I really want to try a woodwind kind of instrument. The only ‘woodwind’ I own is a Melodica, but I find the sound to be unpleasant, I feel very creative on it though, being able to breathe into notes is a lot different than the precision it takes to multitask a violin and properly intonate.
Is the flute a difficult instrument to learn? I hear it’s much about embouchure and breathing. I check craigslist often to see if anyone is selling one for under one hundred dollars, preferably a student model, but no luck yet.
I’ve never actually played a flute, and music stores have a no-mouth-on-instrument policy, so I can’t really get a good idea of the feel of it! Maybe some flautists here will tell me how they started learning to play the flute, or give me some good tips on how to go about buying one.
So, aside from Craigslist I’ve considered amazon.com… but I know how risky and dumb it can be to buy an instrument over the internet, you just never know how well it was made or if it will sound properly.
Search these forums for “Tipple flute”, and/or visit Doug Tipple’s site directly: http://sites.google.com/site/dougsflutes/
His are the only flutes that are spoken well of around here that are in your price range, and he posts here pretty often himself.
The very first steps of learning the flute can be difficult - that is, figuring out how to get a sound out of it. Once you’re over that hump (and I get the impression anyone can get over it with a little persistence, and particularly with the help of YouTube…I figured out the basics without any in-person help), I think the difficulty is pretty average.
If you’re interested in simple-system flutes commonly used for Irish music … Hammy Hamilton makes a practice Irish flute for a low price. It looks a bit unique, but it works like a flute, and it’s around $100 USD. I would recommend something like that over trying to find a “real” flute that’s even vaguely functional in your price range. If you’re an experienced player/repairer you might, but it’s really tough if you’re a newbie. There are lots and lots and lots of ways for flutes to leak or otherwise not work and you’ll often spend more than you paid on repairs.
And if you’re OK with just working on fingering and breathing for a while and plan to play alone mostly, you can get yourself a nice tin whistle in C or B or Bb for around $40.
If you’re interested in Boehm (“modern” keyed flutes) and have a friend who can try them for you, you could check for keyed (Boehm) flutes in pawn shops, on craigslist, etc. but I would feel better if you knew someone who could try the flutes out. Even with the modern flutes pads leak, things get out of adjustment, etc. and if you don’t know how to get a sound out of one to start with a puny flute can make learning pretty rugged.
EDIT: Oh, and DUH. As mentioned above, a lot of people have wonderful things to say about Doug Tipple’s flutes. I haven’t tried one, but it seems like the owners are all happy, Doug stands behind his work, and the prices are great.
I think when you write “student model” you are probably thinking of a standard modern metal Bohm flute? Correct me if I have that wrong! Bohm or “Irish” (simple/keyless…), you won’t find anything brand new under U$100, save a Tipple as already pointed out. If you do mean Bohm, plenty get sold second hand and you could well pick up a basic entry level one in serviceable condition within your budget, but your problem, especially if you have to buy online, is finding out reliably what condition any example is actually in (and most vendors probably won’t be qualified to tell you!). You may not be able to tell for yourself if it is in good working order even once you get hands on it. As Cathy says, it’s too easy to end up with a dud - and a repair or overhaul bill taking you well over-budget after a dispiriting battle thinking you are at fault when the instrument is.
As for music stores, no real music store selling serious instruments to real musicians would have a policy such as you describe, even in these crazy back-covering days! They simply wouldn’t be able to sell any wind instruments if they didn’t let prospective purchasers try out their wares! Oh, sure a little high street general music store probably won’t let you dribble in all its tin whistles and ocarinas, but if they want you to spend $100+, they’d better let you try! Mind you, as a complete beginner not really knowing what you’re trying to do (which also limits how much benefit you’d get from trying out…), they might mistake you for a p**s-taker unless they already know you or you go in with a competent flute player.
