The lack of dexterity on my left hand got worse after a recent cardiac operation, which is a bummer as I am left-handed! I flick the long Cnat key during rolls on the upper notes, as I have great difficulty in doing rolls entirely on my left hand. My advice is to avoid keyless and get a flute with at least the short Fnat and the long Cnat keys. (I expect that comment will win me few friends :-) ). Also, some players are relatively inexperienced and think their flute is great because they never owned a really good one. The flutes of Gilles Lehart have an excellent reputation.Д«ut as for good makers, you will get as many opinions as there are people on this group. But there are some excellent Hamiltons around, I am told. I know a man who had to have the holes plugged and re-drilled in different locations on his Hamilton flute. Hamilton flutes have a reputation for variable quality, presumably due to subcontracting their manufacture. Americans swear by Olwell but when I heard one being played it seemed to be very powerful but somewhat lacking in character - but it could be that it wasn't being played well. I have personal experience of flutes by Eamonn Cotter and he is another top man, IMO. IMO, they are the top men and those flutes will do me for the rest of my life and probably become heirlooms thereafter.

Get a London-made instrument.ДЄs for modern wooden instruments, I own a Sam Murray in Eb (3 keys) and a Stephane Morvan in D (6 keys). The really good makes (Fentum, Prowse, Boosey, Rudall & Rose, Liddle.) generally attract a premium due to their collector's value.

instrument, then you need to know what you are doing, or else enlist the help of someone who does. If you want an instrument that will enable you to add value in a good session, then my advice is to avoid lightweight materials like the various forms of plastic and to go for a 'real' instrument made from at least African blackwood or, if you can afford it or get it, cocus wood. My advice is that with simple-system flutes, as with other instruments, you get what you pay for.

Chiff and fipple tipple