I`m confused: so basically IS a b a necessary requirement?

You will rarely encounter a low B in a run of the mill band arrangement.

You will often encounter a low B in a run of the mill flute choir arrangement.

You will rarely encounter a low B in Classical flute arrangements.

You will occasionally encounter a low B in modern flute arrangements.

You will often encounter a low B in Alto Sax/Oboe music.

Piko is correct, if you plan to play a great deal of modern music, you may need a b-foot, but the vast majority of the repetoire does not require it, I get along fine without it, as do most flutists in europe and asia, I have met so many young people who own a bfoot who have never used it

Re: "alls I know is that when playing very contemporary pieces, I need to join a support group afterwards to recover"

My contemporaries make it that much harder for me. It`s odd how we seem constantly to be searching for new synonyms for "modern", of which "new" itself was once the heir apparant, superceding "contemporary". Fowler takes a very dim view of this use of the term, by the bye, ("contemporary", that is), and I quite agree.

Re: "You will rarely encounter a low B in a run of the mill band arrangement. You will often encounter a low B in a run of the mill flute choir arrangement. You will rarely encounter a low B in Classical flute arrangements. You will occasionally encounter a low B in modern flute arrangements."

You will never find a low B in my flute music--famous last words.

Re: "You will often encounter a low B in Alto Sax/Oboe music."

In alto saxophone music you will often find a low concert Db, a minor seventh (augmented sixth, rather) below that low B, which is to say, this last remark loses me.

"In alto saxophone music you will often find a low concert Db, a minor seventh (augmented sixth, rather) below that low B, which is to say, this last remark loses me."

In a couple of Alto Saxophones studies I have the lowest written note is a Bb, which is rare. Low Bs are however far more common. Only referenced that should a flutist have an interest in picking up music written for Oboe and Alto Sax.

Other instrument methods/music have written notes that are rather prohibited for a flutist, such as the Clarinet (Klose) or Trumpet (Arban) which has leger lines that go as far down as a flutes can go up.

The two Alto studies in question are Ferlings and Southern`s Melodious and Progressive Studies.

Alto and Oboe music are very accessible and certainly do play through them on flute since I have a lot of music for both those instruments as well as flute. You just have occaisional written Bbs, but not all the time.

Transposing the music is a whole different can of worms. Though I think I prefered playing flute in Jazz band transposing Alto parts by sight than actually playing the Alto... I would never do it on my own for no reason.

I just got back from a flute ensemble rehearsal and one of the pieces I was sightreading had this pain in the a%& 16th note run that consisted of low B, C#, D#, E. Oy. If it were just C# to D#, no problem, but precede it with the B and things were getting ugly. Just because a flute with a B foot can play down there doesn`t mean it should, especially like that.

*rant off*

Ninafire, that does not sound like too much fun.

Ahh..the old B verses C foot issue. This is what you are going to get on a forum.

1. If someone plays on a B foot, they will swear by it.
2. If someone plays on a C foot, they will swear by it too.

It comes down to be purely your preference. I find both to be nice, but play on a B foot as it is more convenient for me.

No no no...

It`s:

1. If someone plays on a B foot, they will swear by it.
2. If someone plays on a C foot, they will swear at it.

Kidding!

I really think C feet are good things, certainly relieves weight and you don`t have the urge to practice the low B and develop nasty carpal tunnel from the pinky strain.

No, it wasn`t fun. When I still had my old C-foot flute, I`d just announce, "This has a low B. Quick, someone switch parts with me!" Now I have no excuse

I use my b foot a lot in practicing. I take a piece and play it in all octaves to strengthen my range.

My private lesson teacher says its needed, and it isnt needed

Re: "In a couple of Alto Saxophones studies I have the lowest written note is a Bb, which is rare. Low Bs are however far more common."

The thing to bear in mind here is that when someone gives an alto saxophone a WRITTEN LOW B, he wants the alto saxophone to play a CONCERT D BELOW THAT LOW B.

Re: "Only referenced that should a flutist have an interest in picking up music written for Oboe and Alto Sax."

Also bear in mind that a flute sounds NOTHING AT ALL like an alto saxophone or an oboe. What sort of person would actually buy a Big-Foot flute so he could play the wrong notes (in this case very, very wrong) with the wrong sounds (in this case very, very wrong)? Don`t answer that question, please; I don`t want to know.

"Other instrument methods/music have written notes that are rather prohibited for a flutist, such as the Clarinet (Klose) or Trumpet (Arban) which has leger lines that go as far down as a flutes can go up."

If you got hold of (after having persuaded someone to manufacture it) a double low E foot, you could play string BASS parts an octave too high. The possibilities are endless.

The written fingerings are similar for flutes, clarinets, saxes, and oboe. The instrument itself merely sounds a different concert pitch.

There is no reason whatsoever for someone to transpose a study into the key another instrument will sound. The study is meant to exercise the written fingerings for that written key.

When someone wants to exercise their fingers they turn exercises that can fill that need. In the case of exercises in the lowest range of the flute there is no better alternative than oboe/alto music in it`s written form.

Instruments evolve to the whims of the public...

Just witness the growth of the bass flute family and its ever growing size.
http://www.oguraflute.com/kotato.htm

Manufacturers have dabbled in low Bb feet and there are China makers now that hope to cash in on desire for such a rare features.
http://www.orpheusflutes.com

Where there is a will there is a way.

A very good example for beyond norm low note expansion... the low A option for the oboe. Which was created for the sheer purpose of playing music written for other instruments as written. Which Alex Klein uses in his recordings. Most oboists would not consider a low A except for the fact that Alex Klein is extremely popular and plays with it.

Heck open holes would not be as popular in America if not for the like of George Barrere... some insist with reason that it is not the optimal setup for a flute, but a popular flutist preferred it and his fans followed suit to this day.

When enough people want something manufactures follow suit... like inexpensive Alto and Bass flutes Jupiter is churning out recently. In time more music will be written for such instruments as more people play them. The concert flute of today was not the only flute that orchestral music was written for.

Dear I do run on. lol. I need to get some sleep.

Personally... I do learn toward the closed hole / C foot / split E camp as being optimal even though I`ve been playing an open hole / B foot all these years.