Here is a Haynes flute with a rare B-flat foot joint. I'd never heard of this before.

Anyone ever heard of other flutemakers producing B-flat foot joints? Whose fingers can reach all the way down to the end? What repertoire calls for a low B-flat? :-)

http://flutes4sale.com/haynes_31938.html

I believe that this flute (or a very similar Haynes) was at Fluteworld on sale for a long time. The low Bb is fingered by the normal Low B plus adding a second LH pinkey key located beyond the usual G#.

I've never seen anything like that! That's really cool.

I think that B-flat is an unusual pitch to have at the very bottom, at least for orchestral repertoire. Why not go all the way down to A? That would be more useful in more pieces. But for symphonic band, I can definitely see uses for the low B-flat.

I have not seen a lot of music with a low B in it, let alone a B flat. I did see the one on flute world a while ago. it seems a bit unconventional for me. But the extra length might change stuff with your sound.... I want to try one...hahah.

Apparantly Balakirev 1 and Mahler 5 have examples of Bb. The source (Norman Del Mar) gave no examples of A so there you go.

Very interesting. Thanks!

low bfalt is rare.. they do make an A footjoint but that is even more rare.... there is even an Eb footjoint which is absolutely tiny... amazing how many variations.

here is a video of a flute with an a foot. Its in japanese but you can still see it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY-Du6KvCdE&feature=related

its pretty neat