Thought it would be interesting to hear from y’all.
What was, or is, your OHMYGOD flute of 2005!
Can be because it’s just great, exceeded your expectations, grew on you during the year, or for whatever reason. Maybe you always played Pratten style flutes, then tried a Rudall style flute and said “OMG! i MUST have one of these” Whatever
Or
Can be a flute you got with great expectations, and then OMG, why did I spend the money… (well, maybe we shouldn’t)
And your best piece of advice from 2005.
Here is my OMG short list:
Gallagher Rudall style flute, keyless, D.
Beautiful in every way, needed to grow on me.
Advice: Warm up slowly playing softly, clearly, cleanly before letting it rip.
Sadly, for me I can’t afford to be a Purchaser of Flutes. I’ve only played a few in my life. I have a Olwell Pratten D flute. I have a OMG each and every time I play it. Especially compared to the Pakistani flute I had before it. The best 1,200 bucks I’ve EVER spent.
there were two flutes this year which I both loved
aebi rudall (keyless on order now, most wait is over…)
jon C’s own hybrid of a rudall/ pratten, the european tour flute…that last one is next on my list, it gave me weak knees everytime!!!
would need to get used to both though but that’s another story.
My OMG moment was just within the last couple of weeks. After having my replacement J. Gallagher Pratten delivered several months ago, I wondered if I’d ever find it’s sweet spot like I remembered having with my first (which was stolen last spring). Only the tiniest glimpses of it’s potential would come through after hours of practicing. I thought I’d just lost the edge to drive it properly and was seriously wondering about exchaging it for a Rudall.
A few nights ago, picked it up and just started playing when it suddenly hit me how long I’d been playing, how effortlessly, and what an awesome tone was filling the room! Not even sure what specifically I was doing differently, but every time I’ve picked it up since then (even if for a couple quick tunes), I feel the power of the thing well within my control. John’s flutes are not easy to play out of the box (he even openly admits to this), they are so in-tune, powerful, and complex, the time spent growing with one is well worth it.
It was just about a year ago that my Casey Burns Ergonomic Rudall showed up–my first wooden flute, so there was the initial pleasure of just looking at it. Casey’s designs have a Shaker-like simplicity I like very much, and he used a nice piece of mopane, with some gold highlights that look even better as the wood darkens with use. But the good moments keep coming, as I get better able to play it and more surprised with the tones it can produce.
I think we’re really fortunate to have these flute-makers around, and for the craftsmanship and integrity of design the provide so reasonably.
I don’t have a god so it’s impossible for me to have an “oh my god” moment.
However, i do keep my M&E polymer next to my computer and noodle away occasionally on it. It’s my first decent flute and i’ve only had it two months. There have been the odd occasion where i’ve picked it up while busy reading something on the computer screen and the sound that came out has been so nice. Then it’s gone again. I think it’s when i’m totally relaxed and not thinking about it. As soon as i think about it and try to capture it, it’s no longer there. But they are wonderful moments and lovely small glimpses into my future sound - hopefully.
I lucked into an Olwell all-wood rosewood Nicholson listed on this board. That was about 2 months before receiving the Olwell boxwood Rudall. Definitely both OMG flutes. I’d thought the boxwood was my soulmate, but recently I’ve been enjoying the rosewood more.
Playing-wise, my OMG moment was my teacher giving the piece of advice that you should never bring your mouth to the flute, always bring the flute to the mouth without moving the head or torso.
every time i play my Noy and the M&E, i have that feeling. I have many flutes and switch them around, but i have one tone in my head that i’m looking for, and those two allow me to get there. I was able to produce that sound on the Murray a week or so ago, it was like the flute was charged with electricity, but i have no idea what i did differently. I think i played a flute with a really small embouchure, then moved to the Murray?
Play tunes that jump up and down the scale, this will force you to develop good control of the embouchure in order to got the notes on both ends as you like them to sound.
Well since I got my first Wooden Flute this year it would definantley have to be that even though I dot a couple other Flutes. The Flute is a Geert Lejune which I bought from Jordan Ott (SillyDill) and it is a large hole Rudall keyless Blackwood with rings and slide and a partially lined head. It is a Great Flute takes a bit of getting used to as it has a round embochure hole but it has a great sound and can be pretty strong despite the embochure cut.
