Keyless flute

[ron4322]

Hi, all. A newbie here. New to the forum and to music/woodwind in general.

My 9 year old daughter is learning the Bb clarinet (2nd hand Yamaha 250) - a lesson once per week, and a bit of practise most days. In order to better understand what she is doing, I've bought a 2nd hand Nuvo Clarineo, and trying to teach myself using the clarineo self teach book and cd/dvd, which I am enjoying, although it is fairly slow going., as I have no musical background.

We also have a Yamaha 8-hole fife, and the fife book, just for fun, as well as playing descant recorders. We are both enjoying the fife, and now want to know if anyone makes a similar cheap(ish) instrument, but in a bigger size, ie recorderish fingering, sort of equivalent to a tenor recorder, but blown like a flute.

A search of the internet shows several makers of small 8 hole fifes (eg Yamaha, Aulos, Ferris), but I've not seen bigger versions with this layout of holes, ie with a left hand thumb hole and 4 right hand holes. The only type I've seen are six-hole "irish" type, eg Tipple. Does anyone know of anything like a tenor recorder, but as a flute? Ideally mass produced like the smaller ones, to keep the price down. Or am I misunderstanding the situation - is there some reason why they are not made?

[Walden]

The 6-hole fingering is just more traditional, for flutes and for fifes too. The recorder-fingering fifes are made by recorder companies as a sort of transitional instrument, and I don't know of anyone doing them in a larger size than soprano. If you're not averse to giving the 6-hole system a try, you can get a cane flute made in India for just a few dollars on Amazon or the like. The tuning may not be 100%, but good enough for you to get the feel for it.

[radcliff]

you can get a cane flute made in India for just a few dollars on Amazon or the like. The tuning may not be 100%, but good enough for you to get the feel for it.

Just remember that when you start playing on such a cheap/poor quality instrument, you will feel very disappointed and frustrated as it won't be of help for your playing. You'll get that and after a short while you will say that playing flute is not a great stuff, nor funny, nor beautiful.
I stopped playing the pipe for this reason, I know now that Pipes are something much esier and fantastic. still, my neiboughs are very happy about that!

[jim stone]

HI WALDEN!

[an seanduine]

It should be pointed out that both Sweetheart Flutes and Skip Healy flutes offer ten holed fifes and piccolos. However, they a dead serious professional models and priced accordingly. They are to be seen on Youtube being played by the likes of 'The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps' of the 1sr Army Division, US Army, and the Marine Band when called upon to do period re-enactments. Lovely instruments but very dear.

Bob