Two months into learning the flute and loving it - my teacher is Atarah Ben Tovim - and I am lucky !!!!!!

Well, that's answered my question on your other thread!

Gedall40 and I saw her at all flutes plus the other week...I was very brave and I told her I was a first study clarinettist...

what is a first study clarinettist ??????

The instrument I work on most, and am allegedly most proficient on!....

but this is a flute thread, so I'll be good and ask a flutey question : what make of flute have you got Trudi?

[quote name='barry-clari' date='Aug 3 2009, 02:28 PM' post='859510']
[quote name='trudihiggins' post='859508' date='Aug 3 2009, 01:27 PM']


but this is a flute thread, so I'll be good and ask a flutey question : what make of flute have you got Trudi?
[/quote]
I have two flutes - a Jupiter 511 s11 with a silver lip plate and a Buffet Crampon - both of which I love !!

I can only say - beware! This is how I felt two months after picking up a flute for the first time. Now two year later I have just bought a new one!

As Barry says, we met your teacher at the shop, and I have the distinction of telling her that the room was already occupied! Still, I did shake her hand and say I recognised her from her work with the British Flute Society and she seemed OK about it . (It wasn't you with her by any chance, was it?).

Good luck with the fluting!

Edit: just seen your post - my first flute was an Evette by Buffet Crampon!

Jupiter are coming on in leaps and bounds these days : I had a try of a Jupiter (not your model) not so long ago, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Do you fancy trying the larger flutes, or the piccolo at some stage?

No it wasn't me !! I did play in a concert she gave this Sunday - 5th flute - and a couple of notes, it was fabulous !!!!!!!!!!
I am addicted !!!!!!!!

Alto flute

Not long to wait until you can try some Flossie, worry not...



Flutes have this addictive quality, don't they?...

*Remembers that she needs to ring Top Wind to check that they will be open*

They're open

My Buffet is a BC cooper scale E (not sure what that means ....)

It is a form of tuning each of the notes on the flute during its manufacture, there is a lot more to it than that, that better flautists than I would be able to explain in more depth. The 'E' I'm pretty sure refers to the fact your flute has an E mechanism. This makes E3 easier to play.

right - thanks for that - I must say the Buffet is so so different to the Jupiter, but I love them both for different reasons - the Jupiter is easier to play nicely

Buffet flutes I've never found to be particularly easy to play : which is utterly different to how I find their exquisite clarinets...

Strange that - my RC is the most beautiful clarinet in the world (to me ) why cant they get the flutes right ?

But then I guess it's similar with Barry who likes Yamaha flutes but not the claris

Yes - I haven't played a Yamaha flute or clarinet - I must say my little Jupiter is a jem

To me the B&H/Buffett flutes seem to need to have a tighter, more smiley embouchure (i.e. if you play them 'wrong' they sound better) - but this may be partly because I started on a B&H flute and my then teacher taught a smiley embouchure (and she played a cooper flute - which I think came in between B&H and Buffett).

[/quote]
Strange that - my RC is the most beautiful clarinet in the world (to me ) why cant they get the flutes right ?
[/quote]
To me the B&H/Buffett flutes seem to need to have a tighter, more smiley embouchure (i.e. if you play them 'wrong' they sound better) - but this may be partly because I started on a B&H flute and my then teacher taught a smiley embouchure (and she played a cooper flute - which I think came in between B&H and Buffett).
[/quote]

I will stick with my two flutes for the mo - later I'll get a smart one !!

Buffet, traditionally, are a clarinet manufacturer, and they do that exceptionally well. I play the R13, and won't be parted from it.

There are much worse flutes around than Buffet ones, but they, to me, never seemed to quite get everything gelled together flute wise.

Your Jupiter in particular I feel will see you right for a little while Trudi.

[quote name='trudihiggins' date='Aug 3 2009, 02:37 PM' post='859573']
[/quote]
Strange that - my RC is the most beautiful clarinet in the world (to me ) why cant they get the flutes right ?
[/quote]
To me the B&H/Buffett flutes seem to need to have a tighter, more smiley embouchure (i.e. if you play them 'wrong' they sound better) - but this may be partly because I started on a B&H flute and my then teacher taught a smiley embouchure (and she played a cooper flute - which I think came in between B&H and Buffett).
[/quote]

I will stick with my two flutes for the mo - later I'll get a smart one !!
[/quote]


Emsoboe had a Jupiter FLute to start with and had some really good results on it up to Grade 4 (upgraded to Yamaha 311). Enjoy your fluting!

