Thinking about starting up the flute

Irish Flute
1

I play violin terribly, and I’m not really interested in it anymore.

I know almost nothing about the flute, I was wondering if I could get some newbie info on it, if anyone cares to share.

Like:

How hard is it? I know all band/orchestra instruments are hard to some degree, but is this too big of a jump for a total amateur? I have loads of time to waste practicing.

Does it require a lot of care and maintinaince?

Is it fun? It looks fun to me.

Are there any brands to watch out for? Good or bad?

And, are they expensive..

2

How hard is it? Very, it may take weeks before you can even play a few notes in a row without running out of breath. You will need to spend lots of time on it so it is good you have time to waste. I would suggest learning the Whistle first as the fingerings are the same and when you go to Flute you will be able to focus on learning the really hard part, the embouchure.

A wooden Flute requires a good bit of care, you will need to swab it out after playing, oil it once or twice a month, keep it moist, keep it in a steady climate, do not leave it in the sun, etc. Once you get used to it, it really isn’t that bad.

It is probably the most fun you can have without breakin the law. :wink: Only after the initial learning curve that part isn’t that fun, but once you get past that. I have been at it for four years and have loved every minute of it.

If you see something on eBay for real cheap, chances are you will get what you paid for. See the sticky on Pakistani Flutes. Yes they are expensive, but you can get a PVC Flute made by Doug Tipple for under $100 and these are great beginner Flutes.

3

Hi Derkk … Having followed your fiddle progress on the other forum, we know that you’ve been at it for all of 3 months (since May 5th).

Any fiddler can tell you that it may take years … literally years … before you begin to get comfortable with the instrument and sound reasonably good. So now, after making a quick swot at it and finding out that it’s more difficult than pushing a button on your iPod, you’re ready to give up?

Any fluter can tell you that it may take years … literally years … before you begin to get comfortable with the instrument and sound reasonably good. Are you beginning to get the picture?

Sorry to be so harsh. But before people spend time and effort and good will advising you on flute issues, maybe you should ask yourself if you’re really prepared to make the serious commitment necessary to play any instrument well, and not just looking for a quick fix.

Granted, it’s true that many people need to try experimenting with multiple instruments before they find the one that “clicks” for them, that just feels and sounds right in their hands. There’s nothing wrong with that.

But jumping from instrument to instrument in the hope of finding one that’s magically easy is a recipe for failure. And saying “I play terribly (after 3 months), and I’m not really interested anymore” says to me that you may need to re-think your mindset. You say you know it’s hard, but I wonder if you take that to heart.

By all means, try the flute … it’s a wonderful instrument, and you’ll get some good advice. After 3 months if your hands are still cramping and your embouchure sounds asthmatic and you’re running out of breath, are you prepared to push through to reach the next stage that every fluter has gone through? If so, you’ll find plenty of support here.

Or, as Unseen says, try the whistle. At least sound production is not as problematic, it’s inexpensive and no/low maintenance, and you can concentrate more on fingering and tunes fairly early on.

Good luck in your quest!

4

This isn’t a flute, but it’s easy (and sounds pretty cool):
http://www.strumstick.com/

5

cow bell :smiley:

6

The title of the topic made me imagine trying to start a flute as if it were a lawn mower.

Anyway, I had originally wanted to learn the fiddle myself. When I realized there were flutes in Irish music I switched right away.

The reason is I had learned a year’s worth of classical flute in high school. My brain already had some cobwebby pathways formed. It seemed much easier than the fiddle.

However, I think the flute is not easy. It seems easier to me than the fiddle but it isn’t easy. The whistle is easier than the flute, more portable, but not as satisfying to me somehow.

A friend of mine also plays the flute. He plays the guitar, too. He says when he does concerts with his guitar he just sits down and plays. With the flute, he has to take beta-blockers.

7

Hey Derkk. I play fiddle terribly, too. I started in January but I made sure I found an excellent fiddle teacher who can not only teach me violin basics and technique but who also has actually studied and plays fiddle music. Those kind of teachers can be hard to find, depending on where you live, but if you are wanting to play ITM on your violin and don’t have one of those kind of teachers, try to find one and maybe your interest in it will pick up again. I don’t know your situation and this is just my opinion so take it how you will.

Since I played flute before fiddle I think flute is easier but it certainly isn’t something you can just pick up and instantly be good at, especially if you’ve never played a wind instrument. It’s great fun to play, but it will take a lot of time and work to get to that point. Like others have suggested, start with whistle so you can get the fingerings down.

Flutes can be cheap or expensive, same as any other instrument. As Unseen said, you get what you pay for.

8

It’s hard. Really hard. Especially if you’re “wasting” time practicing. If you’re spending your time practicing well, it’s a lot less hard. But still really hard.

Is it fun? It looks fun to me.

It’s really really (really) fun if you enjoy a challenge. I’ve played lots of instruments, and nothing is even close. The great thing about it is, you make the sound yourself to a much greater degree than any other instrument I’ve played. Pitch, timbre, volume, they’re all you to a greater extent than they are the instrument.

(Others have answered the other questions same way I would have.)

9

Why don’t you try the mandolin? I have a mandolin and have been fooling with it and I think it’s actually really easy to play. Since you already know the fiddle, it should be easier for you than it is for me.

10

Every time I learn a new instrument, I think, “Grade school kids can figure this out, how hard can it be?” On the other hand, I suggest you learn one instrument and stick with it til you have some proficiency. I couldn’t have learned all the other instruments if I didn’t learn piano in high school.

11

Good counsel, and the whistle might be a good stepping stone. Have you also considered the mandolin? The fingering you learned for fiddle can be used unchanged, it’s a fretted instrument, so intonation is not an issue, and you just need to master the use of a pick - not all that difficult.

I started off 30+ years ago on guitar, and found mando relatively easy to pick up about 15 years ago. More recently I started on flute and I can vouch that after 3-4 years it is still not easy (but it is a very rewarding instrument for all that).

12

What MT said is true, it does take years to learn either fiddle or flute. However, once things start to gel, both instruments are very rewarding.

Mandolin is easier to get started, especially if you already have guitar experience, but still difficult to master.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVj9e74Ty_c

13

Sorry, but what is the ‘whistle’? With your mouth or is it an instrument?

14

It’s what we all do here when it’s time for the moderator to shut down a bogus thread.

15

http://www.chiffandfipple.com

16

neither…Ivy leaf

http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=9814
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=44416

17

Despite the “Chirp” from Denny, it usually means the common fipple flute around here…although, whistling (my original instrument…) is legitimate enough, these days be prepared to get less respect then “that” Boudhran player…

18

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The site www.allmusic.com is a good resource for looking up album details. And in their credits listings, they make a distinction between “whistle (human)” and “whistle (instrument)”. But, of course, their data-bot usually gets it wrong. So according to them, the likes of Mary Bergin and Brian Finnegan are whistling away like the Seven Dwarves. :stuck_out_tongue:

20

dwarves, elves, leprechauns…

they’re all short :wink: