Men at Work’s “Down Under” and Rusted Root’s “Send me on my Way” have a flute type of instrument prevelant in the songs. Anyone know what they are? My guess is that MaW is an actual flute, but I can’t tell what RR’s one is. Is it a reed? A picholo? Um…a kazoo? What the difference between them anyway?
Also, anyone remember the Dark Crystal? He plays a type of wind instrument at the begining that you put into your mouth and hold away from you (as opposed to a flute which runs parralel to your body). Is there an actual instrument that comes close to this?
I tried asking these questions to a music shop until the salesperson started looking at me like I was the dumbest customer he’d ever laid eyes on. I probably was, but that’s not going to stop me from finding out. Anyone have some help for me?
I saw Men at Work live a couple of times and Greg Hamm (?) played only flute IIRC. The other instrument where one blows into the end to make flute like tones is likely a recorder. Flutes, piccolos and recorders do not have reeds.
As far as I know, this band was before my time, but I do know the difference between instruments. I would put money that in the MaW song it was a flute. And in the RR song, I think it was a slide whistle.
Reeded instruments make sound by a person blowing on a mouthpiece with a thin stick on it (a reed). The reed then vibrates the air and it travels through out the instrument and makes a sound. Reeded instruments include the clarinet, oboe, saxaphone, and bassoon. (Their are alot more). OTOH, flute has no reed, and you simply blow into it a certain way (it's kinda hard to describe) to make the vibration and the sound.
“Send me on my Way” is credited to have a penny-whistle in it, which is a small, metallic, end-blown flute type instrument. In structure, something like a recorder, but recorders are wood or (these days) plastic.
Yes the under rated tinwhistle! Go here for all you could ever hopt to learn about my favorite instrument (I own a Copeland-look under “really expensive whistles”)
You Star Trek fans will even find out about the mysterious whistle that Picard played!
Thank you all for your responses. MikeG, that’s a great website.
I kinda feel like an idiot for not even knowing about the whistle as a musical instrument, but I’m more upset at the music store for not even suggesting it. That was exactly what I’m looking for! Cheap and peppy slide whistles for $10.
They’re carting out flutes for $500. I say “um…got anything else?” and they say “Well, a saxaphone.” Yeah, thanks.
In “Dark Crystal”, Jen plays a harmonic flute. I have a similar one, only mine is a full-scale pentatonic flute. I had it custom-made by a flute-maker at Scarborough Faire because I loved the concept. It sounds great, but you’re not going to find one in a regular instrument shop.
In general, the type of flute you hold like a clarinet is referred to as an end-blown flute, and is more like a whistle in construction than the more common transverse flute (which is what they wanted you to shell out $500 for). I have several transverse and end-blown flutes made of bamboo from the same flutemaker–they’re cheap ($15-$20), easy to play, and sound very nice.