Questions and Answers ( 1 of 3 )

What is an Irish flute ?
The term "Irish Flute" is used rather loosely to describe the type of flute used for playing traditional Irish music.  They are more accurately called simple system flutes, and are of the general type played in orchestras before the modern concert flute was created by Theobald Boehm in 1847.  They are usually made of wood, with a cylindrical head joint and a body which tapers toward the foot.  The main scale is produced from six tone holes which are covered with the fingers.  There may be up to eight additional holes with keys to open and close them.  The range of flutes played today include antique instruments, modern reproductions of antique instruments, and (like our flutes),  designs adapted from antique instruments.

What does it mean that a flute is in the key of "D".  Are flutes available in other keys and what are they used for ?
Most Irish flutes are pitched in "D".  This means that when you blow the flute with the six main tone holes covered, you play a "D" note.  If you then uncover the tone holes one at a time, beginning at the bottom, you play a scale of D major (the notes D, E, F sharp, G, A, B, and C sharp). 

So does that mean you can play only tunes that are in "D" ?
Fortunately no.  You can also easily play a C natural note (by covering the second and third holes from the top), allowing the flute to play  in the key of G major.  The same notes also let you play in the E minor and A minor scales.  Since the great majority of the traditional music of Ireland and the British Isles is played in these keys, the D flute is very well-suited to this repertoire.

Is this type of flute made in other scales ?
Simple system flutes are made in other keys, and are basically scaled-up or scaled-down versions of the D flute.  The E flat flute is slightly smaller than the D flute and plays a semi-tone higher, so it can be played easily in combination with string instruments if they are re-tuned.  Flutes in keys higher than E flat are mainly solo instruments.  They can be very enjoyable to play as they require less wind to fill them than the D flute.

Why do some wooden flutes have keys and some have none ?
Remember that this type of flute was the standard orchestral instrument until the middle of the 19^th century, and performers were expected to play in any key the composer required.  The additional holes and keys were added to provide the notes missing from the basic scale of the D flute (the D sharp, F natural, G sharp and A sharp) and to extend the scale down a tone by adding the C sharp and C natural below the low D.  Many modern flute makers offer instruments with various combinations of these keys.  The simple system flutes you see with no keys are generally modern instruments made for Irish music, or occasionally very old flutes (pre-1800) from the time before keys came into use.

What are the main differences between the concert flute and the simple system flute ?
The concert flute has a cylindrical body with constant diameter and a tapered head joint which narrows toward the top.  The tone holes are large (approximately 0.5 inches) and fairly uniform in size.  There is a complex key mechanism which makes it fully chromatic.  It is usually made of nickel-silver or silver, though a few are made of wood.

The simple system flute has a tapered body, narrowing towards the foot, a constant diameter head joint, and tone holes of various sizes.  There may be from one to eight keys.  It is usually made of wood.

For purposes of Irish music, the main differences are that the simple system flute has a tone quality and "edge" which suit the music perfectly, and that the player's fingers are in direct contact with the holes without an intervening key mechanism.   This greatly improves the grace notes and rapid fingering which are an essential part of the music.

When was the flute introduced for Irish music ?
The tunes we think of as traditional Irish music were originally associated mainly with the harp, the voice, and the fiddle.  This was a living tradition, and new instruments were introduced as they became available at a price that the musicians could afford.  These later introductions include the banjo, concertina, accordian, guitar, and flute.   The historical record is not clear, but it seems that the flute came into use in Irish music in the late 19^th century, and did not become really popular until the 1930's and 40's.