I have been given what I think is a flageolet. It has a little "spout" at the top to blow down, then six main holes on the front and a thumb hole. It's lowest note is a D. But there is also another tiny hole which takes it down to the c sharp below - I can see this could be very useful. Then it has six keys as well... I haven't worked out the fingering yet, but it seems to overblow quite nicely into a second - and even a third - octave.

I have tried looking up the flageolet site on the web but not found anything which matches up with my instrument. If anyone is a flageolet expert I would love to hear from you. I don't like possessing an instrument I can't play!

I'm no expert at all but have you looked at hob gobblin to try to identify your instrument. When you say you blow into the spout, can you take a piece off to reveal a reed?

It sounds similar to our D flute but this is blown like a conventional flute.

Good luck with investigating your discovery!

I got confused for a minute, aren't flageolets bean type things

Sorry can't help you

I think they are in the same Family as Whistles and D Flutes. I did think that a D flute and a Flagolet were one and the same but I could be wrong. I'm only going off some of the books we have where the name appears along with whistle. It might just be that they are both in the key of D.

I was wondering if this was a Shawm instrument or chapter of some sort but don't know if either of these have keys.

Google Images is your friend - http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=m...sa=N&tab=wi

it looks like there are several items refered to as Flageolets. The ones with the plastic heads are definately whistles. I stil think hob goblin will have the answer to what this particular instrument is.

There is no reed, although the bit you blow into looks a bit like an oboe reed sticking out, but it's actually made of plastic (?ivory).

I have looked at pictures, and can't find one exactly the same as mine. If I were clever I could post a picture of it - might try that later if I have a spare moment...

It sounds interesting! It's easy to post photos you just need to open a photobucket account, upload your pictures into the account and then post the code as a link on to the Forum. It's a lot easier than it sounds!

What's a photobucket account????

Photobucket is site on the web that you can upload photo's too. You have an account that you put them in, it's not public like YouTube. Once your pictures are on photobucket you can post the link on the forum and the photo will appear on here.

Sorry I've got a virus so my head's not working, maybe someone else can explain better, I just went on the site created an account and uploaded my photo's it's quite user friendly.

I was in a concert of the Matthew Passion not too long ago, with a group called Florilegium. I remember seeing a couple of the instruments you describe being played, but thinking they cannot be flageolets because they have no reeds, they blow through a hole at the top.... I'm really interested to find out what they are!

I think the problem stems from the fact that in the 17th Century, the French used to call every woodwind instrument without a name or a related family member a Flageolet, which of course confused things a little....