I’ve been lurking here for a good while but now I think it’s about time to send a message, because… my new flute(s!) have arrived!
I now am a proud owner of a fully keyed Aebi D-flute (Rudall type) and a Bb-Flute of the same maker. Both flutes are just one week old. I am almost frightened at how well-balanced they are… I’ll have to balance my own playing now I’m afraid…
The program Audacity caught my mind as I read the glottal triplets thread and I just had to play with it for the craic. My equipment here is really low-tec, I’ve used the cheap little microphone that came with my computer. So what you’ll hear here is me playing concertina and my new d-flute at the same time (but slightly out of sync, I didn’t have headphones to play along with my own playing… be warned!):
The fingerspan on a Bb is smaller than you might think. Your hands are further away from your mouth (i.e., embouchure-to-top-hole distance), but the actuall spread isn’t a whole lot more than a D, and certainly not much more than a low D whistle. But, when it comes to ergonomics, I think little distances can mean a lot.
What materials did you choose for your instruments, Onkel Claus? Koennten Sie vielleicht uns Fotos zeigen . . . ?
Nice playing. Now will someone please tell me what the little trill at the end of both tunes is called and how its done. I have been hearing it on so many tunes and I cant seem to figure it out.
that Bb piece is probably the best I’ve ever heard on this board. Very well played! Gives me even more motivation to keep on practicing. I must say the Bb flute has a wonderful tone, nice round and warm. But as they always say: it’s not the flute, but the player that makes the tune sound good.
I vote for a D flute solo and pictures of the flutes as well!
Claus,
Excellent playing, and very nice-sounding instruments. I bet they wouldn’t sound nearly so nice in my hands, sadly! Thanks for posting those tunes. Is the Bb the model Aebi designed, that’s is apparently entirely conical (even the headjoint)? Does that design have much influence on the size/layout of the flute and toneholes?
Blackbeer,
Finger vibrato. Tap the tonehole about two holes down from the note you’re playing to get that effect; that is, if you’re playing a G, rapidly (but not too rapidly) cover and uncover the E hole. Different flutes react differently, so you may have to experiment a bit with which holes to tap to achieve vibrato on a particular note. It’ll also take practice to get that effect on the lowest notes on the flute; you may have to tap so that only a portion of a hole is covered. I think I’ve even seen folks tapping the body of the flute with a free finger, away from any holes, but that may have been my imagination in concert with bad lighting . . .
I think I’ve just figured out why I like the sound of a Bb so much. If you listen to Claus’s recording, when he is playing in the upper register there is still a very strong harmonic from the octave below, which adds a real weight to the tone. I’m not as aware of this on the D flute although I can hear it sometimes when I play.
Perhaps someone who paid more attention in their acoustics lectures than me can enlightem me on this phenomena (and enlighten me as to whether I’ve spelt phenomena correctly - twice!)
I think you’re onto something, though, in that the larger flutes seem to be richer in harmonics. Eb flutes tend to sound really pure to me, whereas the Bb is . . . well, sexy. Kathleen Turner’s voice. You know.
Thanks for all your comments! Your are all very encouraging people!
No, but as it actually isn’t that much different from playin a d flute, as Stuart pointed out. My girlfriend (who happens to play flute as well) has tried it, and she had no problems playing it even though her hands are much smaller than mine. But I am most stunned at how easy it is to blow. Even bottom notes are no problem at all!
They are both blackwood. I don’t have a digital camera, but a friend might take a few shots coming weekend, so maybe next week…
I admittedly don’t have a clue about the whole design thing. The Bb does have a tuning slide, so at least that part can’t be conical.
And now, since some have asked for it, the d flute alone:
?
