 The Fingering Forum
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Author: Sarah
Date: 2001-03-22 23:55
....can anyone tell me why many of the more expensive models of flutes come with a B-foot rather than a C?
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Author: Eoin McAuley
Date: 2001-03-23 07:29
The B foot allows you to play one extra note, B natural, at the bottom of the range.
A flute with a C foot can only play C as its lowest note. A flute with a B foot can play the C and can also play the note below it, B. This is useful if the music goes down that low.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2001-03-23 12:24
It may appear this way based on what a retailer stocks, based on what sells best. However, if you order directly from a high quality flute maker, such as Brannen Brothers
http://www.brannenflutes.com/price.htm
or Verne Q. Powell
http://www.powellflutes.com/catalog/specs.html
you specify the flute's features, and the maker doesn't favor one foot over the other.
Flutists get the B-foot, just in case they need to play low B, which is rare in classical flute music. It may make a used flute easier to sell, since I think the B-foot is more popular. The B-foot has an extra mechanism and key, which adds to the price and weight of the flute.
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Author: Sarah
Date: 2001-03-23 14:22
...and of course last semester (I'm a college student) when I needed the B-foot for flute choir pieces I didn't have it, but now that none of m pieces go that low, I have one.
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Author: Elie
Date: 2001-04-09 00:34
The b-foot gizmo key (sometimes called a trill key) is found just to the right of the keys on the b foot, and it can be used on its own without the c and c# keys, to get a better sound on fourth-octave c as well as some other notes. However, I find this inconvenient, because it is so far over that on an openhole flute I can't keep my fingers on the other keys while compressing the b gizmo.
But I do like having it, I guess, just because it's there. And it would ahve been very useful had I played my new flute for flute choir. The 3rd part went down to a b, and nobody on the 3rd part had a b foot. I was playng bass, though- too bad.
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Author: fluteperson12
Date: 2001-07-17 00:33
The b-foot, besides extending the flutes range by one note, also makes it easier to play in the third and fourth octaves. Supposedly, is also makes the flute more resonant.The only "cons" i have heard for the b-foot are:
The added weight
and
it actually detracts from the resonance of E3.
Anyway , these are al dependent on each player. So, get out there and try some flutes!!
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