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> I'd like to ask for a discussion about a specific aspect of the teaching of diaphragmatic breathing:

Here is something that you might hear in my studio if you could be present in a lesson in which I decide that it is time to introduce the student to the matter of diaphragmatic breathing. Most often, this will be with a younger student, or one who has been playing for a while but has never consciously tried to alter whatever type of breathing felt most natural to them. In the beginning stages, where we are just trying to make the student aware of deep breathing, I use this technique for students of every woodwind instrument. Later, it has to be varied for the specific instrument: flute is at one extreme of the scale and oboe is at the other.

I'll just tell you what I say, and you will be able to imagine what the student is doing. Note especially that this does not involve any physical contact between the student and the teacher.

"O.K., please put your flute (or saxophone or bassoon or whatever) down, and we are going to try a couple of things having to do with breathing. First, I would like you to exhale as completely as possible, then take a _VERY_ deep breath, taking in as much air as possible."

"Very good, but I'm sure you can take more air into your lungs than that. Try it again, pretending that you are going to blow up a balloon, and that you want to make it as large as possible in only one breath."

"Much better. Now, I would like you to do the same thing again, except that this time, I want you to take just as much air as possible, but take it in as quickly as possible, like gasping for air if you have been under water for too long." (At this point, many students begin to cough, or they complain of dizziness, as they have not been accustomed to having so much oxygen in their lungs. We may have to rest for a few seconds between steps of the process.) (For me, the student will often be seated for this exercise, or we might first do it standing, then do it again seated.)

"That's good. But, I want you to get still more air inside yourself. Pretend that you could create a vacuum in the room by drawing in all the air." (At this point, the student probably will be exchanging quite a lot of air, but the breathing is likely to be shallow, with the shoulders moving up with inhalation, etc.)

"Great. Now, one more thing. Take that same full, quick breath, but this time, don't let your shoulders move." (Most often, the student is amazed to see that if the shoulders don't move, the breathing is much deeper - in effect, the diaphragm will be pulled down, causing the muscles of the lower abdomen to have to expand.)

"Now, place the palm of your hand right over your belt buckle, or where it would be if you were wearing a belt. Take in that same deep breath, but more slowly this time. Then, purse your lips, creating some resistance, and blow the air out in little short puffs. Do you notice your hand moving with each puff of air?"

"Notice also that the kind of breath we are taking is the type you might take if you were yawning, rather than what might happen if you were startled. In other words, it is a _relaxing_ breath, not a _panic_ breath."

Next, depending on the situation, I might explain about filling up deeply, then continuing to take in still more air, with the last air to be taken in filling up the higher part of the chest. Then, when using the air, that which is higher in the lungs will be used first. (Not actually the case, but a good psychological concept to help the student grasp the process.)

Now, a small caveat: With the flute student, and to a slightly for the bassoonist or saxophonist, the main emphasis needs to be on utilizing the maximum capacity for air. On the other hand, for the oboist, and to a somewhat lesser degree for the clarinetist, the emphasis has to be on the process of _exhalation_. Players of these instruments have to work against greater resistance, and will seldom have a problem with having a sufficient quantity of air. Rather, they will have to learn what to do with excess air.

For the oboist or clarinetist, as well as for trumpet and horn players, a good technique is to take in a full breath, including expanding the entire chest cavity, then keep the rib cage expanded while blowing the air out with force. This really helps them focus on what is happening with the muscles of the lower abdomen during exhalation. However, I most definitely would not do this with a flutist.

(From David Dahl)
Julie A. wrote:

> David brought up a good point that's always confused me: the idea of breathing with only the diaphragm. Former teachers have always told me that I should move only my diaphragm to breathe, that my shoulders shouldn't move at all. My comments have always been, *Yeah, but, I feel I'm taking a deeper breath when I move my shoulders just a bit, but not enough to be actually shrugging and restricting the air stream*.>

While I would not prefer to mention the diaphragm in a discussion of breathing, I would not suggest that it is a good idea to move your shoulders when you breathe. I am fighting the habit myself of raising my shoulders and tilting my head to the right, and this perpetuates tension and reduces my air and the quality of my sound. What is working best for me is to stand straight, my head erect or slightly tilted to the left, lift my rib cage while I draw a breath without either hunching forward or forcing my back to curve in, and keep my shoulders down.

