Tell us something.: I'm a fiddler and, latterly, a fluter. I love the flute. I wish I'd always played it. I love the whistle as well. I'm blessed in having really lovely instruments for all of my musical interests.
Location: Unimportant island off the great mainland of Europe
benhall.1 wrote:The changes between notes up there are a bit tricky for me yet, but the notes themselves are easy enough, and in any case I have to be able to do them in about a month's time for my Grade VI. Which, of course, I'm taking on an 8-key, patent head Rudall & Rose from about 1840.
That is seriously impressive! Good luck.
Pamela
Thanks Pamela! I expect I'll be posting another 'Wish Me Luck' thread at some point.
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Tell us something.: I'm a fiddler and, latterly, a fluter. I love the flute. I wish I'd always played it. I love the whistle as well. I'm blessed in having really lovely instruments for all of my musical interests.
Location: Unimportant island off the great mainland of Europe
Thanks Peter! I was practising my 2-octave B minor scales this morning, melodic and harmonic - coming along ...
Oh, and back on topic - you really need to use that Eb key up there. And the long and short F keys ... well, everything, really. the cross-fingerings in that 3rd octave are starting to feel more natural to me now as well.
Tell us something.: I'm a fiddler and, latterly, a fluter. I love the flute. I wish I'd always played it. I love the whistle as well. I'm blessed in having really lovely instruments for all of my musical interests.
Location: Unimportant island off the great mainland of Europe
Tell us something.: I'm a fiddler and, latterly, a fluter. I love the flute. I wish I'd always played it. I love the whistle as well. I'm blessed in having really lovely instruments for all of my musical interests.
Location: Unimportant island off the great mainland of Europe
For what it is worth, Ben, Sir James once stated that he did nothing but scales for eight hours a day until he felt like ripping his head off. . .(more like six months worth, I think).
Bob
Not everything you can count, counts. And not everything that counts, can be counted
The Expert's Mind has few possibilities.
The Beginner's mind has endless possibilities.
Shunryu Suzuki, Roshi
Tell us something.: I'm a fiddler and, latterly, a fluter. I love the flute. I wish I'd always played it. I love the whistle as well. I'm blessed in having really lovely instruments for all of my musical interests.
Location: Unimportant island off the great mainland of Europe
an seanduine wrote:For what it is worth, Ben, Sir James once stated that he did nothing but scales for eight hours a day until he felt like ripping his head off. . .(more like six months worth, I think).
Bob
Just about any professional classical soloist on any instrument will do that sort of work early on in their career. Most continue to do a couple of hours scales a day just to get them going so to speak. I don't have that sort of time. Trust me, if I did, I'd do it.
I shall look forward to hearing the Bminor two octave scale when you've got it in good shape, Ben. You're an inspiration to us all.
In the meantime, I'm busy swatting scales to 7b / 7#'s, and intervals for my assessments. It's been a tough road but my aural intervals are getting better - if inconsistently so.
Tell us something.: I'm a fiddler and, latterly, a fluter. I love the flute. I wish I'd always played it. I love the whistle as well. I'm blessed in having really lovely instruments for all of my musical interests.
Location: Unimportant island off the great mainland of Europe
My take on this is based on two things:
1) The model of flute. Some (especially more modern models), are tuned with 1st and 2nd octaves of primary importance. Flutes which are made as keyless, are usually tuned so as to not need the Eb key to bring certain notes in. Many older flutes, do of course need this Eb.
Why then, do we all not play flutes that are tuned perfectly without needing an Eb key venting? Well, I find personally, that although it can seem a little bit more work at first to develop Eb venting, afterwards it's a skill that's never lost. You can always go back to playing without it. However, personally I feel the benefits far outway the small amount of re-adjustment time. One can coax out more colour and dynamics with venting.
2) The music you are playing. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. I feel that if your method works well for the music that you are happy playing, then there is not need to ask yourself "should I use the Eb key". If it sounds good, and it feels good... then it is good!
However, I find some music completely impossible to play without venting. Any venture out-with the bounds G and D, I prefer to vent (even for A, as it gives a good strong E).
Having said that.....
I've recently been playing a fair bit on a C flute (six finger note being C). It could be described as a modern version of Rudall & Rose type flute. It was made with traditional music in mind, and was not made for the same criteria as original R&Rs. When I play this flute, I almost exclusively use the un vented technique. I must say too, that with this flute, it feels like having a different musical head on too. To conclude, I think it's all about finding what is best for the flute (some are meant to be played vented, some are not), the music you are playing, and feeling comfortable doing.
I remember Niall Keegan saying, at a workshop quite a few years ago, that since we had paid for our keys, we should jolly well use them. I've been venting my Eflat key ever since.
It's only my opinion, but I think the notion of venting what I prefer to call the D# key (that's what Boehm calls it, anyway), is all but indefensible. Venting B for middle D makes it slightly louder (albeit sharper) and easier to play, but venting D# does nothing or next to nothing. It does absolutey nothing to aid the player and I defy a listener to be able to tell the difference. Still, if one is taught to do it and is comfortable with it, no harm done.
"In times of trial, swearing often provides a solace denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain
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Cubitt wrote:It's only my opinion, but I think the notion of venting what I prefer to call the D# key (that's what Boehm calls it, anyway), is all but indefensible.
Still, if one is taught to do it and is comfortable with it, no harm done.
I expect I'll be posting another 'Wish Me Luck' thread at some point. 
)
(only with tighter lips than that 
)
Maybe I'll try again in a week ...
