2-Part Poll Part 2: Do flutists try to play too loudly?

[peeplj]

The threads on "filling the flute" aroused my curiosity as to how folks perceive a couple of things; thus, a 2-part poll.

Thanks!

--James

[tin tin]

With regard to option #1, I think the desire to be really loud is a pitfall for less accomplished players; as the embouchure develops, so does the possible dynamic range. So really loud playing isn't bad per se, it depends who's doing it and to what end.

I also agree with #2. The problem in a noisy session is that it can sometimes be hard for the player to hear his/her flute (though it might sound fine some feet away), and so the player feels the need play "like a cannon," though it may not be necessary.

I think the issue is confused a bit by combining the terms "volume" and "projection" in option #4. I think of them seperately; that's one reason why the "which flute is loudest" question that perennially pops up isn't very relevant. And because great projection can be accomplished without big "in your face" volume (which is often misleading), #2 holds true.

Rather a different context than most of us find ourselves in, but I think of hearing a symphony orchestra, and hearing a relatively quiet flute passage singing right through dozens of other instruments--good projection (not volume) at work. Actually, one can hear the same phenomenon at a session, too, especially when heading to the bar for a refill.
Years ago, I remember trying various flutes, and one had easy to achieve big volume--made me feel like a very powerful player. Yet the one I ended up purchasing didn't seem as loud but was capable of better projection.

[talasiga]

This is a very badly flawed poll and I have not participated.

[peeplj]

This is a very badly flawed poll and I have not participated.

This is nothing more than my own curiosity, as to how the folks on the board view this.

No doubt it could have been worded better, but definitely no offense is intended to anyone.

Participate or not, as you like, and best wishes to you, either way.

--James

[talasiga]

I am not personally offended. Just giving some feedback. You see, everyone's flute listening experience is different and there are different types of flute playing and differences within each type. It would have been good if you had clipped a few examples of a range of flute playings and then we could have pitched our polling and comments on those as a common denominator.

I like polls and polling and encourage you to develop your abilites as a pollster. Mine are apolling.

[Il Friscaletto]

Geez, it's just a poll. Soon it will be lost to the pages and forgotten about...

...besides we're flutists, not pollsters :)

[fluti31415]

apolling.

[jemtheflute]

I see punning is catching! We shall all soon quite lose our heads with it, and then we can't be polled!

I too am refraining from voting (but not from poll-uting this thread! ) as I can't properly agree or disagree with the poll statements offered sufficiently to reflect my opinions, but I'm not at all offended either. That problem is one that even (or maybe especially) professional pollsters compiling questionaires for commercial or government surveys also suffer from. The statistics subsequently compiled from such surveys where it is impossible to give an accurate answer are even more worthless than most statistics, but are often the basis of public policies!

I agree with the points being made about projection versus sheer volume in decibels. If you attend outdoor music events (especially un-amplified) or hear buskers using flutes, it is often the sound of the flute (and not necessarily in the higher registers) that attracts one's attention from a distance, maybe a couple of fields or streets away, as the only thing one hears. You follow the sound, find the performers, discover there is a fiddle and a guitar and a banjo too, and close to, you can't hear the flute over the others. This is presumably to do with the specific acoustic wave forms produced by the instruments and their relative carrying power etc. Similarly even with a solo flautist busking - you'll hear him/her from distance quite clearly, but when you get close, the ambient street noise makes it much harder to hear what is being played properly.

Obviously higher frequency sounds are more penetrating.
It's great to be able to sustain a honking, reedy tone in all registers. (Wish I could, at least, more consistently!)
Aesthetically, balance is generally more pleasing than imbalance, so we all naturally moderate how we play the different octaves with their different sound-colours, regardless of our level of competence or how much we think about it or pay attention to chosen control.

Returning to flippancy, I can't speak about how all this works for "flutists" 'cos I don't know any! Maybe it's different over the pond?

[sbhikes]

I don't have enough experience to say what flutists are or are not doing correctly. We have one flutist in the session I've been to now 3 times and he does not appear to be trying to play loudly. He's not very loud, but you can hear him. And you can also hear when he's not playing.

[I.D.10-t]

The dynamics should sound right. In a past question I found that ITM doesn't have much in dynamics, but for my enjoyment, if it sounds good, I adjust the volume no matter what the note.
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I play for fun and I do not have an audience other than me.
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(I tend to play very soft)