Whats a Keyless Flute?
The Keyless Flute was developed by Sweetheart Flutes around 1977. It’s an Irish flute in two sections (head and body), with no metal keys or tuning slide. It’s perfect for Irish music, where almost every tune is in either the key of D or G (the note C-natural is easily obtained with cross-fingering). The Keyless Flute is simpler, and more affordable while giving the player a great way to get in the game. Flutes have been made in many short sections so they could be packed up, or to set the left-hand section at a more comfortable angle, or because good wood is scarce in long pieces, or because long reamers are hard to drive, or to taper the bore differently in each section.