Tuning questions

[Sutehoot]

Is there a preferred tuning note on simply system flutes, or is it more dependent on each individual flute and who/what other instruments you're playing with? I'd love to hear different thoughts on this.

[Conical bore]

For playing in sessions, the local convention is everyone tunes to either clip-on tuners, or a fiddler or concertina player's A note. So I check my flute against the "group A" concertina or fiddle note... wherever that ends up on a given day.

When playing and practicing at home, I prefer tuning to a G note, and then checking that the octaves match. On my flute, that usually gets me in better overall tuning than just tuning the A note. When I'm at home and playing tunes with my fiddler S.O. I ask her to hit the fiddle's open G string harmonic, and I check my flute's G against that. I'll also tune to the G note on my phone tuner, if I need to get in sync with a recording that I'm playing along with for practice.

If I'm just practicing or playing alone at home for fun, and don't have to worry about being in tune to an outside reference, I just pull the tuning slide to where it looks "right" based on experience, and then play on.

[Gromit]

I would agree with Conical bore I always tune to G if I can, in a session tune to a fixed note instrument like a concertina or box and preferably to a G if possible.

I picked up that advice in a flute workshop a long time ago - the reason given that a G is a more stable (?) note whereas an A can vary on a flute.

[an seanduine]

The G note is preferred. As stated above, the A is influenced, often, by the compromises the maker has made to provide a good cross-fingered C natural.

Bob

[Sutehoot]

Thanks everyone! Good info.

[jim stone]

'What is the definition of a chord? Three flooters playing A.'