The most helpful thing I've learned about flute playing is..

[BillG]

Thanks Mary,
I too love my Hammy(s). Although I do find it more challenging to play than Olwell/Murray/Grinter flutes, I feel that the Hammy makes me a better player with a more focused embouchure.

David - If I'm reading you correctly you're saying that you feel like you become a better player when playing on a "harder to flute play." I agree with this contrary to what others have said on this subject on another thread. The problem we mortals face is that "easier is faster" and, I think, we just get plain lazy. One of my flutes is hard to play and, therefore, remains in the case more than on my lips. Shame on me.

BillG

[David Levine]

Bill,
That is exactly what I'm saying. When I was running my partners and I would run up stadium steps.
The difference with flutes is that the Hammy is also fun to play because of the blast of sound and complexity of its tone. I am keeping my keyed Hammy, which sounds very much the same as the one I am selling.

[Whistlin'Dixie]

"Blast of sound and complexity of tone".

I would definately second that.

It's a long, but enjoyable, learning curve with the Hammy..

[peeplj]

David - If I'm reading you correctly you're saying that you feel like you become a better player when playing on a "harder to flute play." I agree with this contrary to what others have said on this subject on another thread. The problem we mortals face is that "easier is faster" and, I think, we just get plain lazy. One of my flutes is hard to play and, therefore, remains in the case more than on my lips. Shame on me.

BillG

I think this is exactly true.

I think that for many flutists, a flute that's too "easy to play" will in fact stop them from progressing past a certain point on embouchure and tone.

That said, I don't mean to say that all easy blowing flutes are bad flutes. I just think they are not good flutes to learn on. It's better to get one of these after you already know how to drive the sound.

As far as Hamilton flutes, I believe they may be the best simple system flutes made at this time. Mine is wonderful.

--James

[greenspiderweb]

There is the counterpoint, that with an easy to play flute, especially for a beginner, they can concentrate more on the music-learning the phrasing, breathing, the tunes, and the feel, instead of fighting for embouchure to develop.

Once you get along well with the flute and the music, I would then think it might be a good time to get a more difficult embouchured flute to fine tune your embouchure and overall tone (if you reach a point of being bored or wanting a new challenge).

Beginner's have enough to worry about-grip, breath support, the music, etc. Some people have more of a challenge with embouchure than others, so an easy playing flute will not defeat them early in the game.

Back on topic, the most important tip I learned was from Chas and his teacher-to bring the flute to you to play, and not your head to meet the flute-the upright posture does wonders for volume and tone too.

[rama]

Reading another thread, and thinking about how much I need to improve my own playing, made the question pop into my head: If you were to spend a few moments really thinking about it, what would you say are the one or two most helpful things you've learned about playing the flute, the things that lead to your biggest "A-Ha's!" and greatest improvements?

Loren

aha! i remember when i first starting playing i had the opportunity to sit in on a session of 5-6 flute players in miltown malbay in the dead of winter. they were really good. they played at a very relaxed and comfortable pace for hours. i did not play because i did not have many tunes as well as being well out of my league. but sat with my flute and listened. the music took me away. it was like being in a dream. it was a wondeful night. for the next two days afterwards my playing was markedly different, my friends wondering what had happened to me that mysterious night that i took off for miltown. it was like a bit of magic had rubbed off on me. but i could not maintain it on my own. it was quickly snuffed out by the return of my usual spastic ways. so much for my aha experience! but at least i got a taste. and that keeps me coming back for more.

[Wormdiet]

In a similar vein, I always find my playing improves if I play in a small group with more advanced musicians. It's nothing conscious, but one begins to pay attention to all sorts of details that get lost in other settings.

[Markus]

Indeed I agree about the challenging flutes being good for one to play. But the hardship must also have some sort of a reward waiting in the end, which Hammy's flutes definitely do.
I reckon if it were just "the harder, the better", I'd personally be still tooting out with just my Delrin Seery and a random old German "Nach-Meyer". By the way, after the aforementioned, when I got my hands on the Hamilton flute, it felt very easy to play!

[Sylvester]

'There's no fun in playing fast' (Michael McGoldrick)

Well...that might not be absolutely true, but I got the message, and it works!

[peeplj]

Indeed I agree about the challenging flutes being good for one to play. But the hardship must also have some sort of a reward waiting in the end, which Hammy's flutes definitely do.
I reckon if it were just "the harder, the better", I'd personally be still tooting out with just my Delrin Seery and a random old German "Nach-Meyer". By the way, after the aforementioned, when I got my hands on the Hamilton flute, it felt very easy to play!

Interesting...when I was waiting for my Hamilton, I played the Seery almost exclusively thinking I would "build my chops."

I also found the Hamilton very easy to play from the first day...perhaps not coincidence.

--James

[Azalin]

I'm not sure if the Hammy is the right flute to own if it's your first flute. I tried learning flute on a Hammy like 2-3 years ago, and you really needed to have great embouchure control not to blow the high A and B too sharp. I was sick of being so out of tune and gave it all up. I think some people, like me, would rather start with an easier instrument just to keep motivated and then learn a harder instrument later on. Anyway, since then I picked up the concertina and I'm in love with it. I'm getting a lesson from Claire Keville in Ennis in about 45 minutes

[Wormdiet]

I'm not sure if the Hammy is the right flute to own if it's your first flute. I tried learning flute on a Hammy like 2-3 years ago, and you really needed to have great embouchure control not to blow the high A and B too sharp. I was sick of being so out of tune and gave it all up. I think some people, like me, would rather start with an easier instrument just to keep motivated and then learn a harder instrument later on. Anyway, since then I picked up the concertina and I'm in love with it. I'm getting a lesson from Claire Keville in Ennis in about 45 minutes

I tried a friend's Hammy at a house session recently and noticed a similar phenomenon - the octaves weren't in tune. At the time I thought it was because the slide was incredibly loose, but it's probably more likely that I'm just accustomed to the very forgiving embouchure on my ME/RR.

[Whistlin'Dixie]

When your friend played the Hammy, did you notice the same thing?


Just curious

M

[bradhurley]

I think that's more of a generic getting-used-to-blowing-a-large-hole-Pratten-style flute issue than something particular to Hammy's flutes.

I even had a flute student who was playing a Bryan Byrne flute (small-holed Rudall-style) whose second-octave notes were extremely sharp, but spot-on when I played that flute.

With a focused embouchure, the tuning issues tend to disappear. Some flutes are more forgiving than others in that regard, but I remember playing Az's Hamilton and not noticing any tuning problems.

[David Levine]

Tuning is a big issue. I've learned that I can tune on the fly by altering the position of the blow-hole relative to my lips (turning the flute in or out) and just by focusing the air differently.
We all know that blowing too hard in the upper octave makes a flute go sharp, don't we? And that we should save our big, forced blowing for the low notes rather than the top notes, right?
The nature of our instrument is to be out of tune. It is up to us to blow the flute into tune with itself.