Many, many new flute makers and flute companies have been established since the 1970’s when Powell and Haynes were the choice. Here are notes on just a few of special interest.
Young Student Flute
Pictured is a student flute with a straight and a curved headjoint. The curved headjoint is used for a young student until their elbows are naturally close to or touching the rib cage when they hold the flute up. Their arms should then handle the length of the flute with the straight headjoint just fine.
Kingma System
“A Kingma System® flute is, in all respects, a Boehm system flute with a C# trill. All of the normal touch pieces and fingerings are where you would expect them to be. What makes this flute so unique is that, in addition to the standard Boehm mechanism, there are six extra keys. This is made possible through the use of the patented key-on-key system that has been used so successfully on our alto and bass flutes for many years. These keys are used to produce six of the seven quarter-tones and multiphonic vents which are “missing” on the normal French model flute. The seventh “missing” quarter-tone is achieved by using the C# trill key together with the normal C key. The other five quarter-tones are produced by using the normal, open hole keys.
http://www.kingmaflutes.com/mySite/kswhat.html
The Brannen flute company describes this flute as follows: The Brannen-Cooper Kingma System flute is the result of extensive collaboration between the Dutch flutemaker, Eva Kingma, and Bickford Brannen, former President. This is the first C concert flute to offer a full quartertone scale, as well as complete multiphonic venting, for the modern flute repertoire. Moreover, flutists can also use this flute to play all of the traditional literature just as they would on any flute.
This new design allows the Kingma System player to perform in remarkable new ways. The first, most obvious new possibility is to play accurate quartertone scales. While a French model flute can play quarter steps by venting the open holes and shading certain notes with alternative fingerings, the Kingma System flute is able to play a complete chromatic quartertone scale through all the registers. It is possible to half-vent every key on the Kingma System, not just the open hole keys. Therefore, a flutist can accurately play all of the quarter steps from F# to G#, for instance, and from Bb to D. This aspect of the flute makes nonwestern types of music far more accessible to any player, and it also allows some interesting effects for the jazz player.
The second acoustic advantage of this instrument is its ability to produce unique multiphonics. Because the flute is able to vent all the normally covered keys, it is able to produce chromatic progressions of multiphonics. As a result, there are some marvelous compositional opportunities built into this flute. It is possible, for example, to play “triple stops,” starting with fundamentals in the low register and moving chromatically up the scale with “triple stops” as keys are sequentially vented. The practiced player can play not only chromatic scales on this flute, but chromatic quarter-steps and chromatic multiphonics as well.
The final acoustic advantage of this instrument is one that both players and listeners can appreciate: superb pitch control. For years, players have used “sensitive fingerings” on difficult notes to match pitch with other instruments. Perhaps the biggest advantage of the French model flute is that it allows the flutist to close a ring on a key in order to shade the pitch down, or to pull the finger slightly off a hole in order to shade a pitch upward. With the Kingma System flute, this possibility is developed to its fullest. With the opportunity to vent what have traditionally been closed holes, the flutist has incredible opportunities to alter pitches that would otherwise be “off.” Two notes immediately come to mind: the high G and the high Ab. The Kingma System allows the player to shade these pitches down by closing rings, specifically, the F# or the G# rings, respectively. One can confidently play these notes fff without going sharp. Additionally, the Kingma System creates unique opportunities for alternative fingerings, such as on the high F#. In this case, there are at least three alternative fingerings that result in a stable high F# at various pitch/dynamic levels. For the flutist who plays in a great variety of ensembles, or circumstances, the pitch-control capabilities of this instrument are invaluable.
All Kingma System flutes are made with offset G keys, B footjoint and C# trill keys. Body tubing is available in three thicknesses of silver, 10K and 14K rose gold, 14K white gold and platinum. The mechanism and keys are always made of silver. The flutes may be pitched to A-440, A-442, A-444 or A-446. The following options are not available on Kingma System flutes: inline G keys, plateau keys, split E mechanism, C footjoint, D# roller and left hand lever for the footjoint.
A growing number of flutists and composers throughout the world are finding that the Kingma System flute offers almost “undreamed-of” possibilities.
http://www.brannenflutes.com/kingma.html
Wooden Flutes
Flutemakers Guild, London, England, Wooden Flute.
“Modern” wooden flutes have been made for years. They have modern scales and a lovely sound. This one is in-line G, has a C# trill key, a B foot and a “thinned” headjoint – notice the embouchure plate. On this one the body and foot joint are one piece. Wooden flutes and head joints are available from a number of leading flute makers. A lovely sound and a great addition to your flute collection.
