Can YOU help identify these wooden flutes??
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2022
- Over a year ago I bought a couple of old wooden flutes from eBay. The listing was vague and the photographs were even vaguer! They also smelled absolutely terrible- so I've waited a long time for the smell to go away before making a video about them!
The thing is- I don't know what exactly these flutes are- where do they come from? How old are they? What specific instrument are they? (besides flutes, of course!)
I've asked some experts, but no-one seems to agree on just what these are. But i'm sure there will be plenty of people who know all about these flutes- so I've made this video in the hope you might be one of them!
Can you help identify the mystery flutes?
All I know is:
A lady left them behind when she emigrated from the UK back to her home country over 50 years ago.
The flutes both have 6 finger holes with a 7th hole under the single key.
They seem to be made of hardwood.
Both flutes are in two pieces.
Find me on Instagram: @claythorpemusic
Thanks for watching :)
They’re both 19th century English military band flutes. They’re in the key of Bb (as in all holes closed is Bb) and D but likely much higher than A440, maybe A455 or so. The larger one is probably cocuswood and the metal will be nickel. The other looks to be stained boxwood and the warping certainly would suggest that. £50 is about what they’re worth, they’re very common and not usable in any kind of ensemble due to the high pitch. They could be restored somewhat easily if you wanted to, I’d be happy to give some advice on how to do so.
Mmmmh, delicious! You can really imagine the last mold come creeping out through the airy sound at the end. I give you 5 out 5 stars for "Playing the moldy wind instrument"-category! :D
Well...
Fifes, hardwood. You can use waxed thread or even dental floss to fix the joint. If there is mould I would not recommend playing. You could use surgical spirit, oil with almond oil once completely dry, but any sign of mould don’t recommend getting it in your airway
We had a very similar instrument languishing in the sideboard drawer when I was growing up in the North of Ireland, 60-odd years ago. It was referred to as "the piccolo". Northern Ireland had and still does have a strong tradition of marching bands. The only way I could get a convincing sound out of the thing was to blow sharply and aggressively across the hole. It's not a drawing-room instrument.
They remind me of baroque flutes/traverso, 6 finger holes and one key, except piccolo sized. As someone mentioned one way to know what it is... is to actually play it... covering all 6 finger holes and raising one by one should give you a D major scale (Pitched one semitone lower if in baroque pitch aka A=415) IF it were a baroque piccolo. I've never read of folk instruments of having keys. In the renaissance transverse flutes had 6 finger holes, no keys, and a cylindrical bore, and could not play a full chromatic scale. Baroque flutes was when someone (Hotteterre I think) added one key (the Eb key), made the flute into a conical bore (head joint is cylindrical, but the body joint tapers towards the foot) and could play full chromatics. Baroque flutes tend to be made of different woods and the sound quality changed with hardness (i.e granadilla vs boxwood). Plus the blow hole looks baroque-ish, oblong, oval-ish
There’s a site called lark In the morning that has some antique flutes and they have one very similar to those. It says circa 1860 and they want 250 u.s dollars for it.
Look at the second flute at "The McGee-Flutes Research Collection"
Are there letter marks under the keys? If there are, maybe googling "Flute key marks and makers" can be of help
You have to try with a bansuri bamboo flute made in India or Indonesia which is cheap and plays the best
S T O P !
Lauren more than happy to help you out on this one. These are neither flutes, fifes or any other such like instruments held out to the side and made of wood. These are ancient and practically unknown "Pirate whistles". .Played by often one legged eye patched Pirates on a happy merry eve after a successful bounty grab of a hefty booty . . . God bless them, though the devils more likely their friend. They can't be played and were never meant to be, it's a kind of ironic twisted joke that Pirates like to play, them and their bitter way's. If them Hearties and the ships crew do not dance to their bad music then it's curtains for them, in the dark of the night. It was known as a "Rave by Dave" - inspired by Davy Jones himself no less. Talk about grudges, "go figure" as The Pittsburgh Pirates might say - who incidentally changed their name to "The Steelers" . . . nice one, . . ironic . . ., subtle play on words. The mildew isn't mildew by the way but Pirate halitosis scrapings , little particles of can't be destroyed Pirate breath. Actually they liked to breath on most things as it worked as a highly effective anti theft device. Again the irony, Pirates think eveyone are of their ilk and can't be trusted. Glad to be of help, burn them is my suggestion . . . I know, a terrible thing to say about a thing that looks like a musical instrument , but hey Pirates being Pirates do such a thing, "Down with the Ensign up with the Jolly Roger ". It's a thing of the night, a darkness discomforting , a tuneless wonder of a black soul made flesh. And on that cheery note I'm of to wet my "whistle" with a little rum or two. Aye Aye me Hearties splice the mainbrace . . . glad to be of help.
I was cringing the whole time. Thanks for sacrificing yourself for musical science/history. 😂
Baroque Piccolo and flute, easy enough to find people that will make a replica of those piccolos (for a lot of money...). First search for me when I search for baroque piccolo on here brings up a modern replica of that piccolo. The flute, not sure. Could be a wider bore, higher key, both. One keyed-flutes.
tried a museum? tried Sarah team recorder?
aw hun. they were totally gone. did you complain to ebay? such a shame. how dare they advertise them as good condition..... I'm so sorry for you.
Hello i have got a question. I have bought 2 jacaranda wood native american sounding flutes. They look almost exactly the same buy sound completly diffrent.
Well, I think with a little practise and a LOT of airing it could be playable. Did you try flute oil? A good marinade in that may be beneficial? Buuut judging by your choice of words and general handling, you really really do not love them :-) The joint could be made a bit better with some sticky tape? Not very delicate perhaps, but work with what you have
Im pretty sure Ive seen irish flutes similar to the larger one but Im unsure.
I hope you left a bad review/comment for the seller, that's dishonest rude selling there.