 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Michele
Date: 2001-03-23 18:50
I didn't know where else to post this question! I can't find a flute bulletin board. I am hoping one of you clarinet players can help me I just inherited an old flute. It is made of silver. It is in mint condition other than it needs a good polish. Even the pads look good. I want to clean it up and learn how to play. I already play clarinet so reading music is no problem. I figure all I have to do is learn the notes. So, I search the internet for a flute fingering chart. No problem, I found several. Now here is the problem... It appears that my old flute has a different fingering! I have a few keys missing and a few extra in different places! Oh my! Have they changed where some of the holes are? I have no idea how old this flute is. It is marked
ROHNER
Elkhart, Ind.
on the 2nd section near the joint. On the first section, where the mouthpiece is, it has the number 5426 near the joint.
Does anyone have a clue?!?!?!?!
Michele
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-03-24 09:57
If the keys are non-standard then the fingering is probably also non-standard. You may do yourself a disservice learning a fingering that has to be relearnt in order to play modern flutes, for which the fingering is standardised in the developed world.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Curtis
Date: 2001-03-24 14:03
Michele:
I agree with Gordon (NZ). I taught band ror 37 years and recognize the downfalls of non-standardized instruments; i.e., apparently, your flute. This instrument, however, could have some very intrinsic value as a research item or for a collector. I would examine the web sites which Ken Shaw provided to help you determine the instrument and then go from there. As to trying to clean and polish the instrument, be careful of liquid polish because the residue does have a terrible tendency of getting in the wrong places and causing problems. If nothing comes of your researches, there is one very interesting altenative. You could get the instrument cleaned, etc. and mounted for display on your wall as a wonderful converasation piece - especially if you have musician friends drop by the house. I wonder how many questions you would get about that?
Bob Curtis
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-03-26 12:10
If it is shorter it will not be based on the key of C. When you do C fingering it could be D, or half a half not sharp.
If you have no joy identifying it and are still keen I can put you in touch with a collector here who has vast knowledge and reference material, and probably the largest collection of old woodwinds in the Southern Hemisphere.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jim W.
Date: 2001-04-02 04:27
If I may add my two cents...
First, I agree with the opinion that learning any instument (especially if it is to be a double) with non-standard fingering is probably not a good idea. If you were to get a new flute, you would have to re-learn it.
Second, I would suggest finding a good flute teacher, preferably one who understands that flute is not your main instrument. I found this out the hard way. A number of years ago, I bought a flute, and assumed that,since I already had studied clarinet and sax, I could teach myself. After all, how hard could it be? Well, after a while, I decided that I didn't want to sound like a clarinet player who owned a flute and signed up for lessons. At my first lesson, the teacher asked me to play something. It turned out that about the only thing I was doing right was I had it pointed in the right direction... Amazingly, I got to the point that now I am sometimes hired just as a flute player! What it boiled down to was that I was a terrible flute teacher, since I didn't know anything about it.
Hope this helped a bit,
Jim
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-04-02 13:07
I agree. The "reed" of a flute is the airstream itself. The flute player must make and adjust this reed every second he is playing. Making and adjusting this reed is every bit as difficult a task as making clarinet reeds that produce a great sound. Even Vandoren and Rico fail a lot of the time! A few lessons from a great flute teacher is a good idea, but evaluate the teacher. If he does not quickly show you how to get a great sound he is no good. Refining this 'reed' to get a pleasant sound and pitch control of pp top register notes, I believe, is a much harder ask than anything on a clarinet. That involves making a 'reed' that is better than the top 2% of Vandorens.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