...and that is nothing at all against Yamaha clarinets : they simply don't suit me...

I'm glad you confirmed that.

I was starting to wonder whether I'd made it up

Alto flute is the best instrument evah


Lots of people seem to find that - Flossie's description rings true for me. I always find it feels like the flute is somehow a bit stifled and stuffy. I've played even quite high spec ones and still found this to be a problem.

No - you're quite right



I think there are issues with both the headjoints and the general feel and mechanism of Buffet flutes, a new headjoint does make a marginal difference, but for me, it is only marginal...

It's been a long time since I played one, I think my appreciation of a really good mech has improved a great deal!

I do remember that they have always felt very hard work.

, and if you then switch to something like a 211/Pearl, the difference is very noticeable!

I want my flute.

Your flute is a fine piece of machinery

Was very impressed with how easy even the more awkward flute notes were on it...

(Sarah : it's a Sankyo )

Yes - I used to play on a friend's flute, which was if memory serves a B&H or a buffet, (before I had one of my own) and when I got one, which was a 211 (nickel, but still generally agreed to be a better flute) I was surprised at how relatively easy playing it was.

When I bought my current flute I played several instruments at a similar level (actually the price/quality bracket down from the one I eventually bought, but all similar to each other), and while the difference between the Yammy and the Pearl was more personal and aesthetic, the Buffet (despite not being cheap) was just hard work and very difficult to produce a decent sound on.

It surprises me both that, making such good clarinets, they make relatively poor flutes, and also that they still sell enough to continue making them. The Jupiters which I've tried (just a few, but all cheaper than the Buffets I've tried) have been much better. Though Buffet may, as I say, be better than the last time I played one!


is it being serviced? I have lost track...

I've yet to play a Sankyo...

(Probably just as well I haven't played too many really good instruments, considering there's no way I could afford to fall in love with any of them at the moment...)

Buffet, since they regained independence, now concentrate on clarinets, saxes, oboes and bassoons, the flute range has been dropped Sarah.

Ahhh! I didn't know that! Sensible move I think - they know what they are good at

I agree : it means they can devote more time to their excellent clarinets and other instruments...

Which can only be good for the clarinet players among us

Indeed

Sarah (with apologies to Trudi for off topicness), do you still exercise your clari occasionally?

Not at the moment, sadly - I'm trying to get back into playing the flute regularly first. What with health and stuff over the last couple of years, for a long time I was playing it once a week - and that was when teaching

I'll get back to it eventually... I hope!

Fair enough : that sounds more than sensible, as flute is your first love...

it is

What I will definitely have to tell you about sometime is my first visit, and my forthcoming one, to a flute band in Northern Ireland. I think you'd like that Sarah...

I did read your report somewhere on the forum about it - sounded great!

(Though before I visit any NI flute bands I need to practise my double tonguing by the sounds of it )

No. It's at home and I'm at work, and I want to play it.

It's going to be serviced next week, but I'm hoping they'll be able to do it on the day. It's been booked in with them.

It's not as scary as you think : you'd cope absolutely fine Sarah

Awww.

Hope the speedy service works out. Mine could do with one but I can't really justify it at the moment


Well, I appreciate your faith in me, Barry, even if I do think in this case it may be misplaced

You would be fine Sarah - honestly! I think you ought to add it to your 'things to do' list!

lol - maybe!

Wow hey in this topic did I see someone talk about Pearl flutes ? Are they good - I have the opportunity of buying one and thought it might be good to use after my Jupiter ????

Well, I tried a Pearl flute when I was flute shopping the other week. I played about three notes on it before deciding that I hated it

Other people love them though - it's a very personal thing

...and that isn't an exaggeration!

There are at least two forum members I can think of who regularly play Pearl flutes, and love them, though. They are good instruments, and as Babybird2 quite correctly says, it's a very personal thing.