An exercise that has helped me is to take a few breaths away from the flute while: moving a free hand up when I suck and down when I blow. Sometimes my teacher will raise a hand up and down while I play. The image of UP (sucking air in), and DOWN (blowing air out) seems to help me use my air more efficiently and with less tension.

It is useful to blow and suck with a plastic bag or a breathing bag (eg. respirator) to see how much air really is produced by both good and poor techniques. When I use a bag for a few breathing cycles, my sound improves.

In my experience, fixing breathing problems solves a lot of other problems.

2.1.10 Developing tone.
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(From Elam (Flute Guy)

I recommend the wonderful book by Trevor Wye, entitled "Tone". You can get a hold of it through Flute World or your local music store could probably order it for you. What this book seems to do is take a lot of the things in Moyse's Sonorite, and put it into a structured format. There are sections covering harmonics, tone colors, upper register work, lower register work, etc...

2.1.11 What is a donut?
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(From Martin Hoffman)

A Donut is a flat ring or crescent shaped insert which fills part of the duplicate G# tone hole (next one down from the G# lever) in a hope of improving the quality of E3. As with all Boehm 'improvements', some like it, some don't. It has a slight effect on the sound of A1 and A2.

2.1.12 Embouchure.
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(from Larry Krantz)

Embouchure refers to the formation of the lips and surrounding muscles in order to produce a tone on any wind instrument. Formation of the lips, jaw, chin, and throat is extremely important when forming a correct flute embouchure to guide air into the flute. Although there are as many approaches to flute embouchure as there are flute players, there are some basic principles that seem to work for most players. The air should be able to strike the inside of the lip plate with little or no obstruction. Tension or tightness in the lips should be at a minimum so as to allow for flexibility of the lips in order to control the angle of the air stream. The jaw should be allowed to fall back and slightly down (teeth apart) so as to allow the air stream to be aimed down into the head joint while the head remains up. The throat should remain open as much as possible to create a large cavity that will help the sound to resonate more. Development of a truly sophisticated and functional flute embouchure can take years and much attention should be devoted to this study through the use of long tone exercises. Some books that are dedicated to this development are:

• De La Sonorite: Art Et Technique
  by Marcel Moyse
  Alphonse Leduc

• A Trevor Wye Practice Book for the Flute
  Volume I Tone
  by Trevor Wye
  Novello

2.1.14 What is a Fake book?
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(From Larry Krantz)

A Fake book is a collection of melodies with chord symbols to represent the harmony. They are used extensively by jazz musicians. My own collection of fake books contains literally thousands of standard and not so standard pop and jazz tunes.

2.1.15 Flutist or flautist?
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(From David Dahl)

Whether to call oneself a flutist, flautist, or something else is a matter for personal preference. Flautist appears to be most popular in the U.K. and members of the British Commonwealth, while flutist is more common in other English-speaking countries such as the U.S. See the excellent discussion in Nancy Toff’s book "The Flute", second edition.

(From Dr M K C MacMahon, Dept of English Language, University of Glasgow, Glasgow Scotland/UK)
British English didn't start to use the word 'flautist' until 1860. Before that, the word was 'flutist', or 'fluter' (with the feminine version 'fluteress'), or 'flutenist'. Something must have caused the change-over from 'flutist' to 'flautist': perhaps folk thought it sounded 'better' (ie classier), since the word had an Italian origin. I wouldn't be surprised if Rudall Carte had a hand in it. In American English, the only word seems to have been, and is, 'flutist'. According to Galpin, transverse flutes appeared in Britain round about 1500. But in Old English (ie about 1000 years ago), a flutist, who presumably was a recorder-player, not a transverse-flute player, was called a 'pipere' (pronounced 'peepere'), a 'hwistlere' (ie a whistler), or a 'hreodpipere' (ie a reed-piper; it sounds like an oboeist, not a flutist in our sense). The word in Old English for the sound of a recorder/flute was 'pipdream'. It didn't mean pipe-dream, but 'pipe-joy' or 'pipe-music'.

(From Robert Bigio, London, England)
This is by no means definitive, but I have had a quick trawl through some nineteenth-century publications, many from Rudall Carte, to see what I could find. It would seem that the preferred form was "flute player". Tutors by J. Wragg (my edition is 1818), Nicholson (?1820), Drouet (1830), Carte (?1845), Clinton (?1845), Clinton (1860) and Radcliff (1894) all used "flute player" (occasionally with a hyphen), if indeed they used anything at all. "The student" was a common usage in these works.