Best bet first is to find a friendly player who will let you try an instrument to see if it is the right thing for you. Also find out about local flute teachers - they may give an introductory taster/try-out lesson for free or very cheap - you could even suggest that idea.
silver flute versus irish/simple system flute are very different animals; they sound totally different. you can watch youtube videos to hear the difference. i personally wouldn’t touch a silver (boehm) flute, and i’m sure other people would go the other way.
i started by playing the whistle; much less of a learning curve. you can play all the same music on a whistle, then as your embouchure develops, switch them over to the flute. probably would be faster to just pick up the flute and stick to it, but i like playing the whistle sometimes anyway.
and Mr. Freeman makes a great whistle for $40.
i happen to have a Hammy practice flute i could sell you used; you can pm me if you’re interested. obviously, i have a self-interest there, but i agree with what Cathy said there too; it sounds a little bit different than a wood flute, but it’s much cheaper and will help you figure out what kind of wood flute you would like later. it has the easiest embouchure of any flute i’ve ever tried, and i would add, although Mr. Tipple makes a great flute–i have one (i can sell you that one too, if you like –it’s not the easiest beginner flute. it does sound great though (again, there’s a video on youtube you can check out.)
I have a drain/sewer back up at my house. While I was at the home-improvement store looking for a sewer snake to try to open up the pipe, I noticed that the boxes in this area of the plumbing department had large brightly-colored labels saying that the equipment once used could not be returned. I suppose people buy equipment, use it for the immediate task, and then try to return it to the store. It doesn’t take very long with the sewer snake to realize why the store absolutely doesn’t want them back. Yuck.
Anyway, my advice is to try harder on the violin. It’s a wonderful instrument even though it is difficult in the beginning, just like the flute. I personally think that the flute is a lot easier to play than the violin, but both instruments can be very challenging to play well. A whistle, though, is a piece of cake, although I need to wash my hands again and again before I put anything to my lips.
Hi,
I have made the transition from fiddle to flute and the Irish flute is a little easier than the fiddle but not by much. I bought a Tipple to start and it is a nice instrument to learn on and then went on to a Forbes flute which is easy to play. What improvements I have made were the result of taking a few lessons from an Irish flute player. The challenges of the embouchure and breathing are equal to bowing on the fiddle, at least for me. The nice thing is that it is a little easier to be in tune and you always have that mellow flute sound.
Hope this helps.
I don’t know where you live so I am presuming UK or North America somewhere.
The cheapest, quickest way to get a GENERAL feel for flute playing is to go to probably a large variety/spice/grocery Oriental or Indian shop. Buy the longest bamboo flute you can find that your fingers can cover easily. This will be a dizi (tsi tze) in an Oriental store or a bansuri in the Indian/South Asian store. For the purpose of this exercise if you get a dizi you will need to tape over the hole between the mouth hole and the fingerholes.
In Australia you can cheap versions for anything less than $15.
Fiddle about with this cheap flute for at least 4 weeks. See how you go.
Since you say “violin” as opposed to “fiddle,” I’m not sure your interest is in traditional Irish music. If that is the case, I strongly suggest that you rent a Boehm flute at a music store where you can get lessons and see if you like the instrument. If you do, carry on with the Boehm until you have at least mastered some technique. It is true that the simple-system flute is a different animal, but if traditional music is not your main priority, I would advise against starting there. If you do, you not only have to concentrate on how to play the instrument per se, but also how to play in the Irish style, which may not be of particular interest. Get a foundation on playing a flute first and foremost, then take a look at trad and see if it beckons.
Well, the flute involves plenty of multitasking. It requires more effort than most other wind instruments to play it in-tune. OTOH, it’s capable of a broader range of tonal colors than most other wind instruments.
I’ve played or tried to play many instruments. I’d say that for me the flute is much easier than the harp, but much more difficult than clarinet, trumpet, whistle, dulcimer (either type). . .
about with this cheap flute for at least 4 weeks. See how you go.