Hi
this is my first time here (posting, not reading) this is a fine establishment indeed.
I've just purchased my first flute and I mean less than an hour ago (been playing whistles for years as a side dish for playing bass guitar), however it wasn't fully intentialy.
I placed what I believe to be a bottom bid for a Calmont 3 piece...
and won, it'll be just over 50$US delivered.
It wasn't done on a whim though as I did some research on first flutes and Calmont was mentioned several times including in this forum.
here's what I need to know (post factum ofcourse):
I have extremely long fingers, but lack lung power, I travel a lot and wish to take the flute with me.
Do you reckon I got the right thing (within sensible margins)?
P.S
now I know how irony smells like as I was told I will get a Tipple for my birhtday.
Oh dear, did I do the right thing?
Oh dear, did I do the right thing?
Ma 'vefes ket bet mezv-dall derc'h, 'vefes ket o klemm gant an droug blev hiziv
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Doug_Tipple
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Re: Oh dear, did I do the right thing?
Happy birthday!nonagon wrote:
P.S
now I know how irony smells like as I was told I will get a Tipple for my birhtday.
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Nanohedron
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- Tell us something.: Been a fluter, citternist, and uilleann piper; committed now to the way of the harp.
Oh, yeah: also a mod here, not a spammer. A matter of opinion, perhaps. - Location: Lefse country
Lung power is less important than how you direct your air jet from your embouchure, that is, lip formation. You know you're getting somewhere when you can get a good tone (if not at first a loud one) using only as much breath as it takes to speak. It may sound crazy, but it's true, especially if the flute's embouchure hole has a good cut and its edge is sharp. Eventually the same amount of breath can produce a loud tone -if you want it- all by what you do with your embouchure's ability to focus the air jet, along with more abdominal support.
Practice should help with lung power and capacity if there aren't any serious medical problems preventing improvement. Increasing capacity plus an efficient embouchure make for the ability to play longer phrases as capacity and efficiency increase through practice.
Be patient, and get a good trad flute teacher if you can.
Practice should help with lung power and capacity if there aren't any serious medical problems preventing improvement. Increasing capacity plus an efficient embouchure make for the ability to play longer phrases as capacity and efficiency increase through practice.
Be patient, and get a good trad flute teacher if you can.
"If you take music out of this world, you will have nothing but a ball of fire." - Balochi musician
Welcome. I don't know about Calmonts. But, Nano's
advice is sound. It takes a long time and some patience
to be able to get a consistent embouchure,
which means awhile to get any consistent
sound. So be patient. Please ask us questions
if you wish.
Also you may search the fluteboard on Newbie (or new flute player or...)
and probably you will find a good deal of
advice already here. Best, Jim
advice is sound. It takes a long time and some patience
to be able to get a consistent embouchure,
which means awhile to get any consistent
sound. So be patient. Please ask us questions
if you wish.
Also you may search the fluteboard on Newbie (or new flute player or...)
and probably you will find a good deal of
advice already here. Best, Jim
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GaryKelly
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Which model of the Calmont did you get? If it's the tapered head with Boehm-style lip plate, then you have a very light, virtually unbreakable travelling flute (about the worst that could happen is one of the decorative brass rings coming off, but you could glue that back on).
You might also consider a little tube of cork grease, or chapstick, or vaseline to go with the flute... if you travel a lot and are often assembling/disassembling the flute, wiping the sockets and tenons with lube will keep them smooth. It's particularly useful on the top section, which serves as a tuning-slide (though you're probably not worried about that at this stage, it's very useful to be able to turn the headjoint in or out).
Fully assembled, it's still a 'short' flute (a lot shorter than a Tipple, for example). It's also quite an "easy blower" in spite of the size of its bore and tone-holes. Any 'first flute' will be completely alien to you and will take a long time to learn to play; my advice would be to doubt yourself before you doubt the flute, otherwise you'll end up in an ever-increasing spiral of expenditure going up the flute chain (which you probably will anyway, but give it at least 6 months).
It looks as though you've done a bit of research on flutes. Cool. While you're waiting for the Calmont to arrive, look around (try Terry McGee's website) for material on how to hold the flute properly; although the Calmont is very light, it's also effectively true-cylinder and quite large in diameter, so getting a comfortable hold early on is a basic necessity which'll stand you in good stead when your Birthday Tipple arrives. Daft as it might sound, you could 'practice' holding something like a short length of broom-handle until the Calmont gets there... it'll be one less thing for your hands and brain to have to struggle with when it does.
Heh, well, not "holding the broom-handle until the Calmont gets there". That really would be daft. But practice the correct hold. Y'know what I mean!
You might also consider a little tube of cork grease, or chapstick, or vaseline to go with the flute... if you travel a lot and are often assembling/disassembling the flute, wiping the sockets and tenons with lube will keep them smooth. It's particularly useful on the top section, which serves as a tuning-slide (though you're probably not worried about that at this stage, it's very useful to be able to turn the headjoint in or out).
