I am, of late intrigtued with the possibillity of getting a flute with one head joint and various bodies.
I’m becoming more and more monogamist in my feelings about flutes.
It seems like really getting to know just one flute and really developing an intimate embouchre relationship with that particular instrument is the way to go.
I play a keyless two-piece by Martin Doyle which was, for a couple of years, a pretty dang good flute but has become,in the past six months or so, an amazingly satisfying flute.
That said, a fellow still dreams of having a C flute or an Eb or a keyed one. Seems like multiple bodies might be the answer to not being “unfaithful” to one’s embouchre monogamy. It would also seem a more economical route.
So two questions:
When playing a D, C or Eb body with the same headjoint does the embouchre change much or is it more a question of air quantity?
I would doubt that a headjoint (presuming head/barrel to be one) will fit onto an A flute. The flute would be too small (if in the upper) or too large (if below low Bb) to accommodate the headpiece.
That said…some flutes can use the same body and play in Eb and in D with different headpieces. My own Pratten is that way, happily in Eb with a very short headpiece pirated from a non-Nicholson Clementi, and in D with its regular headpiece.
The makers would know far better than I why some flutes can work both ways, mostly because of hole alignments/placements, etc, but generally in the old days (and many today) provide different bodies for the pitches. Some Monzani flutes (i’m sure other makers did it, too…but I use Monzani as example because I’ve seen those) had several bodies (typically the middle or left hand joint…Monzani flutes often have the RH and foot joints as one piece). Yet, one Monzani that I own has two head pieces (marked 1 & 2 appropriately), presumably for D and Eb (or the varying pitches). Monzani made many in this manner (as did his co-hort and eventual biz owner Henry Hill).
I have a keyless Olwell D. I can use the HJ and foot with the Eb body as well as with the D and C bodies. It works fine-- plays well in tune and makes a lovely portable package when you’re on the road. I’m not a huge fan of Eb but the D HJ/foot works beautifully with the C body. Flutes and pipes sound great in the key of C.
As Dave mentioned, as far as I know everybody makes a jump in bore size from (Eb, D, C) to (B, Bb, A). Also, the position of the slide will be a little different depending on the pitch of the instrument: for example, Pat Olwell’s intention is that the (same) headjoint be pushed nearly all the way in on the Eb body, out some for the D, and out even more for the C.
Remember that these flutes do make some compromises as far as optimum stopper position goes. Also, the footjoint is usually optimized for a particular body. Sometimes you’ll need body and foot, sometimes you can get away with just changing the body.
The air requirement of any flute seems to me to be quite dependent on the headjoint. The body plays a part, maybe, but I don’t notice that there’s much of a difference playing the Eb versus D body of the one-head-two-body flute that I own.
I definitely feel more of a difference using various different headjoints on the same flute. But that could just be me, as well.