Klarinet Archive - Posting 000450.txt from 2004/11
From: "=?iso-8859-1?Q?Anna_Cecil=EDa_Benass=ED?=" <acb@-----.is>
Subj: [kl] clarinet and flute doubling
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2004 04:52:21 -0500
Hi, Tom,
I have doubled for years and enjoy it immensely. I have to say, however,
that my clarinet playing has helped my flute playing more than the flute
has helped the clarinet. Your mileage may vary.
I recommend Yamaha flutes. They are stronger than dirt, very well made,
and - at least in my market - retain respectable resale value. Here in
Iceland, our repair tech gets a staggering volume of instruments for
repair, but an unusually small proportion of them are Yamaha instruments.
I had a 481-H (with B foot) for years until I saw a fantastic deal on an
881, which was a significant upgrade for me. I jumped on it and have not
regretted the purchase. These model numbers are obsolescent, however, as
the newer Yamahas have different numbers. The 400 series should be the
intermediate-level flute, with a silver head and body, plated keys, and
open holes. Your budget should be able to tolerate that or even the 500
series, whose specs I cannot remember. BTW, I have heard wonderful things
about Sankyo and Muramatsu as well. My experience is that most Japanese
flutes are better made than their American counterparts. Others may
disagree; I don't know.
Here is a recap of the advice I received from very knowledgeable
professionals while choosing my flute:
(1)Buy a flute with a silver tube, not just a silver head. The difference
in sound is remarkable, and an all-silver flute will be much more of a
long-term investment.
(2) One very fine flutist told me she never uses her B foot unless she
needs to play the low B. I asked about the gizmo key on the B foot, the
one that facilitates the high C, and she said that it's the addition of
the low B that makes the gizmo necessary in the first place. That is, it's
a corrective factor and not an enhancement. (I would love to own a B foot,
actually, in addition to my C foot, but I didn't NOT purchase my current
flute because it had a C foot only.)
(3) I've heard differing views on in-line keys and offset G. Some are very
snotty about the benefits of in-line keys, but the offset G is a real
ergonomic advantage for many people, and it doesn't limit you to a
closed-hole flute. There are fine flutes available with open holes and an
offest G.
(4) The overall press I've heard (can't trace it to any particular source,
though) is that open-hole flutes generally give a better sound. You might
want to ask around and see if others corroborate that. Certainly the open
holes give you more flexibility as regards pitch nuance via half-holing or
"hovering" versus covering the holes. Though I've done this from time to
time, I'm not a good enough flute player that I can speak from extensive
personal experience on this point.
That's about it. Best o' luck to you.
Anna
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