Dryad’s Kiss and other John Lunn flutes
“As a silversmith, novelist, musician and flutemaker, I have been working for many years to create an art form that incorporates the three disciplines of music, sculpture and storytelling. I started my quest 38 years ago when I first apprenticed as a flutemaker and imagined a flute made of silver vines, leaves and fruit. I honed my flutemaking crafts for 13 years before I ventured into creating the organic “art nouveau” flute. At the same time I became a writer, developing as a storyteller. Lastly in the past 18 years, while making flutes and writing novels, I learned chasing and repoussé to complete the circle so I could tell my stories in silver and gold. I work entirely by hand using no pre-made molds or parts. My hammers and stakes, with traditional forming & chasing techniques, replace milling machines and turning centers to build each unique instrument on its own from raw precious metal. After 3 decades, I have finally achieved my goal: a world renowned hand sculpted flute (the musical soul of the piece) that tells a story in silver and gold images chased into the keys.” John Lunn http://www.johnlunn.com/lunnflutes/
LOW FLUTES
Here is some information on “low flutes”. These instruments are showing up in many flute ensembles so you need to know about them and play them whenever you can. Try them out at the annual National Flute Association’s Annual Convention. For more current information and a repertoire list go to: http://www.lowflutes.com/
Alto Flute
The alto flute is characterized by its distinct, mellow tone in the lower portion of its range. It is a transposing instrument in G (sounding a perfect fourth lower than written), and uses the same fingerings as the C flute. The tube of the alto flute is considerably thicker and longer than a C flute and requires more breath from the player. This gives it a greater dynamic presence in the bottom octave and a half of its range. The alto flute was the favorite flute variety of Theobald Boehm, who perfected its design. The ‘curved head’ version is frequently preferred because it requires less of a stretch for the arms, and makes the instrument feel lighter by moving the center of gravity nearer to the player. The straight version is more commonly used for better overall intonation .The embouchure for alto flute is similar to that for C flute, but in proportion to the size of the instrument. Hence the embouchure-hole sits lower on the lower lip, and the lip-aperture is wider.
Bass Flute
The bass flute is in the key of C, pitched one octave below the concert flute. Because of the length of its tube (approximately 146 cm), it is usually made with a “J” shaped head joint, which brings the embouchure hole within reach of the player. It is usually only used in flute choirs, as it is easily drowned out by other instruments of comparable register.
Many composers are beginning to write more for the bass flute, including Katherine Hoover’s Two for Two, Bill Douglas‘s Karuna, Gary Schocker‘s A Small Sonata for a Large Flute and Catherine McMichael’s Baikal Journey. Studies and concert etudes are beginning to appear that address the instrument’s many challenges (physical balance, finger technique, air stream, overblowing, etc.).
For an extensive list of repertoire for bass flute and contrabass flute see: Peter van Munster, Repertoire Catalogue for Piccolo, Alto Flute and Bass Flute, Roma: Riverberi Sonori, 2004.
Selected repertoire graded into ability levels with short descriptions and information about basses can be found in The Alto and Bass Flute Resource Guide published by Falls House Press.
Contr’ Alto Flute
Although bass flute and contrabass flute are well overlapping instruments one cannot deny the special experience the contr’alto flute in G will give the player. The instrument is surprisingly agile and produces a lot of noise. It can be made out of PVC or metal.
Contra Bass Flute
The contrabass flute is pitched in C, two octaves below the C flute, and is available in PVC or metal. It is often beneficial to amplify the low sounds of this flute. On the model shown, the player must stand to play and hold their hands vertically like a clarinet. The fingerings are the same as the C flute. Players often use an amplifier so the instrument can be heard in the ensemble.
Subcontrabass Flute
The subcontrabass flute or double contrabass flute is one of the largest instruments in the flute family, measuring over 15 feet (4.6 m) long. The instrument can be made in the key of G, pitched a fourth below the contrabass flute in C and two octaves below the alto flute in G; which is sometimes also called double contra-alto flute, or in C, which will sound three octaves lower than the C flute.The subcontrabass flute is rarely used outside of flute ensembles. At present, the subcontrabass flute is an instrument that must be custom ordered. It may be made out of PVC or metal. This instrument’s unique sound quality, dark tone, and at times sluggish articulation make for excellent solo opportunities. With a workable range of two and a half octaves the instrument has some projection issues, though the Jelle Hogenhuis models designed from PVC can make a fine, vibrant and raucous tone when required. http://www.hogenhuis-flutes.com/subcontrabassflute
“And the Giant Began to Dance…” (Peter Sheridan), on the album “Below: Music for Low Flutes.“