The flute has a couple of repaired cracks. It plays a pitch-perfect lower G octave. It has six holes (you might not see the sixth hole in that pic because of the design on the bore; trust me, its there.)
The piper grip I use on low whistles doesn’t really work on this, I think because its just a tad wider, or something, so I end up using my pinky on the last hole. Having played a few keyed instruments, this doesn’t really bug me.
The Problem:
The Low G is excellent–pitch perfect.
The middle G – ( X XX XXO ) is a little hoarse. My embuchure has gotten a LOT better… so I’m very confident that this is the flute, not me. Am I doing the fingering wrong?
The next note up (O XX XXX) is, uh, some kind of hoarse sounding Q, or something, but definately not the note it should be.
Am I doing something wrong? I love the flute and I’d hate to think it’s damaged beyond use. =(
AFAIK cracks and leaks effect the lower register the most, so it doesn’t seem that is your problem, as you say the lower octave is good.
I’m a bit confused as to the fingering though. The X’s and O’s are usually written left to right with the left being the emboucher side aren’t they? Are you venting the second octave G by opening the hole closest to or furthest away from the emboucher? Is the flute cylindrical?
The flute IS cylindrical-- I play left handed–my tab reflected this. Oops!. I’m told this his a horrible habit. My reply: Its an open holed instrument.
Might it have something to do with the close proximity of the emboucher hole to the end of the flute? There has to be a reason that most flutes have a substantial space behind the emboucher. This one looks like it is right at the end of the instrument.
Find a stick/dowel/wire/whateve_r that is at least as long as the flute and smaller that the bore and embouchure. Mark the inside diameter, at the embouchure, from the end of the whatever
Run the w_hatever up the bore until it touches the end.
If the mark, on the whatever, is in the middle of the embouchure it’s good.
