I’ve just received one.
Had one a good while ago when I was
just starting flute. Couldn’t bring the
base up to tune.
This one is easy–or perhaps I’m just better.
Anyhow these are really very nice.
The fingering is quite easy, especially
when one remembers the flute is cylindrical.
I find Indian D flutes a bit tough; no
stretch problem here. The sound is
very strong, rather impressive.
What are people’s impressions of these?
Especially what sort of music do they
play best. I was hoping I could use
this on the street, but I’m not sure
it has the volume.
Not sure it has the volume? I would have said just the opposite; I find mine a little difficult to play quietly. Maybe it’s just an impression it gives since it vibrates a lot more than a wooden flute. I also find the fingering just a little difficult; this is a combination of the stretch and the fact that it’s a little larger diameter for the right hand than a wooden flute.
I love the sound and the way it plays – It half-holes much better than any wooden flute, so it really lends itself to non-IrTrad types of music, or O’Carolan pieces that have the occasional accidental.
I think this is true. The one you have is narrower than others I’ve owned and therefore easier to finger. I found it easier on the hands than the others I’ve had.
There is also some variation in tone and volume from flute to flute. I have an Eb, an F and a low C that are freakishly, astoundingly good. The rest of my Olwells are merely fantastic.
It’s the hardest flute, amongst those I have, to play. I just find the stretch a bit much but I haven’t tried piper’s grip or some variation on same yet. I have an Olwell F which I love.
My cylindrical Ds and Boehm are much easier going.
As for repertoire, obviously not anything overly chromatic and the sound isn’t very Irish to my ears. Anything folky I suppose. I find the volume fine.
My bamboo Olwell has a large diameter and it honks if I want. It can also be sweet if I focus my embouchure. Kevin Crawford had a go on my bamboo Olwell and his only complaint was that ornamentation wasn’t as crisp as he likes with it’s huge diameter and big holes.
I don’t find it too much of a stretch to use regular grip but I do have long fingers and a good stretch.
As for how Irish they sound, here’s me playing The Rookery. You be the judge.
I have several that I got from Loren a few years back. I like them. My Olwell D is my wandering flute … they go with me if I’m wanting a simpler flute than my 5 key or if things aren’t quite as controlled. Sometimes I take it just 'cause I like it. It has a beautiful bottom end - sonorous and easy speaking. It holds up well even next to an Olwell Blackwood. Yeah, I like it.
I’ve heard a lot about bamboo Olwels, mainly that they are cheap, but good. How do you get them? Do you contact Patrick directly? I can’t buy one now, I’m saving for a different flute, but it seems like a good flute option for a penniless student like me! Maybe sometime in the future.
A quick explaination. If you have a tune that is written in D but you want to play it in G, the easiest way (if you’ve already learned the fingering in D) is to get a G flute/whistle and play it using the same fingering. Otherwise, in this particular instance, you can play the G scale on your D instrument by playing C natural instead of C#. You have to (mentally or on paper) shift all of the notes up 5 half steps (or down 7). It is probably easiest to think in terms of “intervals” and play the same intervals in G that you do in D.
That’s what happens in early morning I am terribly sorry to have posted this here as it was supposed to go to the forum instead of here … I will fix this and will remove the post to the other forum .
Maybe sometime in the future.
I am terribly sorry to have posted this here as it was supposed to go to the forum instead of here … I will fix this and will remove the post to the other forum .