In my experience, creating a hard low D occurs when I have the right concept of the airflow in the flute and tone production. The Irish flute tone is a blasting tone, i.e. I concentrate on/visualize/conceptualize the air going in the flute as I blow closer to the bottom of the embouchure hole, having the air circulate down in flute and come back out through the top part of the embouchure hole.
For the low D, it’s important not to try push the air flow all the way through the flute, from the blow hole through the hole at the bottom. What’s important is to have the air go what seems about half way through the flute (it’s different for each flute) then circulate back up and blast out the embouchure hole. Because of the simple system’s conical, tapering body shape, the circulation of air and blasting back out the top occurs naturally.
Another key factor with Irish flute tone, especially the low D, is finding the the OPTIMAL amount of air to blow in the flute for each note. In other words, do NOT blow harder, use more air, to try to make your tone harder. It’s like playing a double reed instrument: not enough air, hardly any, if any, sound comes out; too much air can actually close the reed so no sound comes out; using just the right amount of air makes the best tone.
Thanks guys. I am working on long tones in the low register every day and it is helping a lot with my tone in general including hardening the D. Thanks for all the (mainly) positive comments. My flute is a G Somers Pratten and I don’t believe in can’t!
Good, with that attitude, you will no doubt get there-it mainly just takes time to get there and discovering new ways to blow (direction and focus) until it happens.
My negative comment about some flute players not being able to get the hard low D was meant for those who say certain flutes are not capable of it-and to whom that was directed, not you. Good flute makers don’t put flutes out there that aren’t capable of playing well, 99.9% of the time. When it seems that is true to the player-it’s either a crack, air leak, or most likely, how they are blowing.
On a couple of photography forums that I frequent about half way down the first page this discussion would have degenerated into a “Pratten vs. Rudall” (read: Nikon vs. Canon) or a “you can’t be serious, nobody does it that way, how the hell could you possibly suggest that” sorta thing.
The truly thoughtful suggestions, exercises, resources and things to try offered by all of you is really refreshing.
This is without doubt the best collection of gentlepersons anywhere on the internet…I’d love to buy you all a pint (oh wait, I’m retiring after this semester, I’d better not…sorry).
Hello! Been off on other things for a while but still tootling away on my M&E keyless … I’ve found that my low notes get better when I “harden” my upper lip for want of another way of putting it. When I get higher, I pout out my upper lip a titch more, and stiffen it so it’s tougher and “harder” when I go low, holding it more tightly and stiffly against my upper teeth. I’ve found that that helps tremendously.
One comment about the Boehm flute someone mentioned earlier in the thread - if you have leaking keys then take it to someone to fix it. Either new pads, or more often just readjustment of the mechanism. There is no point playing it if it isn’t working. If the GSharp hole is leaking on the low D then it will be leaking on many other places (notes). Life is too short to mess with that sort of poor result for your valuable effort in trying to play it. If money is an issue then you could try to readjust the mechanism yourself. If it is only one pad (e.g. torn…) then that too could be replaced by yourself. Often a leaking pad on a mechanical system can be a spring which has got too weak and can be strengthened with a bit of judicious bending or even replacing.
The low notes on the flute are the ones that involve the most flute and so also have the highest chances of involving the sections with leaks - if there are any. So that is why people often say check for leaks when looking for a strong low D. Leaks can either destroy the resonance (no, or weak sound) or - if in the right place - by selectively killing off the lower harmonics, force the note up into higher harmonics (jumping out of the lower register…).
Experiment with your flute. Spend time getting to know it, try different configurations of rotation of the different sections, and just keep blowing! When I first took delivery of my Grinter, I could get a better tone out of my M&E polymer, because I was so used to that embrochure. Fast forward a few hundred hours, and I’ve now found that for me, I can get the best tone when I rotate the embrochure away from the centre line of the flute slightly, rather than towards me, the way most people might. Incidentally, most other people who pick up my flute can’t get anything below about a G out of it the way I have it set up, so it all comes down to each person and each flute. The other thing that I will say is that proper breathing techniques are very important, make sure you use your diaphragm!! Have fun with it!
One thing to consider to be sure it’s not the issue - check that your c# and b hole fingers are completely covering the holes. The tiniest amount of air escaping can cause havoc on the low e and d notes while having less effect on the F#, G, and A notes (thus “hiding” the issue). It’s possible that could explain that descending works better - maybe you are putting more focus on covering all of those notes that way as opposed to dropping all your fingers down at the same time.
I was having issues with a low D on one of my flutes. I realized that I was leaving a minuscule gap on my c# finger, which was weakening the low d and making it easily pop up to the middle D. You can test it by pulling a low D and then very carefully pulling back/up your first and/or second finger on your left hand and hear the effect. Then push it back hard and get it back down to the low register.
In my case, I put a little almond oil on my finger pads and pushed harder to test it and it fixed the weak low D. I think some wear and tear on my finger pads from hours of digging actually was letting air through.
And, as always, patience. Embouchure becomes stronger the longer you play, and finally solves such problems. The more you play, the better you get. It happens slowly, sometimes imperceptibly. It very much helps to enjoy practicing.
I turn my head joint in as I find it more comfortable.
I sometimes notice that if my fingers are very dry I don’t fully cover the hole/s - if in a session I dampen my fingers at home I moisturise (cos I’m worth it )
