There is an overwhelming variety of Irish flutes to choose from and it may be daunting trying to narrow your search down.
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Boehm System
Theobald Boehm of Germany first introduced the cylindrical bore flute with open-standing keys and an elaborate mechanism in the mid-1800s; its popularity quickly spread among orchestral, wind ensemble and opera performances as a standard model of classical flute playing.
The Boehm System is the key system used by modern silver flutes and can also be found on wooden ones. It typically features conical bores with distinct cylindrical holes for key placement.
Irish flutes may be made from cocus, grenadilla, rosewood or ebony and feature six tone-holes with anywhere from zero to thirteen metal keys. Experienced Irish flutists typically prefer keyed instruments; however, many traditional Irish repertoires can also be played using keyless flutes.
Simple System
The Simple System of Irish Flute was an early form of wooden flute designed before Boehm made his breakthrough, used mostly in concert music until revival by traditional Irish folk music revived it for wider use than before. Today it remains more commonly played than ever.
The simple system flute comes in various sizes and may feature one or more keys or tuning slides to make specific notes easier to play. There are even those equipped with more than six holes so accidentals can be hit more rapidly and accurately.
The simple system was an integral element in classical orchestras and is still valued by soloists today, but its place has been taken by Boehm orchestras around the globe.
Keyless
Many traditional Irish flute players do not utilize keys on their flutes due to the nature of many tunes containing multiple sharps/flats that cannot be transposed through keys.
However, some players wish to perform tunes which require higher or lower key than their flute can accommodate. That is where keyless flutes come in handy!
Transposing a tune can be done simply by shifting its pitch up or down an octave, either by shifting flute keys, or by moving individual sections of it up or down one.
Most transpositions can be managed with practice and careful listening to your flute. If a tune presents difficulty hitting its notes, try switching its range or shifting some offending notes to ease up on hitting those difficult spots.
Keys
Irish flutes come in various musical keys to accommodate various styles of music you wish to perform, with D being the most commonly chosen tone and therefore used in Irish flute playing.
For those wishing to explore a wider chromatic range, there are four-, five-, six- or eight-key flutes which allow for playing in different keys outside those typically found in Irish repertoire. These so-called fully keyed instruments give players more opportunities to experiment musically than standard Irish repertoire allows.
These flutes can be constructed out of various materials such as wood, Delrin or PVC and may be the ideal option for players who do not prefer metal flutes.
Piano keyboards offer an ideal solution for those on limited budgets looking to explore various musical keys; available with three, four, six or eight keys (fully keyed).