B-foot joint

by Orv Smith

I have a solid silver Gemeinhardt flute with a B-foot only. I have been playing by ear for years. I also attended Berklee School of Music in Boston for a summer and resigned myself to only playing by ear as was only interested in playing my own original music whatever it was that I came up with while playing with other talented musicians. Wasn't interested at all in learning to read music. Too heady and intellectual for me.

So basically, I need and love playing with at least a talented guitar player. I am mostly a rock/blues/jazz flute player and attend many open mics where I look for the right musicians to play with to possibly start or get into such a band. I play remarkably well, especially in the higher octaves, of course only when the song is in the right key for my flute. I am a bit confused and of course my problem is that I can only play a song when it's in the correct key; otherwise forget it.

So I'm a bit stymied as to what exactly those correct keys are that a B-foot flute can play in. So I can at least tell the musicians I might play with, which particular key the song needs to be in for me to be able to play along with them. So for a B-foot flute, which keys am I limited to? C minor and E Major? And also, to extend my range should I get a C foot and maybe a G flute!! Are there other foots for a C flute other than B and C?? Thank you very kindly in advance!!

Hi, Orv!

A B-foot joint does not change the key that your flute plays in. It is still pitched in the key of C. All the B-foot does is enable you to play one more note on the flute, the B below middle C.

Thus, you can play any tune on your flute in the key it was written in and your fellow musicians don't need to make any adjustments!

I think it's great that you're so good at playing by ear, but really, learning to read music isn't a big deal. I know it wouldn't take you long at all. There are lots of on-line resources that can help you read music.

But if you're happy playing strictly by ear, you should do that. Have fun playing the flute!