Books by Broadwood (the introduction to Boehm's Essay on the Construction of Flutes), Welch (1896) and Fitzgibbon (1913) all use "flautist". Rockstro (1890) uses "flute-player". All these except Fitzgibbon were published by Rudall Carte. A quick flip through WN James fails to show any usage other than "the performer," and phrases like that.

Rudall Carte published scores of works in their series "Flute Player's Journal".

I came across an 1858 announcement of the Birmingham Flute Trio and Quartet Society, founded 1856. Its president was Joseph Richardson, described as "Flutist to the Queen". Honorary members included Carte, Clinton, Pratten, Rudall, Siccama and Wells.

An 1860 advertisement announces that "Master Drew Dean, (Flautist, student of Mr. Richardson) is open for engagements," which were to be made through Rudall Carte. "Master Dean performs on Rudall, Rose & Carte's Patent Cylinder Flute," the advertisement says.

So there you have it: little mention of either "flutist" of "flautist", but much use of "flute player". "Flutist" died out in Britain a hundred years ago, but I would guess that "flute player" was more common than "flautist", as I think it remains today. I always use "flute player."

(From Wayne Menard)
So, my roots being French I call myself a FLUTIST which really means, 'one whose fingers move like lightning and whose sound is as sweet as honey.' I made-up the last part thinking this might be a working model of a definition for us all.

(From Gary Boatright)
I agree with James Galway who, on the Johnny Carson Tonight Show about 25 or 30 years ago, said, "I call myself a flutist. 'Flautist' makes me sound too much like an English nobleman with gas."

2.1.16 What is the difference between a student flute and a professional flute?
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(from Larry Krantz)

I have often wondered about those terms myself. I suppose that a flippant answer would be that if you earn some money with a flute then it is a professional flute and if you don't then it's a student flute. Since I rarely get paid for practicing then I must be practicing on a student Powell.

To be just a little more serious, flutes which are referred to as student models are generally made out of a nickel alloy, are silver plated, generally have an offset G, usually have plateau keys, rarely have extra keys, and rarely have a B foot. I honestly don't know where the line might be drawn to determine when a few added features will cause the instrument to become identified with the other category. Many very expensive and wonderful flutes played by the best professionals have plateau keys, offset G, few if any extra keys, C foot only, and are made out of any type of material that you can think of. The most common material being wood, silver, gold, and platinum. I think I would be correct in saying that the best (professional if you like) flutes are hand made with great care to detail by makers who spend a life time perfecting their craft. Other flutes come off the assembly line and quality control varies from instrument to instrument.

2.1.17 What sizes of flutes are available?
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(From Glen Ross)

Flutes have been built on all the following pitches.

All pitches are shown in piano pitch which at C4 [ middle C ] is equal to the lowest C on the concert flute in C1. For general purposes all flutes can be assumed to have a range of three octaves.

The pitch shown is the lowest sounding note with a standard foot joint; except on the piccolo type instruments. Here the lowest note is normally a tone above the keynote listed. Some piccolos have been built with the standard downward extension of pitch to C3, but these are not common.

Extended foot joints usually extend the compass downward by a semi tone, although exceptionally it may be more. A concert flute in C1 is known which has an extension down to G3.

Flute types marked * are those commonly found in modern music.

2.1.18 Who are the Haynes brothers?
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(From Scott Hirsch -- Publisher/Editor of The Woodwind Quarterly)

The Haynes brother were born just a few years apart, the sons of a Virginia school teacher and a sea captain. It was George who first showed interest in the flute. The brothers borrowed a flute to copy and started flute making at an early age. The George W. Haynes Co. was established in 1886, his brother William joined him a year later. They worked together for about six years and made both silver and wood piccolos. At that time you could buy a Haynes wood piccolo for $55.

The brothers split up in 1897. George move to California and started making instrument under his own name, as well as repairing instrument. It is probably from this time period that your instrument was made or from his stint of making in New York that lasted till around 1921. Your piccolo may be 65 to 70 years old. What marks are on the instrument?

As to value, probably not much if it's in bad shape. As you know, it was William S. Haynes who founded the current Haynes company. A fascinating history of flute making that is now over a century long.

2.1.19 How to choose a flute.
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(From M. D. Greene) Buying a flute is in my opinion at least as stressful and complex as buying a used car... perhaps more so.

