All you need to know about Irish Flutes.

Irish flutes hold great importance in the Irish culture. It is a conical bore-styled instrument that produces sound in various frequencies. The flautist highly favored the Flute in 18 centuries. The simple design makes it easy for the professionals to play with it. In this article, we are going to address some commonly asked questions regarding the Irish Flute. The article is essential for immature flautist who wants to play the instrument. Keep reading and learn new things about Scottish Culture.

Basics of Irish Flute:

As mentioned above, the flutes are made from wood. The most form of woods from which the Flute is made is cocuswood, Rosewood, and Mopane. The modern-day Irish Flute is also made from Plastic Polymers, composites, and Delrin.

The standard Irish Flute can either be Keyless or contains 4,6 or 8 keys. The complexed Irish Flutes can play chromatic notes and accidentals efficiently too. The most common Key in Flute is D, as most of the Celtic traditional music is played within this key.

What is an Irish flute called?

The Irish Flute holds only one name and is known as simple system flutes. The Martin Doyle system created the traditional Flute. The features are still the same in the Flute, and the traditional Flute works in the same manner.  The Flute is not relatively easy to learn and work with, though.

Is the Irish Flute hard to play?

Just as mentioned above, the Irish Flute is not easy to learn. According to the players, embouchures are the hardest to learn in the Irish Flute. Even if we learn it is having a complete grip on the product can take years of practice. Many flautists stated that they were on top of the music one day, whereas the other day, the flute control is gone completely. In short, it takes time and patience to get a hold of your embouchures, but once you get a hold of the instrument, there is nothing that can stop you.

What is the difference between an Irish flute and a tin whistle?

Many people mix the Tin whistle with the Irish Flute due to the similarity in outer look. The reality is the sound that these two instruments produce significantly differs from each other. For instance, Tin whistle is an elongated metal tube with six holes in it. The holes have different sizes and are drilled in a specified spacing. The tin whistle is also known as pennywhistle.

When it comes to the Irish Flute, it is a transverse flute played by the great flutist. The Irish wooden Flute can be both keyless and keyed. Usually, there are eight keys in an Irish flute. It is harder to learn when compared with the tin whistle. The price of the Irish Flute is also lesser than the tin whistle. Typically, you can find the Flute between a price range of 500 and 10,000 pounds. In short, the tin whistle is suitable for hobbyists, whereas the Irish Flutes works well for professionals.

What is the range of an Irish flute?

The playing range is (B3) C4-C7 in Irish Flute. The range may be slightly different in various sizes of the Flute. However, we have sourced the most common range in this article.

Is Flute easier than piano?

The Flute at the beginner level is much easier to learn than piano. There are so many notes to keep in mind while learning the piano. The range of frequencies also differs in piano and Flute. For me, the piano is a much more complex instrument than the Flute. Flute, on the other hand, needs excellent hand-to-mouth coordination with top-notch breathing control.

What is the most beautiful instrument?

According to my, the Flute is the ecstatic instrument in the world. It usually has the melody in the classical pieces. Unlike another woodwind instrument with reeds, the Flute produces beautiful ear-soothing melodies as the wind pass through the reed less holes. The Flute is excellent for health, too, as it improves your posture and breathing abilities. Another good thing about flutes is that people belonging to any gender can play them well; whether it is a male player or a female player, the instrument works perfectly for both.

Is Clarinet harder than Flute?

Yes, Clarinet is a bit harder to play when compared with the Flute. The layer is pressured to sound good and in rhythm while playing the Clarinet. In contrast, when it comes to flutes, even if the flautist slips up during the performance, they are still not pressurized to sound perfect. Besides that, Clarinet comes with the different sizes of reeds that make balancing difficult during the performance. When compared with flutes, Clarinet is required to be played faster.

What is the most accessible band instrument to play?

The most accessible band instrument is known as the ‘Big 5’. It contains five different instruments like Flute, Trombone, Saxophone, Trumpet, and Clarinet. It is usually taught in high school, and due to its straightforward nature, the kids tend to learn it quickly. It is also played in various school band practices. However, it is easy to learn the Big 5, but mastering it can take ages, just like many other instruments.

Tips for buying the Irish Flute.

Not every Irish Flute is perfect for beginners. Some forms of flutes are challenging to play than others. A few types of Flute require more airflow and finger control, whereas the others do not. Following are a few factors to keep in mind before purchasing a flute as a beginner:

• The Flute must be light in weight and contains less embouchure to manipulate.
• Each embouchure must be smaller in size so that the frequency of produced sound is balanced and controlled.
• The Flute must be portable in size as bogger flutes require more expertise by the player.
• It must be cheaper because high priced flutes can be a significant loss if one decides to not move forward with the practice.

Typically, the Flute for newbies should lie under 100 pounds as it is less complexed and easy to manage. Once you get a hold of the Flute ad knows how to play it professionally, you can always switch to a bigger and better flute with more embouchures. Another thing to keep in mind before purchasing is that as a beginner, try to go for a plastic flute as it is easy to handle, however as you learn it, switch to a wooden model.

Where to buy the Flute?

As the internet is filled with scam websites and fake products, one must be cautious before purchasing the Flute. For me, the most reliable resource is the Scottish Kilt collection, an excellent Irish flute store. They sell authentic Kilted outfits that touch the route of Celtic heritage. Besides Kilts, you can also find the accessories that go hand in hand with the kilts representing different events. As the shop owners have a lot of expertise in representing Celtic heritage components, I trust them the most regarding the Irish flute purchase. From beginners to professionals, their manufactured flutes are perfect on every level.

The Anatomy of the Irish Flute

The Irish Flue contains three body parts. However, there are some Irish Flutes that comes in only two sections. Here are the three sections:

The Head Joint:

It is situated on the later side of the Flute. The area contains the embouchure holes, turning slides, and turning cork. It is the most necessary parts of the Flute. Besides that, it contributes to the flexibility of Flute, response, and tonal performance.

The Body

The middle section or body of the flute act as a connecting bridge that joins the Foot joint with the Head region. It also contains the keys and tone holes that the flautist uses during the performance.

The Foot Joint

The Foot joint of the Flute enables the extension to a low C# and C. the keys are essential to extend the range of the Flute is the C and C# note. In all those flutes that do not possess keys, the flautist’s tone holes are not utilized.

Conclusion

Flutes are known to produce one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. It is one of the most ancient instruments that has been a source of entertainment in different cultures and civilizations. Even though it is straightforward to learn, the best sound is produced by Irish Flutes.  Here, we have discussed every attribute of the Flute. From buying guides to frequently asked questions, I have covered every basic information regarding the Irish Flute. Typically, if you are a beginner, do not spend over 200 pounds on the product. However, if you are a professional flutist, go for a high-end wooden Flute with more embouchures. The Flute is divided into three categories: head joint, body, and Foot joint.  Read the content and learn it all about the Irish Flute.