I was listening to Lament for Glencoe on the McGrattan/O’Shaughnessy album, Within a Mile of Dublin, and noted how McGrattan uses multiphonics with good effect. I’m pretty sure I’ve also heard JM Veillon use multiphonics, but I forget which tune/album.
Anybody practice these? Is it easier to execute on a particular flute?
Hammy Hamilton says that Paul McGrattan can produce multiphonics on pretty much any flute he tries, although it’s easier on some flutes than others. Basically the trick is to overblow the flute but to control the overblowing so you’re slotted right in between the first two octaves.
A flute player I know who plays with a very relaxed embouchure can achieve multiphonics easily; she also hits the bottom D with such power that it actually warbles, something I’ve never been able to do myself. It’s amazing to watch, her mouth looks totally relaxed and yet the flute sounds like it’s about to explode.
Frankie Kennedy did this on one tune set – it’s the middle tune in the set that has two different versions of Humours of Whisky – a lot of the D’s have heavy octave mixing. I found I could do this pretty well on the Hammy (I actually had a dickens of a time keeping the bottom D from jumping, so it lent itself well to this); I haven’t tried too hard on the Olwell.
There’s a recording on the transcription/discussion/analysis section of Brother Steve’s website of someone playing a Clarke whistle that was designed so that one octave always had the other mixed in with it. Very cool effect, sounds almost like two whistles. I can’t remember who it was or what tune, though.
an old post. good luck. o
One drill I use on several instruments is to crescendo on a note 'til it breaks, thus finding out what is forte possible and what is blastissimo soundslikecrap. If I’m playing with a really centered tone, the note breaks to a multiphonic.
I use broken notes on the A of Blackberry Blossom (down the octave, with the broken notes on the second half of each beat), and it sounds good when it works.