Give your instrument a helping hand
We all trad musicians play different instruments
From my point of view I play a 6 key flute made by Patrick Olwell
After playing for a couple of hours practice I then run a silk cloth through the bore to remove any excess moisture
I usually disassemble and put it back ins case.
However I have noticed that when playing the next day it takes a few blows to warm it up and get it going. Recently because of Coronavirus and isolation I’m playing more and more each day and decided to leave the flute assembled and stand it up perpendicular in a safe place. The next day when I start again the flute immediately sounds responsive and tone and volume is better than as if I left it in its case overnight
Now my opinion on this improvement if you may and I am respectfully open to correction is as follows
When you put the flute back ins case it rests in a micro climate which is isolated from the surrounding room atmosphere. Then you take it out the next day and it takes a little time to adjust to the temperature and humidity of the room you are going to play in. This could be applied to all instruments like the fiddle, the box, the concertina the guitar, mandolin and so on.
Perhaps another helping hand was suggested by my brother Gerry Grennell.
Gerry is a world famous voice coach and at one time was quite a well known classical/flamenco guitarist giving solo concerts is places like Dublin national concert hall
He has several acoustic guitars made by some of the worlds best.
He told me what he sometimes did when he was not playing which was not very often, he would put his guitar standing close to a speaker when he was playing a record or cd of some world famous guitarist. He said that his guitar would take on the sound vibrations of quality guitars and the instrument was always at a state of playing
He said this was particularly appropriate for new instruments. And his guitars would have been made by the best in the world.
Now I wonder what is your opinion on this practice. Would it improve your instrument
I’m sure you who have a couple of instruments and play one favourite then play another one you find it takes some time to warm up perhaps hours or days.
So if this helps you in your pursuit for that elusive quality sound I’m more than happy to pass it on. What do you think?