Hello all, I’m aware this topic has been brought up in the past, probably this exact question, but I was only able to find bits and pieces using the search function.
Essentially, I’m wondering if there is a fool-proof way to figure out if an older flute will play at A=440 with reasonable intonation. I know there is some correlation with the sounding length, but others have said that is only sometimes true.
So can anyone come up with a general rule or general rules? Like, “If a flute is made before 18xx, and has a sounding length between y and z, it probably will play A=440 with reasonable intonation”.
I have a Keith, Prowse and Co that looks very similar to that one. It has the same sounding length and total length (without end cap). It plays well at A=440.
I do like how my Keith, Prowse & Co plays. It is comfortable, well balanced and has a lovely tone. My Keith, Prowse & Co is a relatively “modern” antique, in terms of its tuning etc, (i.e. its tuning is better at 440 hz than most, with about 12 mm of slide open). It looks like a Pratten, but its bore profile is slightly smaller than an Olwell Pratten. Its a good flute. If you get that one, you will, of course, have to do all the usual due diligence of re-padding all the keys and making sure it is absolutely leak-free before you will get the best performance out of it. But this is true of all the antique flutes.
Sounding length is still IME the most useful “remote” guide, but one would need a lot more samples properly measured and pitch-tested than I have to compile a guide such as you suggest. The C#-Eb idea simply doesn’t work as a useful predictor so far as I am concerned, and as I seem to recall having illustrated elsewhere previously. Terry’s stats illustrate a trend, for sure, but any given individual flute can too easily be anomalous on that measurement (in a way SLs are much less prone to), so it is not a good indicator when buying without being able to play-test. In combination with a SL it can be helpful supporting info, but I find I do rather well at predicting just from SLs.
Thanks, Jem. I realize it’s only suggestive, but what would be the range of SL’s that would most likely correlate to a flute that can play in modern pitch?
What style of flute? A D concert flute, with C foot? Or one with a short D foot or a long B one? Or an Eb or an F flute???
Nothing is ever simple!
BUT, if we’re talking C foot concert flute, slide closed SL <580mm, usually, though some as long as 585mm may be usable at A440 with the slide pretty much closed. Mid 570s ideally. Later English flutes with shorter heads for higher pitch may come in around 570mm, but will play just fine at A440, just with the head pulled out more than earlier ones. (The actual scaling usually isn’t much different!)
Depending on bore, embouchure hole size, player’s blowing style, ambient atmospherics, etc. actual functional playing SL (slide extended to tune) for A440 will usually be between 580-590mm. A slide closed SL >590mm is pretty definitely going to be LP.
