The New High Altitude Stopper Position Thread
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2018 2:24 pm
Hi All,
I did a search with the word "altitude" on the flute forum and did not find a discussion on this topic. Maybe I missed it, so if I did, forgive me!
So, as some may know, I try to play many instruments, Irish flute among them, and I enjoy trying different flutes. I have bought and sold many flutes, and my goal is to find the "best" flute, without losing any money. I have not made any money in this venture. Also, I occasionally sell a very fine flute, as I occasionally decide that I need to focus on another instrument, most notably and recently the lap slide/dobro/weissenborn guitar, which I have found pretty challenging, since there are no frets. In spite of my best attempts to focus, I often come back to the flute, as I seem to like blowing on the instrument, and I find it reinforcing when I make good sounds occasionally.
My latest flute acquisition is a keyless blackwood Noy in the Nicholson style. I acquired this flute from another Chiffer in a trade. I have really struggled to play this flute, and have a history of playing some really good makers' flutes flat on the bottom D. The advice I usually get is that I need to practice more and work on my embouchure and that with practice, it will come in tune. That, or that I need to roll the flute out more to sharpen the flute. This advice is disheartening, as I like to play lots of instruments, and so focused practice hasn't really happened. So.... I decided to sell this flute in frustration and really give up flute playing this time.
So, last night I decided to buy a higher-end dobro and was really thinking of practically giving the Noy away at a very low price. In one last-ditch effort with the flute, I remembered some discussion about the stopper position and thought that maybe I would mess with it. I found the dowel and pushed the stopper a bit away from the embouchure hole.
The flute immediately produced a nice, hard, reedy low D that was WAY sharper than I could play it before. So much so, I had to pull the tuning slide pretty far out (a little more than a 1/2 inch). The flute is in tune in both octaves and all 3 D's. I now love this flute, and I didn't even have to work on my embouchure, or practice or do much of anything!
I used to play uilleann pipes (not well) and used to shove all manner of objects (guitar strings, twisty ties, balls of cat hair) into the bell and bore to make the chanter play in tune. I know that on the pipes moving the reed out of seat lowers the high holes much more than the low holes (hence the stuffing of things mentioned above). I really don't know how the stopper functions on the Irish flute. The following is from Terry McGee's website:
"Conclusions
We can draw these conclusions:
moving the stopper makes no appreciable change in intonation in the lowest octave
there is some change by the upper end of the second octave, increasing as you go up in pitch
there is substantial change in the third octave, increasing as you go up in pitch
all changes are in the same direction - moving the stopper towards the embouchure hole sharpens the higher notes
the relationship between third octave notes and their lower octave counterparts provides a method to fine-tune stopper position.
This is not a knock on Terry at all. I look at his website often for info and interest. I just don't get it. I am thinking that altitude is a factor here that I have not seen discussed. I live in Albuquerque at right around 5000 feet.
Your comments and expertise are appreciated. The Noy is no longer for sale
Sorry about the long post. I got some new fresh-roasted coffee beans from a local roaster. Too many lattes!
Now off to a session! Watch out!
I did a search with the word "altitude" on the flute forum and did not find a discussion on this topic. Maybe I missed it, so if I did, forgive me!
So, as some may know, I try to play many instruments, Irish flute among them, and I enjoy trying different flutes. I have bought and sold many flutes, and my goal is to find the "best" flute, without losing any money. I have not made any money in this venture. Also, I occasionally sell a very fine flute, as I occasionally decide that I need to focus on another instrument, most notably and recently the lap slide/dobro/weissenborn guitar, which I have found pretty challenging, since there are no frets. In spite of my best attempts to focus, I often come back to the flute, as I seem to like blowing on the instrument, and I find it reinforcing when I make good sounds occasionally.
My latest flute acquisition is a keyless blackwood Noy in the Nicholson style. I acquired this flute from another Chiffer in a trade. I have really struggled to play this flute, and have a history of playing some really good makers' flutes flat on the bottom D. The advice I usually get is that I need to practice more and work on my embouchure and that with practice, it will come in tune. That, or that I need to roll the flute out more to sharpen the flute. This advice is disheartening, as I like to play lots of instruments, and so focused practice hasn't really happened. So.... I decided to sell this flute in frustration and really give up flute playing this time.
So, last night I decided to buy a higher-end dobro and was really thinking of practically giving the Noy away at a very low price. In one last-ditch effort with the flute, I remembered some discussion about the stopper position and thought that maybe I would mess with it. I found the dowel and pushed the stopper a bit away from the embouchure hole.
The flute immediately produced a nice, hard, reedy low D that was WAY sharper than I could play it before. So much so, I had to pull the tuning slide pretty far out (a little more than a 1/2 inch). The flute is in tune in both octaves and all 3 D's. I now love this flute, and I didn't even have to work on my embouchure, or practice or do much of anything!
I used to play uilleann pipes (not well) and used to shove all manner of objects (guitar strings, twisty ties, balls of cat hair) into the bell and bore to make the chanter play in tune. I know that on the pipes moving the reed out of seat lowers the high holes much more than the low holes (hence the stuffing of things mentioned above). I really don't know how the stopper functions on the Irish flute. The following is from Terry McGee's website:
"Conclusions
We can draw these conclusions:
moving the stopper makes no appreciable change in intonation in the lowest octave
there is some change by the upper end of the second octave, increasing as you go up in pitch
there is substantial change in the third octave, increasing as you go up in pitch
all changes are in the same direction - moving the stopper towards the embouchure hole sharpens the higher notes
the relationship between third octave notes and their lower octave counterparts provides a method to fine-tune stopper position.
This is not a knock on Terry at all. I look at his website often for info and interest. I just don't get it. I am thinking that altitude is a factor here that I have not seen discussed. I live in Albuquerque at right around 5000 feet.
Your comments and expertise are appreciated. The Noy is no longer for sale
Sorry about the long post. I got some new fresh-roasted coffee beans from a local roaster. Too many lattes!
Now off to a session! Watch out!