Second octave d is reluctant to speak

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paddler
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Re: Second octave d is reluctant to speak

Post by paddler »

The behavior you describe could also be caused by a slight inconsistency or inaccuracy in closing the tone holes
on the flutes in question. I have quite a lot of different flutes, and some have slightly different tone hole spacing
to others. This didn't used to bother me at all, but over recent years I have been losing flexibility in my hands and
I have noticed that when I switch to certain flutes with slightly larger inter-tone hole spacing, or perhaps just larger
tone holes, I end up sometimes not sealing the tone holes perfectly, even though I think I am. This can have the same
effect as a leaking key, or a bad embouchure day, weakening the tone on certain notes. My first reaction is usually
that the flute isn't performing well. It is always the flute's fault, after all!

The fact that you have particular problems approaching the second octave D from below makes me think this might
be your problem, because when you approach it from below you simultaneously place several fingers on open holes,
with virtually no reference to guide you. If all of those holes are not precisely where your muscle memory thinks they
are, you may inadvertently have a slight leak.

Approaching the same note from above is less prone to this problem because you are leaving more fingers in
place, and you have a lot more reference points and feedback to augment your muscle memory. The problem would not
occur on your favorite flutes because the holes are where your fingers expect them to be, and perhaps more importantly,
they are sized as you expect them to be. Is it true that the problematic flutes have tone holes that are at the large
end of the spectrum for the flutes that you commonly play?

I have a bansuri flute that I occasionally try to play, and I often have problems properly sealing the tone holes because
(a) they are huge, and (b) the distance between the two holes closest to the foot (r2 and r3) is much longer than on
my other flutes. My hands have now become sufficiently inflexible that this flute presents a persistent challenge for me.

Another aspect of this may be that lifting your top finger (L1) may have a slight effect on the position of your other fingers,
and perhaps enough to introduce a leak on flutes with larger tone holes or unfamiliar spacing.

Just another idea to throw into the mix ...
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Re: Second octave d is reluctant to speak

Post by cac »

Paddler: I read your post before the thread was lost and didn't have a chance to reply before the thread went into limbo. It has just popped back, so please accept this belated reply. There is a lot of sense in what you suggest. Two of the flutes are Pratten types and the third is a medium-holed Rudall. The flutes that I don't have trouble with are small-holed (three) and one medium-holed (and I have trouble with this one when I've been playing it for a while -- trouble covering the bottom hole when playing, e.g. B to d). On one of the troublesome flutes, however, there is a very distinctive 'gurgle' made when going from B to d and it is different from the sound made when I fail to cover the holes. So I think that on this on flute, there is also an embouchure cut problem in addition to the large C# hole problem that was 'uncovered' earlier in this thread. Thanks for you thoughtful comment. Overall this has been a very useful thread. Chet
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