flute intonation practice « Practicing Flutist

Intonation is Relative

March 23, 2012 at 8:33 pmCategory:Practicing the Flute

I am constantly surprised at how differently I approach intonation practice than so many other people. I was in a flute choir rehearsal last week and the director was working on a passage where the intonation was not working. She was working on just 3 notes that a section had to play, D3-F3-D3. They got the first two notes going pretty well, but they could not come back to the second D3 from the F3. I made a remark to myself that the problem was not the notes themselves, it was that the descending interval was not the same size as the ascending interval. The flutist next to me heard and said something like “Wow, you really analyzed that on a different level!”

I do not have such great ears that I was hearing what each player was doing. It only makes sense that if they can play D3-F3 with and be in tune with each other and don’t get back to the D3 together, they have done something differently. The second D3 is different from the first and the second interval is a different size than the first.

To me, this is part of learning to play in tune, not so much that the individual notes are at the ‘correct’ frequency, but that the intervals are the proper size. Start by not stretching the octaves, don’t go sharper as you ascend or flatter as you descend. All D’s are proportional to each other, make them sound that way. Same for all E’s, F’s, C#’s, etc. So simple, so difficult, and so necessary. If the director had told the section to play the second D3 the same as the first, it could have been a much simpler fix, rather than saying ‘you are sharp and you are flat’ etc. Intonation is relative. Start from note and tune every other note in relation to that one.

Looking for a Pitch Tendency Chart?

February 7, 2012 at 8:42 pmCategory:Practicing the Flute

I’ve noticed that one of the most popular pages on this blog is the page on creating a pitch tendency chart. I have a feeling that what people are really looking for is a chart that will tell them what the pitch tendencies of the flute are, so I thought I would explain why I haven’t provided such a thing, but instead tell you how to create one for yourself.

While there are some pitches on almost all flutes that can be counted on to be sharp or flat intonation-wise (c# in the staff, e and f# above the staff), individual players and different flutes will each have their own tendencies for all the other notes. A note that is flat or sharp for one person may not be for another. And if you play on different flutes for different purposes, especially if you play alto, bass, picc, etc., you will want to chart your tendencies on those flutes as well.

There are two purposes for charting your pitch tendencies. One is so that you will know what your own tendencies are so you can learn to adjust for them. The second is that just by doing the work of charting your tendencies, you become more aware of your tone production and improvement begins almost automatically. This is why I don’t provide a chart of generalized pitch tendencies, because they might not apply to you! So spend a little time, make a nice chart and start measuring your own personal pitch tendencies. You might be surprised at what you find!

Cats and Flutes

August 28, 2011 at 5:32 pmCategory:Practicing the Flute

I’ve noticed that many flute people are also cat people. I have always had cats and I seem to know more flute people with cats than with dogs. Maybe this is just my experience, but I wonder if there is something to it.

Cats do seem to make good musical companions because they are usually pretty disinterested in what you are doing and will leave you alone when you practice, though they may complain if you spend a lot of time in the high register. Some flute friends were at my house last week to read quartets and I was certain one of my cats was about to swat the person playing the first part of a particularly high-reaching piece. Turned out that he just wanted to see if he could get her to share her chair.

My cats do seem to have an affinity for my flute bag (and anyone else’s!) so I can’t leave it lying on a table or else it will be covered in fur. The same goes for open flute cases. Very cute, but not good for the flute! A couple of them also delight in clearing any table or desk of music, tuners, metronomes, etc., with reckless abandon. They then look up at me as if to say “I was only doing my stretching exercises. Didn’t you want this table cleared off?”

One of my cats particularly likes the Baroque flute. When I play it for him, he gets this beatific look on his face and he gives a lovely little meow in the pauses between phrases.

I probably sound like the crazy cat lady, but I share my home and often my practice space with a colorful cast of feline characters. I just hope they get as much out of it as I do!

Flute Practice and Technology

June 13, 2011 at 1:17 pmCategory:Practicing the Flute

There has been a little controversy raging on Flute List lately regarding approaches to flute technique, specifically tone production and intonation. Some contributors are very scientific in their approach and others are not, and I think the science-oriented people got a little offended by some comments that may have made it sound like they were going about things the wrong way.

Personally, I think it’s great that some people can think about precisely aiming their air stream at very specific angles while blowing the air at a controlled and measured air velocity of x/per second, etc. That someone knows these angles and measurements impresses me to no end, but how do they know they are accomplishing this when they pick up a flute? If it were essentially that simple, then why can’t all flutist be taught to do this from the very beginning? And, when we can program a machine to do this, why do we find the results unsatisfying?

I agree that the air must be aimed at appropriate angles at sufficient velocities to produce good results. But, how each individual accomplishes that feat is less a matter of meeting specific criteria, than it is a constant exercise in trial error. Each person’s physiognomy is unique, the physical properties of flutes varies hugely, environmental conditions add to the list of variables, on and on and on. It’s a wonder that anyone learns to play well!!

But some do learn to play excellently, and many learn to play well, and I like to believe that most can achieve decent tone quality and better than passable intonation. Technology can be very useful; I use it in my practicing and I teach others how I think it should be used. But when we perform, or when we play with others, we have to be able to play without the benefit of meters measuring our pitch or our tempo or our air speed, etc. We have to learn how it feels to produce a good sound, how it sounds and feels to be in tune. Our bodies and our brains are what measure and evaluate what we are doing when we play, so we have to train them to be able to do that reliably and confidently, and then to make the necessary and constant adjustments that will get us the result we want. It’s not enough to say, “Blow at this angle and at this speed.” That is only the beginning!

Flute Overhaulin’

March 27, 2011 at 4:07 pmCategory:Uncategorized

Wow! Just got my flute back after a long overdue overhaul and I cannot believe the difference! The sound is so resonant, the low notes come out without coaxing, and the runs really rip. It’s amazing!

Finding good repair people can be really difficult, but I have had excellent luck sending mine to the US distributor for Miyazawa Flutes, West Music in Coralville, Iowa. I play a hybrid, a Miyazawa PCM body with a silver Powell head, so sending it to the Miyazawa shop just makes sense to me. The tech Erik did such a great job! It was a complete overhaul, new springs, new corks, those fancy Straubinger pads, and a thorough clean and polish. It looks like a new flute, it is so shiny now. They even crafted and installed a brass nut to replace the washers and putty that I had put in the crown when I was experimenting with adding weight to the head, ala Patricia George. I bet that was a nasty little surprise when they pushed out the cork!

Because it has a ‘foreign’ head joint, all the repair techs had to try it out. The reviews sounded favorable, but Erik did comment on my “funny old head joint”. I had to politely point out that the body is older than the head.

My poor flute had gotten so bad that I was convinced that I needed a new flute (of course, who doesn’t think that!), but now I think I can hang on a little longer. Though I take great pride in being able to do basic cleaning and oiling and make some adjustments myself, I will definitely not let it go so long next time. I’m always telling students to go get their flutes fixed, it’s about time I followed that advice!

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