If you're lucky, you can go to a large, well-stocked store which sells many different brands and types of flute, and try them until you find your perfect new instrument. If you're even luckier, you will have a patient and highly trained flute teacher to go with you and give advice.

If, however, you are so unfortunate as not to enjoy these advantages (as I lacked, when buying my flute) then you must be much more attentive and much more patient. If you can obtain Nancy Toff's _The Flute Book_ there is an excellent section on how to buy a flute. It is basically a "weeding out" process, in which you first settle on what basic type of flute you want, pick some well-known brand names, and then have some of each sent to you. Play them, and return the ones you don't like, even if that means returning them all. Take notes on why you did or didn't like each one.

Caution: flutes vary even within the same model and manufacturer...if you find one that is good, it's best to stick with it rather than hoping for a "miracle flute".

Before beginning the process decide how far you wish to progress on the flute. In my case I know full well that I will never be anything like a Galway or Rampal -- which by the way does wonders for my ego -- so I immediately eliminated the upper-end flutes made of such precious metals as gold, Aurumite or platinum. I also had bad experiences with the low grade student flutes, so out they went too. That leaves the middle grade flutes by reputable manufacturers.

You must decide if you want a B or C foot; open hole or plateau; offset G or inline; split E mechanism or not; pointed French arms or not. These are personal preferences and depend on your style of play. Once you've settled that, each manufacturer will have several models you can choose from. If you have specific questions about any of these options, the members of the FLUTE list, which include people far more knowledgeable than myself, can almost certainly answer them.

Hint: practicing diligently and loving your instrument is far more important, and affects the sound, more than any option.

In general, the more silver in a flute the better. Models begin with all silver plate, then move up through: solid silver head; solid silver body and head; solid silver body, head and keys. Whether the springs are gold or not is another personal preference. I can tell you from my own experience, that flutes which look identical can easily be extremely different in price; further, that this price difference is usually justified, believe it or not. The minute differences in headjoint manufacture and design, particularly, make huge differences in the sound. I am naturally skeptical (and a tightwad) and I had to be convinced of this; but now, I believe it.

When playing, check for leaks at the pads. Check the mechanism, key by key, for free and fast motion. Check for clicks, pops and other noises. Make sure that the head joint and foot fit the body, smoothly and securely but not overly tight. Check for bent keys such as the g# key which sticks out and can be damaged easily. Take a piece of music you know well and play it on each test flute. One will feel more fluent and easier to play than the other. Try to over blow the flute into the second and then the third octave; a good one will over blow easily, without "screaming" in the third octave. Further, it won't be excessively sharp in the third, nor flat in the first octave (use an electronic tuner). See if the flute can be made to play fortissimo in the low notes and pianissimo in the high ones. Try to do fast octave or double-octave leaps, allegro, without missing notes.

Hint: if you find a flute which does *all* this perfectly, take it to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington and tell them, they'll want to buy it from you and put in on display!

Good luck with your search, and remember that patience is a virtue. Keep saying that to yourself, as you receive those expensive silver tubes in the mail and send them back... patience... patience.... patience... ;-)

(From Alexa Still)
To second what has already been said: definitely go for silver keys if you can. Silver keys can be repaired indefinitely, and the flute is always going to be worth something. Silver plated keys make the instrument effectively a "throw-away" flute, and once they are worn out, the flute is worthless.... a bad investment in most cases!

Other things asked about are largely cosmetic, and vary considerably from flute to flute. For example there isn't really an audible difference between Y keys or pointed keys, and drawn or soldered tone holes. Soldered have a sharper edge and I think they are supposed to seal better, and be more accurately made, but they can come unsoldered sometimes! Drawn tone holes never come unsoldered, but aren't considered as fancy because the tube may be distorted when they are drawn from the tube, and distorted tubing theoretically may not sound as good.

White gold springs are supposedly the best choice because they break less often, but I've seen quite a few broken ones!!!, so as long as you like the action (springiness) I wouldn't worry about this aspect too much. This is something a repair person can change for you pretty easily if you like everything else but not the springiness, or even what the springs are made out of.

I am sure that Silver and Britannia silver sound different, but probably not as different as two different makes in the same metal, so again, be influenced by your ear most of all! Just try what ever you buy first, and attempt to try lots of models before narrowing it down.

(From Jennifer Grady)
The first thing I would tell you is:

Don't be in a hurry!!!

