I read that many orchestra tune to A=442 nowadays.
See for instance this discussion at violinist.com
We live in worrying times! I rather long to go back to low baroque tuning, say playing in Db/C# rather than D.
Cheers,
Hans
Might I recommend Ardal Powell’s excellent book “The Flute” as a starting point for a more nuanced understanding of the chronology (not necessarily progression) of flute design and pedagogy? French School flutists were admired for flexibility of tone, but they were equally criticized for bad intonation. Doesn’t sound like “perfection” to me. There are always compromises and trade-offs, both in a flute’s design and the mechanics of playing the instrument.
Regarding the rotation of the headjoint, the advice of flutists like Nicholson, who’s flutes are more or less the template for those used in Irish music, is likely more relevant to this discussion than Taffanel’s or Moyse’s. Turning the headjoint in allows for a more vertical airstream, which helps in the production of the hard, reedy tone valued in Irish trad.
Proper technique or the perfect flute is all a matter of musical context.
I was taught to line the far edge of the embouchure (the one you blow against) in line with the holes on the flute. On my flutes this seems to give the best bite. I know players who prefer it more rolled in or out, including some who play with the center of the embouchure in line with the holes.
Casey
Actually, Mike Rafferty set my flute like that, where the far edge was in line with the holes, and it worked like a charm.
Q: Who today teaches early 19th century flute technique?
A: Just about nobody!
The how and why of that is simple, as more advanced and practical flute playing techniques have evolved.
Today’s flute player begins their flute playing with a progression of four steps, tone, technique, studies, and pieces.
For instance, I don’t play, at all, unless my flute is fully in tune, and tuning is where my flute playing begins.
I first got involved with ITM flutes a little over ten years ago. My coming from a Boehm flute background, how long could it have taken me to “get” that apparently much desired, “reedy” wood tone? Days? Weeks? Months? No! I had that tone within a few minutes, at most, and quite well in tune, thank you.
Since then, I’ve developed a taste for the music, and an appreciation of the keyless Irish flute, as the right tool for the job.
Although, there might not be teachers of early 19th century technique for the Boehm flutes, there are teachers for ITM who teach with 19th century, and copies of 19th century flutes (Mike Rafferty comes to mind). ITM flute playing has many differences in techniques that are totally opposite the “more advanced and practical” French School. The French school developed in part because of the Beohm flute and the music written for it. If one is playing ITM on a 19th century, or a copy of a 19th century flute, it seem logical to me, that some of their techniques might work also.
The two flutes are different. On my Beohm flute, I do tend to center the hole with the keys. But, on the four conical bore flutes I own I like to rotate the head in a bit. I feel that a beginner should try both, that’s part of learning your instrument and how you relate to it.
Tjones
I think it could be said, and I think we could agree, folks, that any given flute could have an optimum range of embouchure air stream angles, and that as there are different kinds of flutes, so could there be different optimum angles, as it varies from flute to flute.
Moreover, it appears that some players could prefer turning their head joint inward, perhaps as to better achieve such optimum air stream angles.
Yet, I’ve been saying NO! Straight up is where it’s at!
OK, so, what gives? And, what could this have to do with “classical” flute training?
Well, it’s apparently true, that a flute could be thought of as being a bag of many little tricks.
So, let’s explore one of those many little tricks, and for that I’m going to start a new thread.
But I’m going to start small, with something of the basics.