Fully assembled, it's still a 'short' flute (a lot shorter than a Tipple, for example). It's also quite an "easy blower" in spite of the size of its bore and tone-holes. Any 'first flute' will be completely alien to you and will take a long time to learn to play; my advice would be to doubt yourself before you doubt the flute, otherwise you'll end up in an ever-increasing spiral of expenditure going up the flute chain (which you probably will anyway, but give it at least 6 months).
It looks as though you've done a bit of research on flutes. Cool. While you're waiting for the Calmont to arrive, look around (try Terry McGee's website) for material on how to hold the flute properly; although the Calmont is very light, it's also effectively true-cylinder and quite large in diameter, so getting a comfortable hold early on is a basic necessity which'll stand you in good stead when your Birthday Tipple arrives. Daft as it might sound, you could 'practice' holding something like a short length of broom-handle until the Calmont gets there... it'll be one less thing for your hands and brain to have to struggle with when it does.
Heh, well, not "holding the broom-handle until the Calmont gets there". That really would be daft. But practice the correct hold. Y'know what I mean!
"It might be a bit better to tune to one of my fiddle's open strings, like A, rather than asking me for an F#." - Martin MilnerThanks for the good advice.
I reckon I'd simply apply the same method I used when I tought myself to play the didjeridoo (yeh I'm multyinstumentalist) I remember long weeks of hyperventilating and horrible sounds until I got the hang of it and now it doesn't take more air than breathing and circular breathing is second nature.
So basicaly all I need is patience.
Oh yeh and a broomstick.
I reckon I'd simply apply the same method I used when I tought myself to play the didjeridoo (yeh I'm multyinstumentalist) I remember long weeks of hyperventilating and horrible sounds until I got the hang of it and now it doesn't take more air than breathing and circular breathing is second nature.
So basicaly all I need is patience.
Oh yeh and a broomstick.
Ma 'vefes ket bet mezv-dall derc'h, 'vefes ket o klemm gant an droug blev hiziv
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AaronMalcomb
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Nanohedron's embouchure advice will get you on your way.
Rob Greenway's Irish Flute Pages, The Flow, and a Guide to the Irish Flute (hosted by Brad Hurley) are excellent resoruces as well as the aformentioned site by flute-maker and researcher, Terry McGee.
If you can manage a didgeridoo then you should be able to manage a flute.
What's the Breton phrase in your signature?
Cheers,
Aaron
Rob Greenway's Irish Flute Pages, The Flow, and a Guide to the Irish Flute (hosted by Brad Hurley) are excellent resoruces as well as the aformentioned site by flute-maker and researcher, Terry McGee.
If you can manage a didgeridoo then you should be able to manage a flute.
What's the Breton phrase in your signature?
Cheers,
Aaron
Thanks, this is valueable information for me, which I'm sure I'll use.
The breton phrase is pretty straight forward and means: "if you hadn't been pissed like a newt yesterday, you wouldn't have complained about hangover today".
I love breton music, excellent flute (and unfortunately bombarde) bits.
the language is my favourite celtic language, I find it to be welsh spoken in french accent, may sound nasty but it is beautiful and relatively easy to learn.
kenavo
AaronMalcomb wrote: What's the Breton phrase in your signature?
Cheers,
Aaron
The breton phrase is pretty straight forward and means: "if you hadn't been pissed like a newt yesterday, you wouldn't have complained about hangover today".
I love breton music, excellent flute (and unfortunately bombarde) bits.
the language is my favourite celtic language, I find it to be welsh spoken in french accent, may sound nasty but it is beautiful and relatively easy to learn.
kenavo
Ma 'vefes ket bet mezv-dall derc'h, 'vefes ket o klemm gant an droug blev hiziv
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Cathy Wilde
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Oh, wow. If you've mastered the didge and circular breathing, you're way ahead of most of us in the breathing department. From here on out it's holding the thing and embouchure. Congratulations on both your flutes, and have fun!nonagon wrote:Thanks for the good advice.
I reckon I'd simply apply the same method I used when I tought myself to play the didjeridoo (yeh I'm multyinstumentalist) I remember long weeks of hyperventilating and horrible sounds until I got the hang of it and now it doesn't take more air than breathing and circular breathing is second nature.
So basicaly all I need is patience.
Oh yeh and a broomstick.
Deja Fu: The sense that somewhere, somehow, you've been kicked in the head exactly like this before.
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AaronMalcomb
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It's not but it's the best out of many possible.AaronMalcomb wrote: Is "pissed like a newt" a direct translation?
with my limited knowledge I believe it actually in means: if you hadn't been drinking so heavily yesterday, you wouldn't be bitching about painful hair today.
I am still only in the first stages learning the language but it is inspiring.
Ma 'vefes ket bet mezv-dall derc'h, 'vefes ket o klemm gant an droug blev hiziv