I’m rarely really impressed any more, guess I’m getting jaded However, I recently played a customer’s Blackwood Murray, when the flute came in to have the thread lapping swapped out for corks.
This particular flute really grabbed me, it was just the perfect fit for me both physically and the way it played. Tone wise it was very nice indeed, but not staggering, I just completely fell in love with the easy playability and the way it felt in my hand, like the flute was made just for me. Sadly, it’s still someone else’s flute.
My OMG moment came last week at the regular Thursday night session. We have several singers that sing in A and most times it is with just guitar accompaniment. I had purchased a Casey Burns Low A flute earlier in the year and spent the time playing it in and getting use to the bit of stretch involved in playing it.
Well last Thursday, I accompanied the singers with the Low A, and wow! It lifted their voices, while I filled in with the deeper softer tones. Almost caughty myself listening to myself.
Still can’t believe my Bnat flute in ABW by Terry McGee. It makes music if I just breathe in its general direction. Now, if I could just find a D flute that plays so easily.
I have to weigh in with this summer’s ebay special, the Mighty Banana Murray. I don’t know what it is about this flute, but it’s just the coolest thing I’ve ever played. I’m very fond of my other flutes for different reasons – my blackwood Murray is just balls-out vibrant, the Hamilton is like a brilliant contralto who gets very temperamental sometimes, and my McGee is a monster truck that honks past virtually any form of session traffic – but there’s something about the wee orange Murray (missing keys, beeswax plugs, hair elastics, warped head and all) that just knocks me out. My hands almost itch to play it sometimes!
Well I have to say that my last post is not for sure. I have two Flutes which should be on their way to me in the next couple days. Either of those might be more of an OMG Flute than my Lejune.
OMG I can get decent sounds out of my MERR on a consistent basis! For the past week my tone has been a hell of a lot more stable then ever. Louder, crisper, reedier too. I had gotten to this point often on the past 8 months since I got the “musical billy club,” but it’s getting to be natural instead of forced. OMG, I may just stick with this flute for a long time and not “upgrade” as I had thought I would.
OMGI am dropping a monster amount of cash on my next flute! A Low A lefty siccamerized G-footed monstrosity that should arrive sometime over the summer. I’m sure it will generate another OMG moment. .. hopefully of one kind and not the others!
OMGI can play Gravel Walks decently and manage the jumps!
Over the last year, my first year of flute playing, I have been very lucky to have been able to play 9 differnt flutes, and have had an OMG reaction to all of them at different times, when I did my part!
There were: 2 Tipples-a dimpled bore, and a speckled, 2 standard poly M&Es, a Seery delrin, a Blackwood Copley, Bocote Cochran, Blackwood Burns, and now a Blackwood Hammy. Some were just passing through, and some sadly had to go to pay for other flutes, or bills, but every one was a great flute in it’s own right. As I said before, if I did my part in playing. They were all capable of beautiful music.
I think we are very lucky that we have access to so many nice instruments today from so many different makers. We might not all be able to afford the original classics, but the choices we have from modern makers is kind of staggering, so I think we are blessed in that regard.
Right now, if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the Bocote Cochran Pratten Perfected from JonC. Wow! Nice flute, Jon!
OMG boxwood Olwell Rudall! A few months back the other piper in my session brought this flute that he never plays to the session 'cause I asked him to, and let me try it. OMG! It was so amazing. At first I didn’t really “get it,” but after a little while it started to sing. I am so in love. And he never plays it! The poor, poor thing! He won’t sell it to me either. I think he’s saving it in case one of his very young sons ever wants to play it later. It’s been on my mind ever since that night. I occasionally tell him, “you should sell me that Olwell,” but he just laughs.
And OMG McGee blackwood something with smallish holes! I can’t even remember exactly what kind style it was, I was so in shock about its power and resonance. It responded instantly, no adjustment of embouchure needed. Absolutely awesome flute. I definitely need to try some more McGees and figure out which kind I love, and get one.
However, I recently played a customer’s Blackwood Murray, when the flute came in to have the thread lapping swapped out for corks.