I know there have been several posts about alto flutes, brand recommendations, etc. They're also pretty old. I play flute as my primary instrument and also piccolo. I am very interested in buying an alto flute, but I was hoping to get some honest insight about it. From what I've found out so far, there isn't a lot of music written specifically for alto. That's not a huge issue. I'm working on Jazz improv for flute and I've noticed some jazz players with altos. I really like the sound of an alto. For those of you that play alto, do you find you play it as much as C flute? I just don't want to spend $1500 on something that's going to sit in the closet and not get much use. Do any of you use it for jazz? =)

It sounds to me like you should seriously consider an alto flute for three possibilities..
I have the Pearl Model 201 alto, which plays beautifully considering the cost, and easy to
play the lowest notes, too. I find that...

1) the alto flute (for me) is what the tenor sax is in jazz for saxpohones.
I find I get the most enjoyment from my alto when playing jazz. You won't play as long
(big and heavy) but worth the results.

2) Also works in select church melodies. I've played it in church with good feedback
(from attendees).

3) There are some classical pieces that you can play on it. A lot of times it's hard to
find transpositions, and there aren't tons of pieces available strictly for alto, but
you can find some.

I must say I've never really liked piccolo (too demanding for me). I can play most flutes
(alto, soprano, baroque, Irish) and tenor & alto saxophones. Even fife is tough for me in
the third octave.

Alto and bass flutes are astounding things, really.

I just... yes, they are absurdly expensive.

My only gripe is that they are in the wrong key, really. It should be Bb, IMO. G is a bit odd at times to transpose with.


http://kjt.glis.net/tealflutestudio/PiccoloEbTenor.html
A nice page about the Bb flute. I really wish they still made these at an affordable price.

Altus and Sankyo do make them , so they are available. No - not cheap, though...(sigh)

http://www.tootlingted.co.uk/Flute%20article.htm
A nice article on them.

Silly pricey, though, which is a shame. This is one area where I really wouldn't mind seeing cheaper Chinese/etc flutes being made. An Alto or Bass flute shouldn't be more than 20-30% more costly to produce than a typical flute.

if you plan to play in show orchestra pits or do flute ensembles, an alto flute is a great thing to have, if you get really good at it, and they know you own one, you have an even great advantage

i have saw a couple of alto flutes on ebay (cheap chinese ones)

Thanks, everyone.

Patrick, what you said:
if you plan to play in show orchestra pits or do flute ensembles, an alto flute is a great thing to have, if you get really good at it, and they know you own one, you have an even great advantage

That is exactly what my goal is. That's why I took up piccolo as well. I figured it would really aid to making me more marketable as a musician. Like I said, I really want it for jazz as well. I'm assuming alto flute is in alto clef as well? I play viola, so I already read alto clef. =)

I am renting a Jupiter 521 S and it is fairly cheap compared to other altos and I like it

alto is just transposed, although being able to transpose is a good skill to master, I have alto on my new CD, being a good picc player is a great idea, I have made lots of $$$ playing both, I even have a bass here at home

Patrick, how does a new alto flutist go about learning to transpose?

transposing is a theory skill in which you learn to think of the same piece in a different key, one good way to start is to take a simple tune you know and play it in as many different keys as you can, this is also a good way to develop an even tone ...

If you want make yourself more marketable transposition is a great skill to have.
Start by playing a simple piece as written.
Then play the same piece but read all the notes down a whole step.
Then try it the other way with everything up a whole step.

If you want to do pit orchestra stuff you HAVE to be able to transpose at sight.