G#

[matahari_1946]

I've been playing some "A" tunes lately and I find I have a problem with the G# key on certain passes. I can hit it just fine ascending the scale but descending the scale is another story. Trying to get a clean G# from a B or an A doesn't happen all too often for me. Is there some trick that will help or is just going to take a nauseating amount of practice to get it?

[Denny]

like, it's okay if the little finger comes down a wee bit before L3, but not the same wee bit after?

[peeplj]

It doesn't sound to me like your finger quite "knows" where the key is, yet.

Practice it very slowly and as cleanly as you can. Make your fingers stay relaxed.

--James

[hans]

nauseating, yes.

"A" major and its related modes should be a simple key to play in: just one key!
But thanks to the traditional block-mounted wooden English flutes the G# key is a pesky little thing!

It is one reason why I favour a flute sporting a G# key with a good-sized touch, and going across the tube, based on French flute design.

Cheers,
Hans

[gorjuswrex]

Try resting the G# finger (LH4) against the G (LH3). When I started using G# I found I was missing the key at times but I didn't have the two fingers touching. It felt like my finger was too long for the key placement. By accident I found that just keeping them touching worked for me. Rest the pinky against the 3rd. I also find sorting out the tune on a whistle can help sometimes as I find 'A' even easier on a whistle half holing G#.
Nice playing on your boys of balsodaire clip, liked the rythem, feel.

[Trip-]

u're lucky u have a G# key, I'm stuck with a keyless flute - try hitting a G# on that one.
For today, halfholing doesn't work, so I use XX0X0X on the high g#.

[gorjuswrex]

u're lucky u have a G# key, I'm stuck with a keyless flute - try hitting a G# on that one.
For today, halfholing doesn't work, so I use XX0X0X on the high g#.

I find half holing G easy on a whistle but but not on a sideblown flute, the key works better then. Not tried it on a low whistle as I don't have one!

[matahari_1946]

It doesn't sound to me like your finger quite "knows" where the key is, yet.

--James

Could be. I think that is a possibility and upon further evaluation of the problem I noticed that I don't get the hole covered all the way as well.

like, it's okay if the little finger comes down a wee bit before L3, but not the same wee bit after?

Yep.

Try resting the G# finger (LH4) against the G (LH3). When I started using G# I found I was missing the key at times but I didn't have the two fingers touching. It felt like my finger was too long for the key placement. By accident I found that just keeping them touching worked for me. Rest the pinky against the 3rd. . .
Nice playing on your boys of balsodaire clip, liked the rythem, feel.

Thanks, I'll try that. My finger is definitely not too long for the key placement! When I was putting in the order for my flute I asked for an extended G# key so I could actually reach it. Thanks for your comment on the clip!

Thanks, everyone, for your help!

[Denny]

When I was putting in the order for my flute I asked for an extended G# key so I could actually reach it.

....and so the throw of the touch is even longer than the original design.

Simple system being odd, to my mind, as the six fingers do not have a defined throw. On a Boehm the G# throw should match the G throw.

I'm oddly amused that you are experiencing problems going down instead of up.
Well, until I remember that I've had the same issue on my 8 key!
The length of the throw is a bit long, the long F has caused the placement to be just a bit off, life is a strange old duck, ah, nevermind

[chas]

u're lucky u have a G# key, I'm stuck with a keyless flute - try hitting a G# on that one.
For today, halfholing doesn't work, so I use XX0X0X on the high g#.

My first thought when I saw Tiff's post was, "Are you trying to half-hole or cross-fingering?"

[Denny]

I'm a whimp....given up on G# & Eb

[matahari_1946]

Aww, c'mon, Denny. Don't give up! When fiddlers launch into those A major and G minor tunes you musn't let them think they've beaten you. Get in there and show them you can play G#'s and Eb's, too!

[gorjuswrex]

Try resting the G# finger (LH4) against the G (LH3). When I started using G# I found I was missing the key at times but I didn't have the two fingers touching. It felt like my finger was too long for the key placement. By accident I found that just keeping them touching worked for me. Rest the pinky against the 3rd. . .
Nice playing on your boys of balsodaire clip, liked the rythem, feel.

Thanks, I'll try that. My finger is definitely not too long for the key placement! When I was putting in the order for my flute I asked for an extended G# key so I could actually reach it. Thanks for your comment on the clip!

Thanks, everyone, for your help!

I think this resting of the pinky against LH3 should work for short or long fingers. As far as finger lengths go it would be more to do with the relative length of LH3 and LH4. This difference is quite short,approx.20 mm for me, so 'people variations' will be small. I soon found that the pinky just rests nice and comfortable and naturally follows LH3, almost like there is an elastic band holding them together.

[jemtheflute]

Mmmmmm - I believe Tiff plays a Lehart which has a French-style cross-G# in any case????? G# is a bit of a swine generally, I think, in a way that Eb doesn't seem to be - even on Boehm flute it always seemed awkward to me - and I think that awkwardness partly explains the general abandonment of Boehm's oiginal open G# design - which had many advantages over the closed G# that became standard - precisely because players didn't like working L4 so hard! However, like almost everything in playing music, the P word is material..... practice it and it will come. Avoid tension and flailing fingers, try to be relaxed and precise. Work in front of a mirror.

Pick some tunes that call for G# just occasionally in relatively convenient passing sequences but don't emphasise it too strongly (e.g. Margaret's Waltz, St Anne's Reel, Sweeney's Buttermilk) then when it's comfortable in those, move onto something firmly in A major (loads of Scottish fiddle tunes!!!!) that does hit it quite a bit. Canadian fiddler Andy de Jarlis's eponymous jig in E major (on one of the Patrick Street albums) is a good long-term target - even needs rolls on G# in the B music!

[Denny]

Aww, c'mon, Denny. Don't give up! When fiddlers launch into those A major and G minor tunes you musn't let them think they've beaten you. Get in there and show them you can play G#'s and Eb's, too!

I grew up with a tenor sax.
this whole play in the same key with the same rhythm pattern thing is so odd.