Greetings all.I play a silver concert flute.Been thinking about trying an Irish flute. Could any one suggest the.Michael Cronnolly keyless poly Flute. Would this be a good Irish flute to start with. Thanks.
Hi humper, I’ve got a M&E Rudall copy keyless that I’m currently using as my main practice/play flute. One might say that it is good for starters because it’s not expensive as flutes go, theres not much of a wait, it’s maintainence free, has pretty good response and tone, and is not incredibly hard to get a sound out of. (check out http://www.granitehillsdesign.com/michael/flute/m_e_rudall.mp3 to hear a lovely mp3 of Mike Eskin play it). I haven’t tried the M&E “normal” model so I can’t comment on that.
However as a silver flautist, you might not be used to the “imperfect” intonation in a M&E. The bell note D, F# and Cnat are slightly flat. F# and Cnat flattened supposedly to satisfy just temperment, and the D flattened supposedly to allow you to push it, to obtain a “hard D”.
At the same time, you might also want to consider some of the more reputable wood flutes if you’re serious about this. Since you’ve already gotten embouchure and etc nailed down from your silver flute training you might be able to justify owning a nice top-notch wood flute. Do try some out if possible.
Hey humper,
The Cronnelly is next on my list, and it sounds like we have a similar background. I’ve played modern flute much, much longer than Irish flute, having only picked it up to join a band a few years ago. My first wooden flute was actually bamboo, made by Patrick Olwell. It feels “alive” when you play it, maybe because the fingerholes are large. I got it through House of Musical Traditions for around $90. It stays at home, because it doesn’t break down into segments and I don’t have a good case for it.
I bought my next flute from ebay, a $300 Mark Hoza ironwood flute. I started thinking about another flute right away, but the more I play it, the better I feel about it. Some flutes take a little getting used to.
To my (and perhaps your?) classically-trained ear, the M & C flute has a wonderfully bright, focused sound, at least in the samples I’ve heard. That’s something we take to well, as classical players. And you can’t beat the easy maintenance. I think that with enough work and confidence, it could sound outstanding.
Um, in conclusion, I say: buy the Cronnelly! (And sell it to me if you don’t like it!)
Cara
Greetings, Eldarion and thurlowe. Just want to thank you for your input on my post concerning the M & E poly flute.I order one today. Leaving the tkrill of a new wood flute for a later time, Eldarion. Just couldnt resist this new challange. wishing the best to you both. humper