1st octave overblown low note, C flute

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tcaron20
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1st octave overblown low note, C flute

Post by tcaron20 »

I have a beautiful Milligan high C wooden flute that easily overblows the 1st octave C into the 2nd octave with very little air.
I also have a Milligan D that does not have this issue.

Is it me or an issue with the flute?
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RoberTunes
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Re: 1st octave overblown low note, C flute

Post by RoberTunes »

Whistles of flutes?
If it's a flute, then you can partly alter the flute response between octaves by how you aim the air stream at the tone hole; aiming deeper into the tube allows the lower octave to be more easily reached and aiming more horizontal directly across at the edge of the opposite side, facilitates reaching the upper range of notes with clarity and efficient air use. Practice will teach you just how to do that. NOTE: wooden Irish flute designs may respond differently (less or more) to this variation in technique, compared to standard concert C flutes made of metal.
If it's a whistle issue, check that the whistle airway and tube are perfectly clean and then practice using different air pressures to find the best way to get responses out of the whistles. Others here will have better advice. :party:
Narzog
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Re: 1st octave overblown low note, C flute

Post by Narzog »

Ya I'm not sure if you mean whistle or flute with a embouchure hole. But if its whistle.

This is hard to explain. But you can blow a faster thing of air without necessarily feeling like your blowing harder by changing your blowing shape and other things. Think similar to blowing through a small vs big hole, or making a "Fff" sound. On a fipple instrument like a whistle you have less control than say, on a flute with a hole. But you still have some. If the whistle is made to overblow easily, you cant do a lot to change that. There's nothing you can do to make it so you can blow hard and not overblow. But on a really hard blowing whistle, what I'm mentioning makes more sense. I have a Reyburn low D, and its really hard to hit the top of the second octave without blowing intentionally fast air (and even then its hard). If I intentionally blow not fast air, but just push hard, the high notes wont break. I doubt you are accidentally blowing faster air, but its possible.

A lot of C whistles are high D whistles with a longer tube. Meaning its the same head as a D whistle. Made to overblow the D whistle body. When you put a longer tube on the same mouthpiece, it overblows easier. Think of it the same way as you blow less hard on your lower notes, and harder on the higher. Going lower overblows easier. And your high notes on a C body are less high than on the D, so they also overblow easier. To counter this makers can use bigger tubes and different mouthpiece dimensions to make it so their lower keys dont overblow easier. I'm not sure which of these your C is.

With more breath control practice you should be able to not accidentally overblow. Easily overblowing, medium, and hard overblowing has different pros and cons. But any can be mastered and played well.
tstermitz
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Re: 1st octave overblown low note, C flute

Post by tstermitz »

Milligan is obviously a whistle...

One question. Is the whistle end deeper between your lips or at the edge of your lips? You have a little more control if the whistle is at the edge.

Also, you have some tone control due to the volume within your mouth cavity. Making a big, yawning mouth helps with the lower notes.
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