The "Ordinary" Flute
Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as well as producing keyed flutes for the wealthy amateurs, a much larger number of one-key flutes were made and sold. These instruments were used to play music in a variety of different styles and allow a more personal and flexible sound to be produced. The one-key instrument allows the pitch of notes to be bent, major alteration to the tone, and wide glissandi between notes. To work with only one key a baroque fingering system is used along with a small embouchure.
The flute is based on an eighteenth century instrument, with modifications to the embouchure and to the footjoint.
The embouchure has redesigned to increase power, flexibility, speed up the articulation and make high notes easier. Modifications also to make it easier to play without hiss, and with a clearer focus allowing the player to stay "centred" more easily. In addition through modifications to the embouchure I have been able to greatly increase the strength of the forked notes in the low register, and through an increase in pitch flexibility the movements to bring these notes into tune have also been reduced. Headjoints are offered with internal modifications only to retain the traditional appearance (above), or with the full set of modifications including the external cutaway (below).
Because of the embouchure modifications to improve the ease and clarity of high notes high f''' natural has become a much more reliable note. On many one key designs this note is so weak that it is practically unuseable. On many baroque flutes it will not sound at all. Although still requiring more care in articulation than its neighbours e''' and f#''' it is now useable, making playing from untransposed recorder music easier.
Two different footjoint designs are offered, the flared foot and the standard foot. The flared foot joint bore has been extensively modified to brighten the bottom end of the low register in order to improve the clarity, power, and projection of these notes. If the flute is to be used primarily for traditional music then the flared foot should be chosen, as the added power can be very valuable. The standard foot should be chosen for players who are primarily interested in baroque music at modern pitch, as the scale in the middle register is tonally more even when played with a typical "baroque" embouchure technique.
As well as modifications to improve the acoustic performance of the instrument I have started to look at moving hole positions to improve hand position. The spacing between fingerholes is not large, but even so mobility of the fingers can be improved if the positioning across the instrument is better. In particular the curvature of the third finger in the left hand can be improved by moving its fingerhole slightly around the instrument. This allows the third finger to have a more gently curve, and can reduce the tension in the whole and. Since hole 3 has moved it is important for hole 2 to move a little as well to maintain a good hand shape. The movement in hole 3 does not have to be large to make a significant difference to the feel of the hand as can be seen below:
I normally make the Ordinary flute in boxwood (either stained or unstained) or African Blackwood (below), and with silver rings around each socket. The tenons and sockets are thread wrapped and greased, a method I favour over using cork, as it is easier for the player to repair and adjust as needed. For information about rethreading tenons see the section on flute maintenance.
The key is handmade from sterling silver, with a brass pivot wire, and either a tempered steel or forged brass spring.