Make sure that you play the instrument that you plan to buy first. Sometimes you may try a model and then agree to have one made like the model that you played, but all instruments are unique and they all sound and play differently. Even instruments of the same make and model. Play it for two weeks if you can. Find opportunities to play it in different settings (a performance or for friends). You will know after that time if it is right for you or if you are feeling frustrated.

Then:

Try lots of different kinds of flutes. There are several ways to do that. The best way is to attend a Flute Fair or the NFA Convention where there are many flutemakers represented. There are several places in the USA that carry professional models and then you can always have the flutemakers send you new models to try out for two weeks (being held on your credit card until the flute is returned). The problem with the last suggestion is that you pay shipping one way and after a few times it starts getting expensive. I have a list of websites for most of the flutemakers if you need it. (Also on Larry's web page, he has all the Flutemakers listed with addresses and phone numbers).

A last suggestion:

Try out used professional instruments. You can get a great deal that way. Ginger Hedrick of the http://www.flutes.com/ The Flute Exchange has a large selection of used professional flutes on consignment. She is a nice person and is very helpful. She will send out flutes to try for 10 days and you pay shipping one way. The flutes may be older, but with a little work or an overhaul, you would have a wonderful instrument at a reduced price. She also has used head joints from the best of the makers. http://www.fluteworld.com/ Flute World also has used instruments to sell.

I just bought a used Handmade Haynes that was 17 years old from a gentleman in Portland, Oregon who sells professional flutes on consignment. I bought it for $4,000 and put $660 in repairwork (I can also recommend a fantastic repairman!) and now I have a magnificent instrument that I am very happy with. (I also just bought an incredible head joint from Mr. Drelinger that has made a great flute even more fantastic. I can't say enough about having a great head joint...).

When I still had my old Selmer, I was trying out some Burkart heads and one in particular totally blew me away! I had thought my flute was so clunky and sluggish, but when I put that head in, the response time was so phenomenal that my fingers just flew! It was so light and quick, I couldn't believe it was the same instrument.

Kind of a lot to consider, huh.... Bottom line, of all the instruments that I played (and there were a lot in all the price ranges...), there were only a couple that stood out. The Altus 1507RB was fantastic (it is Britannia silver) but also way out of my price range. I also loved a new handmade Powell (silver) that I played, but it too was way out my price range. I am very happy and grateful that I found the flute that I did. I will probably be playing this flute until my fingers fall off. Be careful in your choosing, it is more than just buying an instrument. It is a bit like a marriage. There is a real emotional connection with it and you need to be compatible. Sort of an extension of your soul... When I bought the first flute (the flute that I ordered and ended up not keeping), I couldn't believe how stressful and upsetting it was. It took all the joy out of my playing. Now I am relaxed and I am having great fun. I look forward to each time I go to take it out of the case and I totally lose track of the time...

(from Patricia George)
I think in looking for a flute, I would look for a flute that has lots of colors and with good response. (Tuning is important also) If a flute only has a bright sound or a dark sound, I would compare that to going to one's closet and only finding dresses of one color. To live life fully, one needs lots of colors of dresses. (I am a true Texan (now living in Idaho)--I love to shop!)

If you will turn the flute head joint over, with the embouchure head facing down, you can tell a lot about how a flute will play and sound. If the embouchure plate (that would be on the left side when you are looking down) is really close to the tubing, then the flute will respond quickly. If the embouchure plate is farther away from the tube, then the tone will be more beautiful. The trick is to find the compromise--that distance where you have quick response yet still a beautiful tone. Some of the modern makers have taken this art to a new height--making heads that are very quick in response. However, it has been my experience that these flutes don't project as well as some other flutes and don't have a range of colors. This is why it is important to test a flute (headjoint) in many settings with the best pair of ears that you can get to listen to you.

I think colors are very important in performance and in instrument selection. But of course my flute heritage dictates this (Mariano, Kincaid and Baker). Some flutists have been very successful with one color and using a wide dynamic range. Just another way to get "there" I would think. This is a personal choice. I like colors!

Do you remember the discussion that we had sometime back about the "cushion of air" surrounding the tone? I think that this is the solution for projection. I believe I wrote about one of my first lessons with Kincaid--how beautiful his tone was when I was sitting at the picnic bench in front of his mountain cabin--yet how shocked I was when I went inside for my lesson and heard all this air around his tone. To keep this short---in a few lessons I mustered the courage to ask him about it (I couldn't bring myself to say--gee, your tone is airy--why are you doing that----until I knew him better). He explained about the "cushion of air" and the funnel effect (the big part of the funnel is with you and the smaller part is what goes to the audience. Exploring this idea in several settings and combinations of players will show you how effective this idea is.

