Flute builder in Southwester Irland

Hello

After 15 years of Whistle playing (with breaks) i desided to try to play flute (I have always shied away from practicing the embouchure).
So i got a cheap flute from McNella. After a few months of practicing i got a embouchure where i can make a nice sound. But i need a lot of air. I cant barely play a tune without a lot of breaks for breathing and sometimes i feel dizzy cause the hyperventilation.
So i talked with a friend of my father who play the classic flute, and he said my technique isn’t that bad (i played on his flute) so he guess my flute is.
And i have to say, it was much easier to play something on his flute (except the fingering).

I will travel to Ireland at the beginn of August and we will go from Dublin to Cork and then up the west coast.
So i thougt i could buy a better flute from a flutebuilder in Ireland what would be a nice souvenir and a better instrument.

Do someone of you know a good flute builder in this area where i can meet?
Unfortunatly its difficult to buy celtic instruments in Switzerland, cause the music isn’t so popular. For this reason i bought a lot of whistles till i found some i really like to play and i don’t like to buy a lot of flutes too.

I’m not sure if you’re going as high on the west coast as Tubbercurry, Sligo.
If so Damian Thompson often comes up as having good intermediate flutes (I have one and love it).
You’d need to email him to see if he had any in stock/ones to try as normally a waiting list:

https://www.thompsonflutes.com/about

Fyi, in Switzerland - Basel, you have a great flutemaker Thomas Aebi.
Marin

Modern flute is usually played with the center line of the embouchure hole aligned with the first keys on the section below. On the other hand, an Irish flute usually has the mouthpiece turned more toward the player, with the outer edge of the embouchure hole aligned with the center line of the finger holes. It also usually has a different embouchure shape, more oval than rounded rectangle, so getting the right shape to the lips and just the right lip position is crucial. If you can, I would take your flute with you in carry on luggage; both to check with any Irish flute players you may meet, and to compare it with any new flutes you meet. Just saying, the problem might be the flute or your technique; and players of modern flutes often have problems adjusting to an Irish flute.

@maracirac: Thanks for the tip. I found him in the internet, but he’s a little bit expensive. But i think i could contact him and ask if he could make a simple one for me.

@jimmiller: great tip. thanks, i tried it right now, and its much better. I think if i working more on my embouchure it will be okay=) uiiiii

“On the other hand, an Irish flute usually has the mouthpiece turned more toward the player, with the outer edge of the embouchure hole aligned with the center line of the finger holes.”

Nope. My embouchure hole is aligned with the center of the finger holes.

“It also usually has a different embouchure shape, more oval than rounded rectangle, so getting the right shape to the lips and just the right lip position is crucial.”

My older Olwell boxwood has a somewhat squared oval shape. Compared two of his Nicholson models on Tuesday, mine had the squared oval, the newer one was more an elongated oval. Peter Noy flutes have a very square embouchure hole.

So, I’d never making any generalizations about any of this, every player and every flute is different.

On Tuesday I was working with a couple of players on the differences between blowing a silver flute than a wooden flute, and really it came down to air flow direction, lower lip coverage of the leading edge of the embouchure hole, and increased air volume requirements if you want a “hard” tone. My suggestion was to spend the time required in front of a mirror trying adjusting the position of the flute and your lips and jaw, until you found the “magic” spot and then notice what you are feeling as far as the edge of the hole on your lip, all the angles so that you can recreate it every time you go to play. When I go to play, the way I pick up, hold and position the flute is always the same way, almost like a martial arts kata, to recreate the exact position every time that gives me the tone I want.

That being said, not every flute works for everyone, so when someone appears to be doing everything correction, but still has an issue getting a strong tone out of a flute, I suggest they try another instrument and see if anything improves.

For example, I really can’t effectively play the Peter Noy flutes I mentioned above, or the Tipple flutes with the classical style lip plate and square embouchure. They just don’t work for my anatomy without me fundamentally altering everything about how I play to deal with the wider airflow required. I’ve played with other players who have no problems with these designs. I can get a great tone from my slightly squared Olwell and my Hamilton headjoint on my antique Metzler, and pretty much any other flute with a oval(ish) embouchure. Square embouchure holes are almost always a non-starter for me.

Don’t always assume the problem is you, sometimes, the problem is just a mismatch between you and the design of the flute, and in these cases, changing to another instrument can make a huge difference.

As maracirac pointed out, you have one of the best makers in the world at your door step. Tom makes great flutes and he offers a lot of models: pratten or rudall with a small, medium or large bore, small medium or large tone holes, etc. Lots of options. I’m sure if you go and see him he would help you find the model that’s best suited to you. He’s a super nice guy. Plus you could easily get your flute serviced by its maker when the need arises.
His flutes are not cheap but you they can be all the flute you’ll ever need and they retain their value, should you decide to resell it.

Sorry, my comment above mixed up issues discussed in a couple of threads…

You should consider François Baubet - he’s in the Galway area.
I had him make an Eb flute for me this year and it’s superb, and affordable.

http://www.francoisbaubet.com

Hammy Hamilton told me it takes three years to “develop” an embouchure with consistent good tone and support for low notes. He may have been optimistic. Get a teacher (even online) so that your basic setup and technique are guided and you don’t develop bad habits early on.

Most flute makers nowadays have a waiting list for instruments. Typical is 9-18 months for keyless flute.

Given where you live, I’d recommend considering an instrument by Geert Lejeune (Belgium), Stefen Gabriel (Germany) or Solen Lesouef (France). All three are reliable makers. Thomas Aebi (Switzerland) also good recommendation above.

As just mentioned, it takes a while to get an embouchure you can be proud of . Mine just took a leap forward after having a pretty good one for s decade. I think because I had to get focused to play my new B flat flute. Said flute was made by Arie De Keyser who is to be recommended.

Eamonn Cotter is another renowned flute maker I’d add to the list. Also Vincenzo Di Mauro.

Talk to Damien Thompson
https://www.thompsonflutes.com/about
Makes great flutes and great Customer service 🪕🎶😎

To add to the list of possibilities, Glenn Watson and Martin Doyle.

Lining up the embouchure hole with the finger holes is useful to make sure that you personally always get the same embouchure position. It is not an absolute guide since how you hold the flute changes that angle too. Use a mirror to see how you are actually presenting the embouchure hole to your lips. Experiment with that.
But it sounds to me that you want a better flute which is a perfectly legitimate wish at your stage of playing.

“Lining up the embouchure hole with the finger holes is useful to make sure that you personally always get the same embouchure position.”

That’s one approach yes, but some of us do it by just the feel of the embouchure under the bottom lip. That’s how I do it anyway.

When assembling the flute I rotate the flute body forward relative to the head joint, until the forward edge of the embouchure hole is lined up with the middle of the tone holes. Sometimes that’s referred to as rotating the head joint back, but the head joint should always be in whatever the right position is for the mouth’s contact with the embouchure hole.

Rotating the rest of the flute forward a tiny bit makes it easier to use the right hand thumb as a pressure point against the lower flute body for a three point Rockstro/Nicholson “19th Century” flute hold. Just one method among many. All our bodies are different and we all find our own ways into this.