Flute in the Hallway and Tone

Bojax · Post by **Bojax** » Fri May 25, 2007 12:44 pm

Just thought I'd share an observation. The other night I went out of my apartment and into the hallway to play my flute - I'm not sure why - just felt like getting out of the house. We live in a basement apartment, so I wouldn't bother anyone else out in the hall. The hallway has a closed door at either end, so it is a large reverberating chamber.

Well, I started playing and... My gosh, it was like I'd plugged my flute into a Marshall stack! The tone was HUGE. The volume was plentiful. And, best of all, it was like I had twice the breath power that I have in the apartment. I could play much longer passages without running out of breath. I could make it through whole songs with no breathing problems. I sounded like... like... well, I sounded a lot better than I ever had before! It was almost magical.

My theory is that because the hallway increases the volume and gives an enormous reverb effect, I end up not blowing as hard to hear myself! When I don't blow as hard I use less air and get better tone. Which is what everyone will tell you to do anyway.... But it was neat to see it demonstrated so clearly. Inside the apt, my tone is not always consistent... it comes and goes. But out in the hallway, the tone was consistently strong - my high notes didn't waver. Like I say, it felt like I was playing an amped flute and I was... Super Fluter (Flauter?)!

Anyone else had a similar hallway experience?

Jayhawk · Post by **Jayhawk** » Fri May 25, 2007 12:57 pm

Yep. I always find that I think my tone is worse outside, same with in my basement which is carpeted and has one of those sound reducing ceilings installed. Upstairs in the rooms with hardwoods, in the staircase going upstairs both have that big sound your talking about.

However, others say I sound fine outside or playing in the basement (maybe they just want me where they can't hear me as well?), so I think it's personal perception.

Eric

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Fri May 25, 2007 1:18 pm

stay out of parking garages and stair wells

treeshark · Post by **treeshark** » Fri May 25, 2007 1:27 pm

When I'm really depressed by my tone I go play in my stairwell... endless echo anything sounds great, don't do it too much though, as going back into my living room it sounds as if I'm playing inside a sock!
I did play once in a disused railway tunnel which was odd as what you played ten minutes earlier would come back at you.

greenspiderweb · Post by **greenspiderweb** » Fri May 25, 2007 1:41 pm

Yes! One time we had a vacant apartment across the hall from us, and it was open, so one night I took my Chieftain Gold Low D over, sat on the hardwood floor, and played away-and I couldn't believe it either! It was simply amazing! Breath control becomes very important in that situation-you're right-all you have to do is breathe into it, and it makes a wonderful sound! It could definitely spoil you in a hurry!

I've often thought about getting an amp and mic, just to be able to reproduce those conditions at will. Don't know that my neighbors would approve though! But then, they might move out...and I wouldn't need the amp! Hmmm...hard decision!

chas · Post by **chas** » Fri May 25, 2007 1:47 pm

We're having our kitchen redone (almost at the end). I played in there when it had been gutted. Wonderful sound. Now that the cabinets are back in it's not so exciting.

In graduate school I used to play my dulcimer in the stairwell of the physics building late at night. That was wonderful.

cavefish · Post by **cavefish** » Fri May 25, 2007 1:56 pm

I had an empty container ( used for ships ) now that sounds awsome better than any amp, played in empty ship hulls, airplane hangers- my house before the funiture, and the shower stall ------------it is heaven-now my place is in the stairwell of my house

DCrom · Post by **DCrom** » Fri May 25, 2007 3:11 pm

We have a three-story stairwell at work that I like to play in when I'm working late

At home, I love to play in the hallway or living room (vaulted ceiling, hardwood floors) for the same reason. When I play in one of the bedrooms (carpets, bookshelves, drapes) the sound seems muted and dead in comparison.

But even without the echos, I love playing outdoors, too. Not quite the volume, but it doesn't have that dead, muffled, sound either.

Jim Troy · Post by **Jim Troy** » Fri May 25, 2007 8:10 pm

as a beginner , on clarinet , many years ago , in another century , i would practice in a small room , filled with shelves of manuscript music , which was like playing in one of those resonance free rooms , to improve my tone .
playing in the Feis Ceoil , the adjudicator complimented on my full tone , but said , basically , my technique was less than brilliant .

played my fiddle some time ago , through an amp , with a fishman pick up thingy , and was amazed how good i could sound , with so little effort .

with the comments above in mind , i'm wondering about the mind set , or whatever , needed to play as if one is playing alone in an empty room .

i love to play slap bang bottom D's , and i love loud, breathy flute players , but i do sit back in wonder , when someone like , say , Brian Duke , or St. Harry, plays as if they are , well , toying with the tune , and sitting in a place far , far away

you may understand from this , that the pints were actually very good tonight , hic .. and i'm thinking of renting a stairwell near you ..

yooval · Post by **yooval** » Sat May 26, 2007 5:13 am

I reckon its best to practice the flute when the room produces a 'dry' sound (without reverberating), I reckon its also best to perform on stage with a dry sound, the music should speak for itself without the need of frills(e.g. echoes) and I also prefer to be able to crisply hear the ornamentation produced in the playing

also, once you get used to playing at the driest possible sound you will always appreciate any other room acoustic you will have to play in or even playing outdoors

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Sun May 27, 2007 7:37 pm

I love playing in the stair way, both flute and whistle, I love the sound of the tone and how the song seems to soar. When my basement was being redone I would go down there and play and play and play. churchs when not busy are great too, thats when I first came across how big empty rooms make the songs sound. I had a clairnet exam in one. made it a little less scary

although as said, when practising normally better to be in a room that doesnt have sound bouncing off walls, but every now and again just for fun...

Wormdiet · Post by **Wormdiet** » Mon May 28, 2007 8:57 am

I recently moved from a dwelling with all-wood floors and a large entry hall-staircase to a mass-produced, concrete apartment block with lots of thick carpeting. blech.

My folks have retired to an 1890s Victorian with 11.5 foot ceilings, wood floors, and lots of wood panelling. Somebody should record an album there.