Assessing Helpfully

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waltsweet
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Assessing Helpfully

Post by waltsweet »

Dear Flute-Reviewers,

I think this would be very helpful: When describing tuning, it would be meaningful to say "the octaves are stretched (too far apart)" or "the octaves are compressed (too close together)" (see Terry's graphs); these are opposite assessments, requiring opposing design changes. Just as good would be to say, for example, that "I've moved the tuning slide so the high A is OK, but now the low A is flat (stretched)," or the reverse. Of course, all the steps of the scale need to be evaluated before changing the design for the group. Recently, someone was describing a flute to say the B was flat (not helpful). Well, it begs the question, high B or low B (compressed or stretched, respectively)? Makers know that the general octave relationship needs to be established in advance of other design changes. Then there's the issue of pushing the pitch on high B to say "ta-daa" at the high point of a tune. Benade wrote about "Cooperative Regimes of Oscillation" where a certain droop (stretch) was essential to support that resonance and complex tone we all love.

A popular field adjustment is to move the endstopper (the cork). Moving it closer to the blowhole will stretch the octaves (raise the highs / lower the lows). However, departing from the maker's recommendations can compromise many other aspects of playability. On the classic ("Irish") flute, managing the octave relationship takes different technique than on the Böhmflöte, where the official, dogmatic, sacred position of endstoper-to-blowhole-center is 17.1mm . We have Voodoo dolls to punish the rebels. In the fife & drum world, traditional fifes are made in one piece (without a tuning slide). In this case, the best we can do is to move the cork to tune the high notes (3rd octave), and teach the player to lip the rest.

A big factor I'm starting to notice is the power of playing habits (individual technique). Some of the best players know which notes can really "belt it out" while other notes are just mediocre, even on their favorite flute. Sometimes there's inertia: a player needs time to bring-out all that a new flute can do. Unfortunately, if patience is short, the differences are not always perceived as improvements. Forty-four years have done me well ! Break-in period? That's more about the player and less about the instrument.

Walt Sweet
Last edited by waltsweet on Mon Feb 13, 2023 2:24 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Assessing Helpfully

Post by Nanohedron »

waltsweet wrote: Mon Feb 13, 2023 7:53 amBreak-in period? That's more about the player and less about the instrument.
Well said.
"If you take music out of this world, you will have nothing but a ball of fire." - Tribal musician
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waltsweet
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Re: Assessing Helpfully

Post by waltsweet »

waltsweet wrote: Mon Feb 13, 2023 7:53 am . . . [In the case of one-piece drumcorps fifes], . . . the best we can do is to move the cork [so the high notes (3rd octave) align in the group], and teach the [individual] player to lip the [lower notes].
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