 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: laurie
Date: 2002-06-29 03:43
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=889693285
Can someone explain this ? How can it be a 'D foot'.. if anything woudln't the additional key be an A ? I'm really confused ! Help !!!!
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Author: Kat
Date: 2002-06-29 04:16
I don't know WHY this flute was made, but the little piece looks like an ALTERNATE foot-joint. The bigger foot joint is a B foot. I'd be interested in any responses as to why the teeny one would have been useful.
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Author: laurie
Date: 2002-06-29 04:21
Could it possibly be a interchangable B/C foot ?
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Author: John Moses
Date: 2002-06-29 04:27
Hi:
The answer is simple: It is a "D" foot. They were quite common years ago, and are still used by some fine players here in NYC for early music and especially Baroque pieces.
It's not so rare and they were not all that expensive, the most important thing is: how does the flute play?
Good luck,
JJM
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Author: Kat
Date: 2002-06-29 15:57
John,
I'm curious to know what the difference in tone is with the short foot. I've never heard of it before, but I AM only a clarinetist who happens to play flute. 
Katrina
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Author: John Moses
Date: 2002-06-29 17:40
Hi Katrina:
You'd have to ask a "real" flutist about the subtle differences, but basically it's a brighter sound, a little more agile, and freer than either a "B" or "C" standard foot. Great for Baroque music that doesn't go down to low "C", with the "D" foot you still have the "Eb" tuner key, but that's it!
Give one a try, it's fun to feel the difference.
JJM
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Author: laurie
Date: 2002-06-30 03:38
But wait i'm still confused ! So, it's actually SHORTER then the B foot or is the D below the B foot ? Help ! lol.
Laurie - just a stupid clarinist.
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2002-06-30 23:10
It's shorter than the B-foot. If it were the D BELOW then we'd have a rather long bottom joint, wouldn't we?
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-07-01 14:08
Laurie -
Up through the classical period, D was the lowest note on the flute. Foot joints extending down to C became common only during the classical period. The Mozart Flute Concertos, for example, have D as the lowest note. Today, most professional quality flutes have a longer foot joint that goes down to B, and I've seen a few that go down to Bb, and, I think, even to A.
You use only one foot joint at a time. The D foot doesn't fit in between the body and the other foot joint. When you use the D foot, the lowest note is D.
The extra length adds significant weight and changes the balance of the instrument. It also makes the tone thicker but less flexible and requires fingering changes in the top register. For example, the low B foot joint messes up the high C (above the 5th ledger line). Thus, most B foot joints have a "gizmo" lever that closes only the low B hole, which lets the high C pop out. Flutist friends who have tried Bb foot joints tell me they make instruments nearly unplayable. Having one is, basically, a "mine is bigger than yours" thing, except for some contemporary music specialists who have had music written to exploit the extra range.
A professional flutist friend ordered a handmade flute from Brannen Brothers and got an extra D foot for playing baroque music. He tells me (and I can hear it when he plays) that the D foot makes a big difference in the playing qualities.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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