Choosing a flute is a huge area of concern. So much to know, to hear and to learn. Remember too that as performers sometimes we need to be "solo" performers and other times "tutti" players....and all with the same flute.

John Mack (Principal Oboe of Cleveland) once said--we are all looking for the reed that plays high, that plays low, has a beautiful tone, has quick response etc, but I only had that reed once and that was in something like 1957---the real truth is that you must learn to play on a bad reed because that is what you will have most of the time!

2.1.20 Insurance.
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(From Ed Lacy & Victoria Jicha)

Some musicians seem able to cover their instruments under their homeowners policy, but generally, the standard insurance companies cover only student instruments. If the instrument is used for professional purposes (that includes playing for only a few dollars), they require that a special rider be purchased, and this can be very expensive.

Clarion Associates will insure instruments for musicians belonging to professional organizations such as the NFA and Chamber Music America. There is a $100 deductible. The policy charges a uniform rate of $0.60 per $100 of value. There is a minimum annual premium of $100.00 and a one-time $35. application fee. For more information (and up-to-date fees) contact:

Clarion Associates, Inc.
1711 New York Avenue
Huntington Station, NY 11746
Phone (516) 423-2990
FAX (516) 423-2821

Chamber Music America
545 8th Ave
New York, NY 10018-4385
(212)244-2772

Here (in no particular order) are a few jazz flute albums I find worthwhile which might be worth investigating.

NOTE: * denotes a doubler (eg plays saxophones, clarinet, etc. as well as flute)

James Moody *: Last Train From Overbrook (OJC)
Flute and Blues (OJC)
Jeremy Steig: Outlaws (Enja)
James Newton: David Murray - James Newton Quintet (DIW)
Axum (ECM)
African Flower (Blue Note)
Luella (Gramavision)
X-Man - Andrew Cyrille (Soul Note)
Herbie Mann: Peace Pieces (Kokopelli)
At the Village Gate (Atlantic)
Memphis Underground (Atlantic)
Buddy Collette *: Flute Talk (Soul Note)
Jane Bunnett *:Spirit of Havanna (Denon)
New York Duets (Denon)
The Water is Wide (Evidence)
James Spaulding *: Brilliant Corners (Muse)
Patterns - Bobby Hutcherson (Blue Note)
Breaking Point - Freddy Hubbard (Blue Note)
Eric Dolphy *: Out To Lunch (Blue Note)
In Europe Vol 1 (OJC)
In Europe Vol 2 (OJC)

(From Matt)

"Passion" and "Neon" by Alexander Zonjic - he is one of the best sounding flutists I have heard. He does a great version of Herbie Mann's "Memphis Underground" on "Passion".

"The Evolution of Mann: The Herbie Mann Anthology" - This is a great collection of his music. If you're in to flute jazz and want to hear some of the best music ever written for jazz flute, this album is a must.

"Burning Whispers", "Morning Ride", and "Dance of the Phoenix" by Nestor Torres - Great jazz-latin music.

2.1.22 What material makes the best flute?
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(From David Dahl)

There is no easy or obvious answer to the question, "What material makes the best flute?". Every practical material, including silver, gold, platinum, wood, and even glass, has its proponents. Some say that material makes little or no contribution to the sound of a flute, since it is the vibrating air column in the flute that creates the sound. Others are sure that material does play an important part. Contributing to the disagreement is the difficulty of comparing instruments. Even two flutes of the same model can sound and "feel" different, so one can not be sure how much material affects the equation. At the border between objective and subjective tests, scientific measurements are not conclusive.

It is safe to say that workmanship is a critical factor in the quality of a flute. The cheaper flutes usually contain less silver (or none) and the workmanship is less. Solid silver flutes generally benefit from more careful manufacture. At the highest levels of craftsmanship, silver, gold, and platinum flutes all have their partisans. The traditional material, wood, has experienced a rebirth in recent years after a period of decline.

(From John Zornig)

The most important thing is that the flute works well for you and stays that way. Three main things are important:

1. It needs to be well made, so that you can play with it more than the repairman does. A flute is an extremely precise machine, that gets subjected to a lot of stress. It's very important that it be solidly made.

