I started a new thread only because my questions are somewhat specific. I’m not really asking an open-ended “what do I buy?” question. so here goes.
I am the new owner of a Dixon Duo Low D. I’m a whistler first and foremost and got it for the whistle first and the flute second. I enjoy the process of low whistling, but am not sure I’m cut out for it. Just a feeling…maybe time will tell.
As for the flute, let’s just say I’m beyond a beginner. My wife has a Boehm system marching band/concert flute from her high school days that I fiddled with prior to receiving the Dixon. I can’t make much of a sound on that one either, so I’m not in a position to blame the Dixon.
I love the flute (or at least the music and sound a good player can make with one). I know from my research that even smallish hands can learn on a cylindrical-bore flute using a piper’s grip (or so people claim). That said, I could likely benefit from a conical-bore flute or possibly from Doug Tipple’s offset fingering if I really am to learn.
So here’s my query:
Would you suggest I
A) sell the Duo and use the funds to purchase a 3pc Low D tipple with the lip plate and the wedge?
B) Tough it out on the Duo flutehead and upgrade to a more expensive conical flute when the ability and commitment are there?
c) keep the Duo, sell my pool cue, and use that money to buy a Tipple.
Any of the three is a good plan. I started on a Tipple, and they’re great flutes for the price. But in retrospect, I would dig deeper in my pockets and go directly to a Burns Folk Flute, which is far better IMO. That’s my advice to you.
Thanks for the advice on the Burns. That’s one I’ve looked at, but unfortunately, it’s a little rich for my blood at this point.
Luckily, I don’t really think I can go “wrong” at this point, but since I’ve somewhat resigned myself to not playing the low whistle as much as I thought, I’m trying to maximize my learning curve while minimizing my financial commitment.
Perhaps Doug would be willing to fashion your pool queue into a flute? One that could double as a shillelagh?
Seriously though, you will have to learn to produce a tone on any model. In my experience, the concert flute is by far the easiest in that regard. When you find yourself drawn to the simple system, I would suggest that you (get on Olwell’s list and) buy enough instrument to allow for growth. A first-rate instrument won’t make you into a great musician, but inadequate hardware can hold you back and spoil the fun. If the flute is anything more than an occasional diversion for you, you will probably want to spend more than $100 on an instrument. I try to maintain a reasonable relation between the number of dollars and the number of minutes I’m spending on an instrument.
I haven’t owned a Dixon low-D duo, but I’ve played a few. Personally, I don’t think it’s a very good flute or whistle – I’ve found that you can’t really play either the flute or the whistle very enthusiastically.
That said, a flute can be a very personal thing. I’ve always dabbled in every musical instrument I could find. When I was a kid, I’d try friends’ saxophones, bought a trumpet and snare drum at yard sales, never had a minute of trouble with anything. Except the silver flute. I made my own bamboo flutes from very small bamboo that I cut from a yard in one of the wealthy neighborhoods when I was out partying one night. I could play those just fine, but the silver flute still eluded me. Fast forward about 20 years and I picked up the whistle and got my first Irish flute. That didn’t work so well, but the second one did. Then, for some reason, I picked up my wife’s Boehm flute and it played like a dream.
That is almost certainly irrelevant, but the thing is, you may need to do a little hunting and pecking to find the right flute. But you should peck for a month or two before moving on to the next flute. There’s a lot more to playing a flute than there is to a whistle, including exercises that you need to do to develop the right muscles. Try some long tones and short tones on the Dixon (beginning with G), some harmonics, keep at it for a couple of weeks, and if it’s still giving you fits (or if you’ve done this already), try a different flute.
that kinda what I need to hear in terms of learning. I think the Tipple, all things being equal (including price), may be better for me in terms of the reaches needed (but according to the Burn’s website, my hands are not considered “small”- at least for his flutes). The fact that I am kinda putting the Low whistle to rest inspired me to evaluate what I really want to learn.
Here’s another option: buy a Billy Miller bamboo flute (all are under $100). To make it a little easier and maybe more fun, start on a higher key than D, maybe an F or a G flute. They are smaller and easier to play in terms of wind and embouchure than the session D flute. Could be a great way to build your chops, and save for a nicer D flute just when your ready to go to sessions.
