I just encountered a Trad Flute that is Flat on its Bell/fundamental note.
I read from a maker’s site that it is intended to be flat to make it honkable… If if there is such a word.
Now my question: How Flat in terms of Cents is your (personal belief) ideal flatness of the said note?
My next question is: How often do you Honk the said note?
I’ve been listening to flute tunes and heard that the note D, G and A are frequently honked notes. To my ear it is like adding an accent or pulses that somehow sound dominating or stricking emphasis.
Third question: Do you want your flute flat on that note or just exact?
I tried playing mine, it is 20 cents flat and I can not tolerate it.
Is it normal?
I have some thoughts for you. I hope they help. They are just general comments but maybe worth thinking about.
Which type of “trad flute” is it? Pratten (wide bore) or Rudall (narrow bore) or is it in between (as many modern makers do them now.)
Is the note flat for everyone or just you?
Many years ago I had a flute that did had a flat bottom D.
I gave it to a more experienced player. He blew it perfectly in tune.
So…The individual player’s technique and embouchure can make a huge difference to tuning.
I then went off, practiced a lot, learned how to blow that flute in tune.
Rudall style flutes have a compromise in that excellent tuning in the higher notes is often compromised by having a flat bottom D. The D is brought into tune by a harder and more focussed airstream which makes the A harmonic sound, thereby bringing the D “up”.
Honking A or G is common. Some Rudall flutes have sharp left hand notes (A especially) when you push the note. Again embouchure and breath control can control this.
Some flutes work better when the player’s bottom lip partially covers the embouchure hole.
Some flutes improve when the player pushes her /his top lip forward a bit so the airstream is directed down into the instrument rather than across it.
I think all conical bore flutes are a bit of compromise tuning-wise to get a good solid 3 octaves. Slightly flat D, sharp A and b, slightly flat C#…you truly have to play most flutes in tune yourself.
What Jim said will work if you don’t want to honk that note (and there are plenty of times you don’t want to do that). I think with time you’ll find you’re playing it more in tune.
If you really want an in-tune flute, you need a Boehm.
Leslie Harker has kindly provided a link to some free drones suitable for playing a simple system flute against. https://app.box.com/s/awchk1g8h52txyzllosu. Playing against these various drones will quickly show any faults in your tuning and your playing, as well as train your ear to hear the overtones in your playing. The drones are for other pitches in addition to D. A great tuning and warm-up drill. Play your harmonic warm-up drills against them and wake up your ears.
I’m OK with the low D being 10% flat, but I’d prefer the A and B to be dead on…but I’ve really not encountered that too often. Really, tuning is so variable and I adjust to the flute rather easily, but 10% sharp on the A and B is pretty much in tune in my universe. Then again, my preferred flute is about 144 years old…one has to be accepting with such an instrument. I have a more modern flute, an M&E, and find the tuning to be better with regard to the A and B, but the F# is still 15%ish flat, which is fairly consistent across the flutes I’ve played.
I do think flutes tend to be closer to just intonation rather than equal temp tuning, but that’s just my opinion. Personally, they sound more proper that way to me.
Naturally your ear is the final arbiter. As has been said already, the ‘flat foot’ is an artifact caused by bringing in the third octave. A little thought will inform you that the higher ranges being in tune are more important in an instrument pointed at a ‘symphonic’ environment. The treble and upper ranges will feature a flute and any intonation problems there will stand out starkly. The older instruments did not have a target tuning pitch identical to our current standards. The further you tune away from the original target pitch, the more distorted the various notes in the scale will become. So really, you will be observing several different things at play. The ‘flat foot’ is a deliberate sacrifice of the bell note in favor of the higher range. You will also observe variations from the modern predeliction for equal ‘out of tune temperament’ rather than JT or any of the other older temperment schemes. Modern makers target a market deeply influenced by a slightly different aesthetic, and generally will sacrifice the third octave in favor of bringing the bell note closer into tune.
I have several older flutes. Some were designed to ‘be in tune’ at pitches fairly close to the modern standard. They have varying degrees of ‘flat foot’, but can easily be played through the first two octaves in a consonant manner when played against drones. I have several other older instruments which sound miserable anywhere near modern pitch. I have a modern craftsman built keyed flute that is perhaps ten cents flat
on the bottom ‘d’ when played with a neutral embouchure, and very closely in tune when played against drones across the first two octaves.
Just my two cents