2. It needs to make a great sound, _when played by you_. Everyone is different, thus no one flute is best for us all. The type of head, key arrangement etc. will all depend mostly on how your body is built and how you play, not some consensus of pundits on a flute list (as if there was ever a consensus on this list.)

3. (Big item) You must be confident in it. You must believe that it will never get in your way or prevent you from sounding the way you want to. It should be your faithful friend that makes you smile each time you open the case and see it waiting there for you.

Q. I would like to know how important it is (as far as sound quality) for the instrument to be full silver (as opposed to a silver head-joint, or other options, whatever they are).

Stick around. You'll hear opinions ranging from "material makes no difference at all" to "platinum is the only way to go". If material makes a difference, then it probably makes a bigger difference in the head than elsewhere. My opinion is that material makes some difference, design and workmanship make a bigger difference, and the player makes a much, much bigger difference. All that said, you'll get better design and workmanship in an all-silver flute than in a plated instrument, and it'll last longer.

2.1.23 How can I learn to memorize?
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(From David Dahl)

Memorization is a skill that improves with practice. There are a couple of things that help me. First of all, I practice playing tunes by ear. There are songs such as hymns and folk tunes that everyone (?) should know, such as Happy Birthday. By playing such tunes without sheet music, you will get to know your flute that much better. One way to start learning how to do this is to practice intervals so as to learn how they sound. You can associate certain intervals with tunes you already know. An interval of a fourth begins the music to "Here comes the bride".

I find it much easier to play musically and to memorize if I "know" the music in my head. This does not mean that I could recite all the notes, but it does mean that I should be able to sing or hum the tune to the extent it is possible. When I get stuck while playing a memorized tune, it is a great help that I can "hear" what the next note should be, for my fingers will often find the right place.

Another memorization technique that helps me is to break up a tune in to sections, and the sections into sections. Instead of memorizing 8 pages, I memorize 8 bars here, 12 bars there, 10 bars there, and so on. This is far less intimidating. When you take a good look at your sections and compare them, you will always find that many parts are repeated elsewhere with little or no variation. It is a great help for memorization to know what ections are repeated. This effectively makes the music shorter.

Jerry Pritchard wrote:
"I suggest you look at some books on piano pedagogy and technique. Many of them contain extensive material on techniques of memorizing music because the keyboard player has so many notes to learn."

Good advice. One of the techniques I have used when memorizing piano solos is to recognize harmonic patterns. It is a lot easier to memorize a run of notes as a Eb scale or Gm arpeggio than each discrete note.

"I would warn you to beware of using only the Tactile or Sense Memory approach. This part of memorization is easily lost during performance when "everything" feels different. Using a combination of Visualization, Structural/Harmonic Analysis, Aural Memory, Tactile and others approaches in combination generally is best."

Very good advice. Finger memory is an example of easy-come easy-go.

2.1.24 How do I reach the National Flute Association (NFA)?
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The National Flute Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 800597
Santa Clarita, CA 91380-0597
Phone: 805-297-5287
FAX: 805-297-0753
email: 75322.324@compuserve.com

Link to photo on John Rayworth's web site

First, we should clarify the terminology:
(From Tod Brody)

The offset G key makes it a shorter reach for your left hand fourth finger to reach the G key. This is more comfortable for some people. Sound is not affected. Some people think that a flute with an in-line G looks more elegant. It has been suggested that a flute with an offset G might be harder to resell, although I'm skeptical about this, as more and more people seem to prefer them. (I've always played an in-line G and am quite comfortable with it; most of my students with open-holed flutes also have in-line G and most of them have had no problems.)

(From David Dahl)

This is a controversial topic. Many flutists begin studies on a student flute with an offset G and later move to a "step-up" model with open-hole and in-line keys when the student is older and presumably the hands are bigger. In-line keys are probably used on the vast majority of professional model flutes, although offset models have been getting more attention in recent years as repetitive-stress injuries have become a major issue. There is much discussion as to the acoustic differences, but there does not appear to be a consensus. Therefore the choice is the flutist's. If you find a flute that is comfortable and makes the sounds that you like, do not worry about which is supposed to be the best.

2.1.26 Old flutes.
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(From Rick Wilson)

Several list members have already remarked that this is a "Db" flute,which was common in bands, so.... look for band music. I don't know of any classical works written for Db flute. Are there any? