I fella who comes to our
local session brought his
new Seery, which he says
he can’t play. I didn’t
give that much credence,
cause new flutes can take
getting used to. He did show
me the holes, which are quite
sharp to the touch. Is
this standard for the Seery?
I am not sure about standard, but my Seery and the one other I played, all had sharper edges on the tone holes. Doesn’t keep me (or my two year old son) from playing it though. Mine is a really good flute that you don’t have to care for.
Same with mine, edges are a bit sharp but no problem to your fingers, but it took sime time to learn to play it, it is not easy to play but a really decent flute.
All the best, Dagmar
I’m unclear as to the meaning of “sharp” here. If by sharp you mean the plastic edge is ragged and unfinished, that’s a finishing problem with either this specific flute, or Seery’s in general (my $6 plastic fife came with a ragged-edged embouchure hole and finger holes – some fine sandpaper took care of that).
If, by sharp-edged, you mean deliberately ungraded, then that is intentional. Many wooden flute finger holes are sharp edged (my Hammy, for eg), and some players/makers prefer them that way. Others like a more rounded edge. The sharp edge helps get a cleaner sound from your fingers, a more immediate closing of the holes, and ornaments, etc. sound crisper. The softer, more rounded edge, while more comfortable on your fingers at first, seem to smooth the sound out as well.
This is a non-maker’s take on it, in any case, but it’s how I remember it as discussed somewhere a while back on a separate thread, here or on Woodenflute.
So, I guess my question is, was this guy’s flute unfinished-sharp, or purposefully so?
The toneholes and embouchure on my Seery are beautifully finished.
The toneholes are sharp; i.e., there is no bevel to the surface where the finger hits. I believe this to be intentional.
It does not make it a hard or uncomfortable flute to play, however. It might make it a bit of a challenge to learn on–but then again, I would think any Pratten flute would be a challenge for a complete beginner to learn on.
Best wishes,
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
Thanks to all. I take it that what
I saw is standard for the Seery.
My friend thought that finishing
had slipped–I’ll see him next week
and tell him that probably this
isn’t so.
By the way, I’m liking the Dixon
better everyday. Any opinions
about how the Seery compares? I
believe it’s more expensive.