I’m itching to get a new bamboo G or F (I have a cheap bamboo G which is great fun even though it’s not the best instrument), but have spent too much on other flutes lately Welcome to the club
One caveat to the advice to utilise the Bohm flute that’s available to you (with which I agree generally…) - do check it out/have it checked out for leaks! The commonest cause of beginners struggling to produce tone on Bohm flutes is leaky pads due to wear, damaged or mis-adjusted key-work, etc. You should in any case work on initial tone production on just the head-joint, separate from the rest of the flute, regardless of what type of flute you’re using.
A leaky stopper cork in a Bohm flute’s head is relatively unlikely, though not impossible: you can test the head very easily by closing the embouchure with your finger and sucking hard on the open tube-end - if it isn’t airtight, get it off to your local woodwind repairer. Testing the body and foot joints employs the same basic principles but is a little trickier - stop one end of the tube with a cork or your knee or an assistant’s thumb or whatever, close all the keys with moderate pressure and suck on the open end - any “give” of air and you have a leak - blowing instead of sucking may give you an indication of where and there are more subtle techniques for detecting leak location. You also need to test the assembled body+foot in case of a leak at the join, and finally ditto the entire assembled flute. One tiny leak anywhere and tone-production suffers and can become impossible, especially on the lower notes. (The same method applies to testing any flute - it’s just that the more complex mechanism of a Bohm is both more susceptible to such problems and fiddlier to cure.) If you find a leak, unless you’re a confident handi-person, probably best to take it to a repairer, but feel free to ask here for advice.
Once you’ve established you have a serviceable instrument that wont hinder you, follow the advice already given, to which I’d add:-
Don’t assemble the flute until you can generate a good tone on the head alone and sustain it for say 10 seconds, overblow it cleanly, do the same with the end stopped by the palm of your hand, do swannee whistle pitch changes by sliding a finger in and out (don’t get it stuck!) or partially opening and closing the end with your hand…doing these things helps you to explore developing a responsive and controlled embouchure without worrying about holding the flute or fingering. Even a cheap Bohm head will probably be an easier starter for embouchure practice and development as the hole will be decently cut, whereas wooden flutes, fifes and piccolos of dubious origin may be difficult to sound at all even for the experienced!
Like some others, I have a generally low opinion of Dixon’s low-end products and wouldn’t recommend them. When you’re ready/can afford it, either a Tipple or straight on to a wood or delrin conoid flute from a reputable source would be the next move I’d advise.
I agree with Jem; I was given a Boehm flute a few years ago and rarely played it because it was such a struggle. $60 worth of service later and it plays like a dream. I’ve never taken classical flute lessons nor aspired to a classical sort of tone, and I think I really don’t sound that different than I do on wooden (or delrin these days) flute.
There are other things to consider; there are some irish flute players, including notable ones of past or older generations, who made good use of boehm flutes. Also, supposedly wooden flutes came into the hands of irish players after they were discarded in favor of boehm flutes by the classical players… but these days I think it’s much cheaper to get a playable boehm flute than it is to get a wooden flute.
thanks for all the great advice. I can definitely appreciate the opinions on learning embouchure on the Boehm and then branching out to something better once I improve. I also know this one has leaks and needs a tuning cork replacement.
This could be a good time to start asking around about the location of any really good instrument repair person(s) in your area, especially one who specializes in flutes. Even though many small repairs and adjustments can be done by the player, eventually a good repair person could be of great help.
thanks, i’m going to look into getting the Boehm refurbished. i know of a few places around me that can do the work. plus, my wife wants the little one to learn it eventually (along with my whistles and guitars).
I have the same question as the topic.
I can’t even afford a £100+ flute at the moment, but I saw that Dixon has some lower-priced ones in polymer.
I see that people don’t like them, not only in this thread.
I don’t know how to interpret that, because I get the impression the people who’ve said that, are quite proficient in the instrument and see flaws that a novice won’t. Are they as terrible as I get the impression of, for someone who just starts playing?
Welcome to the club 