Irish flutes and inflation
Jun. 11th, 2006 03:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
altivoIt has been many years since I purchased a musical instrument. I've settled for playing the ones I own, which is fine, but leaves one out of touch with current market prices. Lately I've been having a creeping desire for an Irish flute, though. I'm still a pretty advanced amateur on the classical flute, so it shouldn't be too difficult for me to learn; and we have friends who play other instruments with whom I could join in. Sure, I could play Irish style on the silver orchestral flute, but it does sound different. The breathy, warm and woody sound of the Irish instrument is part of what attracts me to it.
I finally pulled out my mate's instrument catalogs this weekend to see what might be available. Gack! The plain wooden flutes in the Irish style, with no keys (and therefore missing some of the accidentals and not well suited to modern music) start at $250 and up. You can find them for a little less if you settle for plastic or laminated wood, or if you think an "Irish" instrument made in Pakistan will be adequate. EBay isn't very promising either, looks much the same, and with no warranty in most cases.
I have played keyless flutes before, and they are hard on my hands. The Irish Pratten design has large holes, which contribute to the sound quality but make it essential that your hands give good coverage. I can probably manage the six holes all right, but I should really have keys for the accidentals rather than using half-holes and forks. A four or five key instrument from John Sweet will run $1800! I must be living in the past.
My silver flute cost nowhere near that. Or did it? I got it when I was in high school. I believe it cost about $400 then. So I checked what similar new orchestral flutes sell for, and sure enough, they are in the $2000 range now. I'm glad mine is old and worn and not that valuable to anyone but me now.
I still think I want an Irish wooden flute, but I'll have to find a better price than that. Fortunately, a friend of ours has one and has offered to let me borrow and try it to see how it works for me.
...wanders off to make a bumbleberry pie and get it into the oven...
I finally pulled out my mate's instrument catalogs this weekend to see what might be available. Gack! The plain wooden flutes in the Irish style, with no keys (and therefore missing some of the accidentals and not well suited to modern music) start at $250 and up. You can find them for a little less if you settle for plastic or laminated wood, or if you think an "Irish" instrument made in Pakistan will be adequate. EBay isn't very promising either, looks much the same, and with no warranty in most cases.
I have played keyless flutes before, and they are hard on my hands. The Irish Pratten design has large holes, which contribute to the sound quality but make it essential that your hands give good coverage. I can probably manage the six holes all right, but I should really have keys for the accidentals rather than using half-holes and forks. A four or five key instrument from John Sweet will run $1800! I must be living in the past.
My silver flute cost nowhere near that. Or did it? I got it when I was in high school. I believe it cost about $400 then. So I checked what similar new orchestral flutes sell for, and sure enough, they are in the $2000 range now. I'm glad mine is old and worn and not that valuable to anyone but me now.
I still think I want an Irish wooden flute, but I'll have to find a better price than that. Fortunately, a friend of ours has one and has offered to let me borrow and try it to see how it works for me.
...wanders off to make a bumbleberry pie and get it into the oven...
