I’m not sure I completely follow what happened in the prior two posts, but I do have just one flute…and M&E R&R 6 key. I still suck, but I do it on only one flute.
I have three myself. I mainly play a Burns All Wood Boxwood Pratten, I try to play my Copley Silver lined Eb nearly as much, and my Sweetheart is used for travel. Whistles are a different story.
I only play my Cochran delrin Rudall but I do have a bamboo Olwell that is frozen in carbon, waiting for Jabba the Hut to pay the bounty.
Before I got the Cochran I only played my blackwood Ward which was going to be the the flute but keeping a new, blackwood flute in playing condition on top of competing solo and band with my GHB as well as taking up the border pipes was too much. After trying a couple of Jon’s delrin flutes I was impressed and decided one of those should be the flute and sold the Ward.
I probably talk too much on this forum. If you want to know if my playing backs up my words, I have some clips up on Tony’s site. I’m not All-Ireland material but I’m not all that awful either. I need to get a clip up on the Cochran.
For nearly a year I had two, but one was unplayable firewood sitting on the shelf. It’s restored now and is quite nice (baroque style 1-key, german), but probably will still stay on the shelf most of the time. I play an old german 8-key with a new headjoint by Jon C, and I have had enough moments on it where it sounded JUST right that I don’t see the reason to switch or “upgrade” or whatever. It has its own voice and I am happy with it.
Mary ~ like you, i have more flutes then i’m willing to declare, but i have the same, one tone in my head for years now… Grey Larsen’s tight, focused tone.
i’ll admit that there are other flute players that excite me more, but tone wise…i like Grey.
i have an R&R #4936 and a Noy that make it easy for me to play the tone that i like, but a Murray and Hammy that i love playing (i really love the hammy for the tone and the Murray for being a piece of art (like my Monzani (but thats totally hush hush, please don’t tell ))
and i mostly play a Delrin M&E or Seery (i love them both, for different reasons) during the day, and Olwell Cocus Nicholson to sessions.
OK - now i’m really out of the closet (pretty much )
e.
I used to have a M&E polymer I was positively thrilled with a few years ago that met with an accident involving exterior staircases, heavy furniture, and moving. I’ll…spare you the gory details.
I will be ordering a key’d M&E soon though; I play during mass and I can’t get the liturgist to select only songs in D and G major.
(Five flats! (that’s D-flat major right?)I can’t! I just cant!!)
I have several flutes, I’m afraid. For long periods
in the past two years i’ve played only my
Byrne Rudall. I have an Olwell Pratten which I mostly use
to ‘play out,’ and a S. Gallagher 6-key which
is supposed to be a Pratten but Jessie K
has described as a Rudall (and I know why).
I use that largely to stay fluent with keys and increase
my facility with them.
Kind of fascinated by the Byrne, which at last I
can do some justice to, but I should
hate to have to choose.
The Olwell is a terrifically useful flute.
No, see, this is part of the problem, Aaron. Your post count is way to low to make such a statement that you talk too much on this forum. And, one shouldn’t need to state his qualifications as a player or as an expert, for however many years…to be able to express an opinion here. It’s not just a forum for experts and beginners, but anyone who wants to talk about flutes and flute playing, whether or not they’ve played any original Rudalls or Prattens, etc. or not, and knows them by sight and sound.
And if someone starts thinking before posting that they are going to get jumped for asking a dumb question, or expressing their feelings on a flute they like and play, then we’re missing the point of a forum. Why does it have to be a debate? Aren’t we all here because we love playing the flute?
As for experts wasting their time here, that’s entirely up to them to make that choice. Expert opinions are welcome, but there is no obligation, and no fee paid. It should be of their free will, and without all the attitude expressed by many here.
Maybe the experts need to make their own forum, that is regulated by them to join, with qualifications judged by their peers for admission, where they can express themselves without being subjected to all us doobies and newbies.
I own one flute, a MERR that I’ve had for close to two years. My clips are on Tony’s site and I have more if anybody needs to check for my ‘papers.’ I am an advanced beginner fluteplayer. (Can do rolls, play tunes as recognizably reels, hornpipes, and jigs, still not too efficient on embouchure and all over the place in phrasing.)
When posting, I try to stay in my areas of experience, unless it’s to ask a question or make a point for which my years playing or my skill level has little bearing.
))