from particular flute, it’s worth remembering that not all flutes suit everyone.
I bought an expensive flute a few years ago that I just didn’t like the sound of when I first played it. One of the biggest problems of buying hand-made flutes is how you can’t actually try out the one you order. I persevered for a long time and the sound got better - the action was great, everything else was lovely - but it wasn’t the sound I wanted. And then a really good flute player played it at a session and confirmed what I thought…
Sometimes, that’s how it goes.
Hope you settle down with your new flute.
I too let a flute go last year after coming to the conclusion it was not what I wanted, happy as Larry now with a Murray that suits down to a T.
Anyhow, the buying without trying issue Pamela mentions is an important issue: I see a lot of Cotter flutes played locally by young players and their teacher always makes a point of hand-picking them whenever Eamonn has a batch finished because not all flutes, even from one maker, are equal (which is not to imply there would be bad ones in the batch, it’s just to say they can vary a bit, as handmade things would).
Very true. I assume Peter your on about a batch keyless flutes. I would think it would be very rare for most makers to have a batch of keyed flutes you could try out for comparison
I’m awaiting on a keyed Cotter myself. With a reputable maker you can be confident enough the flute will be resonably quality checked and play in tune etc.
I suppose there is an element of luck though on the manufacture and the specifc wood used which could determine if that particular flute will be that extra bit special.
Hi All,
I have a Eamonn Cotter Blackwood Keyless flute. i have it a few years and to my shame i have never played it. it is still in its original box and in perfect condition. there is no damage to any part of it and it really is as good as new. i am now looking to sell it - if you are interested you can e-mail me - sarahdennehy83@yahoo.com .
Thanks,
Sarah
Sarah,
you’d better open a new thread for your case. Your offer likely won’t be seen by a lot of potential buyers here.
To start a new thread, click on the “new topic” button at the top of the table containing the forum’s threads: http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewforum.php?f=2
E,
One thing to keep in mind is that Eamonn plays with a really tight embouchure and if memory serves (others can correct me) he doesn’t roll in the headjoint of his flute much at all. Since that is the way he plays the flute, he is going to cut the embouchure and build the flute to reflect that. To a certain extent, every maker is going to build flutes that fit the way that they play. You may want to try making some adjustments and see if you get better results.
Brendan
What they said. 
One of the funniest things I’ve noticed in my personal flute pilgrimages (I seemed to try a different one every couple of years for a while there) is that I’m MUCH less willing to opine on a flute anymore unless I’ve played it a fair amount. It seems this funny thing happens when I first pick up virtually any flute – it’s wonderful! At last, the answer! There IS such a thing as a magic bullet! I sound great!
And then … I don’t. For at least the next few months it’s absolute misery. Oh, the pain! The angst! Then things eventually get better. (Though I’m never really happy, alas)
I still go back to John Skelton saying some years ago that he’d had his Olwell a couple of years and it was only after a summer of spending entire days playing it at various teaching camps that he really felt he knew it and had figured out how it and he needed to work together.
(Needless to say I don’t think most of us could tell the difference between ‘before’ and ‘after’)
Anyway, congratulations! I haven’t spent enough time with one to offer any useful advice other than “keep plugging away!” and “record yourself and your experiments!”, but the Cotters I have played make me think I’d be willing to suffer through the requisite misery period 
(I blame it on Louise Mulcahy) (oh, to sound like THAT )
You mentioned that the size of the finger holes is larger. Air could be leaking there.
I have a flute with a small embouchure hole and large finger holes: my Tipple. It is hard for me to play. But whenever I want to blame the embouchure the problem is really air leakage on a finger or two.
I also get air leakage on my new Low whistle for the same reason: big holes. And it’s not the finger I expected that’s the culprit!
Grease up the tennons, slide and head cork and tape up all the holes with something like blue painters tape. Seals well… easy to remove and replace.
Then try for the D.
You’ll be able tell right away.
You can then remove only one tape at a time and replacing the one just below and using your finger to close the opened.
It may be possible see where your grip might need to be adjusted.
I like science.
I’m not sure if e is still checking the responses to this thread…
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2001
Still, no doubt someone else will find them useful!
…and he left the University of Illinois - Urbana in December of 2003
so his email addy isn’t any good.
I do hope he’s not too disappointed!