openholed flutes

-piano- · Post by **-piano-** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:50 pm

i have been looking for new flutes. i used to play on a closed hole, and i found a resonable preiced open holed one. what would it be like if i have to switch?
ps - i have small hands

flipib05 · Post by **flipib05** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 5:04 pm

You can always play with the plugs in until your hands grow i guess. Or try it without them. For me, it took a while because I got my first open hole flute in 5th grade.

FltnPicc_David · Post by **FltnPicc_David** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:47 pm

Before making any rash decisions and buying a flute just because it seems nice and has open holes, have you tested the flute yourself? You may find that even a short period with the flute in your hands playing it can reveal a lot of things about the way you feel about it afterwards...
If you do decide that you like this flute and purchase it, yes, you can use plugs until you are proficient with covering the holes!

-piano- · Post by **-piano-** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 6:45 am

really? i didn't know they made plugs. how much do they cost?

anyway here is the like to the flute : http://www.samash.com/catalog/showitem. ... earch=true

but now that i look at it more, it seems that they have a closed hole model, though the picture shows an open holed.

ps - im going into 6th grade

-piano- · Post by **-piano-** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 7:19 am

does this look like a nice flute to buy? i like it. its cheap, new, and looks good. what do you think?

http://www.wwbw.com/Barrington-Model-22 ... 5743.music

flutegeek1992 · Post by **flutegeek1992** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 7:51 am

-piano- wrote:does this look like a nice flute to buy? i like it. its cheap, new, and looks good. what do you think?

http://www.wwbw.com/Barrington-Model-22 ... 5743.music

No!!! I've never seen/heard of anyknow playing a Barrington that they were happy with. Look into better known brands, they're worth the money. Things like Yamaha, Gemeinhardt (relatively nice beginner instruments, and Pearl (I have a 765 RBE CODA...love it. They also have good beginner instruments.)

Look here:
http://fluteworld.com/index.php?action=prod&wart=50612

Wander around fluteworld's website. also consider a used flute from a pawn shop or similar. You'd want to take an advanced flutist to tell you if it plays well, and is worth the asking price, but its a shot. My first flute was an Olds, about 15 years old at the time, and I still love that instrument.

http://www.freewebs.com/kaisermusic/pictures.htm <<Pics here and the model numbers of my instruments

I paid $100 for my olds, and I still consider it the best deal I've ever gotten. It has a nice, fat tone and I still play it occasionally. So it doesn't feel lonely

flipib05 · Post by **flipib05** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:54 pm

I agree with flutegeek1992. I think my first flute was a gemeinhardt 2sp or something like that. Anyways, I got it off ebay for $50.

Phineas · Post by **Phineas** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:35 pm

About the Barrington

If I were going to recommend a cheap new flute, I would recommend
this brand. It is actually a great instrument for the price. Is it the best
beginner instrument? Maybe not, but I like playing on it better than I do
on a Gemmy 2SP! (No offense) Especially the cut of the headjoint! I am at least better than a beginner

, and I have owned the Barrington
flute and the piccolo. The piccolo was better than the flute, but the flute was not bad either. Another thing I should mention is I would not recommend this instrument as a "step up" instrument......just for clarification. I am just saying if you buy one, you will not be cheated.

That being said, you always have the option of getting a better flute used
for the same price range, however you WILL more than likely need to get
it worked on.

Cheap used instrument that needs work, or Cheap new instrument made
in China? It is an equal trade to me.

Check Flute FAQ Section 2.

http://www.fluteland.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1926

There is a lot of valuable information about cheap flutes there.

Here is another flute to check out. It will cost a little more money, but this cheap instrument is a more familiar name brand.

http://www.wwbw.com/Search/Default.aspx ... 4294892740

This instrument play along the Armstrong, Gemmy standard if that is what you are looking for. Actually, the price is not much less than you can get an american made Gemmy, or Armstrong 104.

As far as Open vs Closed hole, is nothing more than a fad and a myth for
most players. I have a handmade Miyazawa closed hole flute. This flute
puts all of my open hole flutes to shame! The problem is in the west, closed hole intermediate/professional flutes are not common. many doublers buy a student model, and change the headjoint. This is common practice for Gemmy, Armstrongs, etc... due to durability.

Good luck on your journey!

Phineas

FltnPicc_David · Post by **FltnPicc_David** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 5:16 pm

I agree completely with Phineas! Open holed flutes are useful in some ways, usually in contemporary flute music and used for shanding and all that jazz. Anyways, it's more an "everybody has open holes on their flute" thing in America. In Europe, I think most professional players prefer to have closed hole flutes so I'm guessing it's just a difference between regions of the world? Not too sure about Asian flutists.

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 7:05 pm

With Asian flutists [one of my best friends lives in Taipei Taiwan], the standard is open holes. However, they get all of the japanese and other high grade asian flutes at a steep discount, so they dont bother buying a flute below the 'intermediate' level. So, chances are, are that if you see an asian flute section, they will all have open holes.

And the comments about open holes are correct so far. They really dont serve a purpose until you get to more advanced techniques and pieces. For example, I am starting to work on "Charanga" by Michael Colquhoun. Very interesting piece, and it requires open holes to play because of glisses, certain pitch bends, multi-phonics, and timbral trills.

Phineas · Post by **Phineas** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 11:27 am

Fluteguy

I lived and played in Taiwan, and you are right the same fad exists over there to a point, but on on the same level it does here in the west. I can go into any instument store that sells FINE flutes, and see a $10000USD closed hole flute for sale. Here in the states, you can get them made, but they are special order. Also, closehole flutes are not looked upon in the same manner they are here in te US. For some reason in the west, closedhole flutes are associated amateurs. This is just not the case in Asian countries. I ran into plenty of professional flute players in many different styles of music that had handmade closehole instruments.

I recently showed up to a classical gig(wedding) with my closedhole Miyazawa, and some on had the nerve to offer me the use of his backup openhole Jupiter 611 before he even knew what he was looking at...lol When he found out what is was, he was asking me how to get one....go figure...lol

Phineas

FltnPicc_David · Post by **FltnPicc_David** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 5:02 pm

It's funny how these things are different around the world. I wonder how certain ideas like the case of closed holes and open holes began to differ with flutists around the world.

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 8:12 pm

Very Interesting Phineas.

I guess my information is also slightly shaded by the fact that she went to a very wealthy school in Taipei. Thanks for shedding more light on the subject.

Phineas · Post by **Phineas** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:45 am

Fluteguy

Well Taipei is only the most western(Euro) style city in Taiwan. I remember being screamed at by a lady at a tea shop for trying to order a cup of tea in Chinese. That has never happened anywhere else in Taiwan....lol

Just for the record, I lived in Tainan and played in Taichung. I would often get gigs in Keocheung also. Compared to Taipei, these were country towns!

Phineas