Baroque sounding flute with Boehm system

[woodbourne]

I love the sound of the period Baroque flute (six tone holes and 1 key). It has a much sweeter and mellower sound than the modern concert flute.

My modern Boehm flute is made of ebony wood, but unlike the baroque flute, it has a cylindrical bore, a riser and lip plate (all ebony wood) at the headjoint. While the sound is fantastic, the quality of the sound is more akin to the modern concert flute than the Baroque flute.

I have tried a reproduction Baroque flute. Wile it produces the exact sound quality I am after, the hand position is very awkward. I am not sure whether I can switch form one to the other and back easily.

I have considered several options:

1. Buy a new wooden headjoint without a riser and lip plate. This is by far the cheapest option, about US $100 to 200.

2. Buy a reproduction antique wooden flute with conical bore and Boehm system that comes with a wooden headjoint without riser and lip plate. This is far more expensive, around US $2000 at least.

I have heard somewhere that the characteristic Baroque flute sound is mainly due to the different headjoint design and conical bore, and has very little to do with the material that they were made from, i.e. wood. Therefore,I guess that a flute with a conical bore, headjoint that does not have a riser and lip plate should give me the best of both words. Is this correct?

Has anyone tried either of the 2 options above? Will either of them give me the "authentic(ish)" Baroque flute sound? Do I have any other options?

[Phineas]

1. Buy a new wooden headjoint without a riser and lip plate. This is by far the cheapest option, about US $100 to 200.

I have used this setup for years. I hand have found it to be very effective as well as the best solution for the money. You may have to get it fitted to your flute however.

[woodbourne]

Thank you Phineas for your reply.

Could you tell me how authentic is the sound? The Baroque flute has a soft sweet sound with very little overtone. Does your suggestion gives approximately the same sound?

Are there any sound recordings, e.g. on you tube or other websites that you can recommend so that I can have a listen first?

I have found some ARALIKATTI wooden headjoints that does not have a riser chimney or lip plate for sale on e bay. Are they any good?

[Phineas]

Thank you Phineas for your reply.

Could you tell me how authentic is the sound? The Baroque flute has a soft sweet sound with very little overtone. Does your suggestion gives approximately the same sound?

Are there any sound recordings, e.g. on you tube or other websites that you can recommend so that I can have a listen first?

I have found some ARALIKATTI wooden headjoints that does not have a riser chimney or lip plate for sale on e bay. Are they any good?

The down side with these headjoints is the cut of the embouchure hole. I have tried many of these headjoints from the cheap to the most expensive. I have found that cheap Ebay ones more difficult to play on, less consistent cuts, but had the best "woody" sound. All in all, developing a technique will be the best way to get the sound you want.

As far as links, this one is hard. But here are my favorites...they are not Baroque, but will give you some good technical demos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU7X2o6PTfI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AaKl83Wehg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9K9v7EgN3w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqjgxMUtZ7w

Hope this helps!

[flute_fairy]

I have found some ARALIKATTI wooden headjoints that does not have a riser chimney or lip plate for sale on e bay. Are they any good?[/quote]

Mhm, I would suppose so! They are made by a trained flute maker, maybe have a look at the feedback on those headjoints ... or give me a shout regarding your sound ideas ...

Eva Aralikatti

[apossibleworld]

There is only one wooden headjoint I know of that will really get a Boehm flute into baroque territory. It is David Chu's special baroque boxwood headjoint, with no lipplate, and a small oval embouchure. David's headjoints are fantastic, including his more modern ones. Scroll down on this page to see it

http://www.sideblown.com/Wood.html

But part of what makes a baroque flute sound the way it does is the very structure, what it takes to bring chromatic music out of six holes and one key. Some makers make ergonomic flutes designed for hands that need them. Also a 440 flute would be much easier to handle, though less traditionally correct. Playing baroque flute is a task well worth the effort.

Conical Boehm flutes are also quite a lot of fun, but also take some getting used to, with the ring keys.