Keyed vs Non-keyed

[jim stone]

I reckon we're all aware that if you have keys it is nowhere
written that you can't half-hole, crossfinger, you name it, too.
I crossfinger C natural a fair amount when playing
my keyed flute.
These other arrangements (thumb holes) are quite
interesting and may be great;never tried em.
I just want to say that my C natural key works
very well and easily and is no trouble at all.
I like the fact that it's worked by a simple
motion of my right hand.

I'm slowly integrating other keys into my playing.
Some of these are taking some practice.
I move back and forth tween keyed and keyless,
making sure I can play everything on both. Best

[marosan]

Yep, Loren is right. You can get on well with a keyless flute in Irish traditional music.

However it would be a great loss if you ignored the other sources of Celtic music. Bretton and Scottish music are both beautiful; and there is a great heritage of flute (more exactly: fife) music in both countries. However many Scottish tunes are in B flat (NOT easy to play on a D keyless flute), and most of the Bretton tunes are in extremes scales, so you can see why Bretton flute players have flutes with lots of keys.

As for Irish traditional music, flute players in Sligo thinks that it’s an “unmacho” thing to play a keyed flute. They sound the semi tones (if they have to) with half-covered holes and cross-fingerings. Galway-style flute players, on the other side, usually have many-keyed flutes. They play traditional tunes in strange, unusual keys; and they often change scales between tunes; so Galway-style flute playing is quite difficult, but has a terrific atmosphere!

I play the chromatic scale with half-covered holes and cross-fingerings (it’s extremely difficult for me) on a keyless flute, as I do not have money for a keyed flute. When I have the financial possibilities I’ll order a good keyed flute immediately.

If you can afford I recommend buying a keyed flute. You’ll can make use of that stuff.

Best wishes,

Bennet

[Nanohedron]

Un-macho, eh? I guess I can see that...me, I don't have the nads, then. Besides, I'm a lazy gearhead. I like keys. They'll laugh me out of Sligo if ever I set foot there. I can take it.

[U2]

Keys are cool! They aren't nearly the trouble some make them out to be. They allow players to nail accidentals on the fly. You can still use cross fingerings when they make more sense, either mechanically or melodically. And, you can incorporate the use of keys into your playing if you have them (but not if you don't). Keys both complicate and simplify playing, depending on what the music demands (key, mode). But they are pretty cool in ITM, hence the reason you see them so much. They keep your flute from rolling off the table at sessions .

[Cathy Wilde]

!!!!

U2, you are a wise person.
Now that makes all the Saran wrapping worth it.

[ciberspiff]

So, to paraphrase in a nutshell...

For a new flute player who is only interested in ITM, a keyless flute is a good choice. If you can afford a keyed model, then the more keys the better. Correct?

I'm at the point that I've got pretty good control on my Tipple tunable and am looking at getting something a bit better. My finances will force me to stay in the < $500 range. Any suggestions on what I should be looking at? My thoughts are to go with an M&E Rudall and Rose keyless in Delrin, but I'm open to suggestions.

[BMFW]

For a new flute player who is only interested in ITM, a keyless flute is a good choice

I would say that's a fairly reasonable stance to take. Both the M&E and the Seery seem to get good reviews in the "upmarket starter flute" category if I can phrase it that way.

I'm looking to get rid of my Seery soon - I'd be happy do do a deal if you decide that's the way you want to go. PM me if you're interested.


Cheers

Graham

[Cathy Wilde]

FWIW, I'd do the Seery. Seems more in tune with itself. And okay, I'm gonna step in it ..... But if it was me, I'd take my time, maybe make a few private queries, and see if I could find a used wooden one; a four-key if you get really lucky. Many makers can put more keys on later ..... nevertheless, the Seery will serve you well, esp. in bad weather.

[kevin m.]

I wonder what they'd make of my One Keyed flute in Sligo?

[jim stone]

You might also consider Casey burns flutes,
the mopane costs 425, I think, and it's
a good flute, IMO. Not terribly hard to
care for, either.

[Cathy Wilde]

They'd probably look at your flute and say "Good on ye, man!"
When my teacher got a Burns to test, I liked it the little bit I played it. Good value for the $$. Someone wrote a review of it not long ago; might be worth looking up that thread. Also, someone's got a deKeyser for sale; a friend of my teacher recently got one, and my teacher said it actually was pretty darned decent, esp. for the money. Good luck!

[Nanohedron]

A friend plays a Burns mopane, and I too think that for the money, it's a great flute.

[tin tin]

The Burns mopane is a lovely flute. However, as I'll be aquiring a 6-keyed Copley in a few months, the Burns will have to help finance that, so if anyone's interested, keep your eyes out round April/May...
Micah

[msheldon]

However many Scottish tunes are in B flat (NOT easy to play on a D keyless flute)

Hehe, I've been playing a couple of tunes on my keyed wooden flute that are in Bb. It isn't all that easy on the keys either, since the scale involves the use of four of the keys.

'course, there's no way I'd tackle it on my keyless. On my Sweet one-key, it's almost workable, the Bb half-holes nicely, but the F-nat is just muddy, and I haven't found a cross-fingering that will work with it.