I’d like to put to the test the notion that we CAN play original 19th century flutes in tune, that it’s just a matter of technique. This notion has been put up on this forum a number of times by different proponents. Now that we have RTTA, we have a way to test it. I’m prepared to be the guinea pig, but I need the instructions on how to do it.
Check out the RTTA plot of the Nicholson flute below. It’s in my Research Collection, so it’s not going anywhere and I have no plans to retune it. That plot was made with me just taking up the flute, warming it up, and then playing a few tunes carefree, blissfully ignoring the woeful tuning and the mutterings and grumblings from the singer in the adjacent sewing room.
So, heap on me any advice you have as to how to approach playing this flute-that-changed-history in acceptible tune. I’ll give it a go and re-record the plot to see if I can take benefit of your advice. Perhaps some others with old flutes and RTTA might like to try out too.
Indeed, if you are interested but don’t have the RTTA system up and running, you can just direct me or Graeme to an mp3 of you playing and we’ll do the RTTA plot for you.
Terry
Try tuning to 430 instead of 440 and use the f key for f sharps (historical fingerings).
Playing it at 430 helps a bit, but not as much as I’d have hoped. I find I have to take it down to below 415 to lose the massive tilt in the scales, and with that slide extension the second octave is hopelessly sharp of the first. You can’t win!
Opening the F key will assist with flat F# notes, but not as much as it would have in small hole flutes. I get about a 5c sharpening with the F key and another 5c from the Eb key. The combined 10c would help lift the F#s back into line with the neigbours, but that’s not the real problem with the flute. The real problem is that unfathomable gulf between top B and low D - about 90 cents - nearly a semitone!
I don’t think opening F for F# was a normal fingering in the period, although Rockstro (writing 50 years later) indicates the need for it especially on small hole flutes. I guess by his time standards had risen considerably, due to Boehm.
I’m prepared to admit that, short of physically retuning the flute, that it can’t be played in tune at any pitch without recourse to some special playing technique. So, it’s over to the technique guys to show us what that might be.
Not necessarily looking for a complete set of instructions, I’ll happily settle for “try this and see if it works” suggestions.
Terry
Try playing that flute exclusively for a week or so and see if there’s an improvement.
Also, does the tuning sound as bad to you as it looks in the graph? Can you post soundclips too?
Urk, if I play that for a week I wonder if I’ll be able to play my own any more? But yes, I can give it a try if no-one comes up with any specific tricks I should be trying to learn.
Yes, the sound is bad, particularly the low D. Interestingly the sharp top B isn’t anywhere near as offensive as the flat foot (at least to me). I think that it has been noted before that it’s better for a flute to be sharp than flat (although that is normally when in company). There’s also something a bit dismal around the middle D. I think it might depend on what tunes you play which notes you find disturbing.
I will record something on it to demonstrate. I’ll probably need to replace a few pads on it first - these ones are probably original!
Terry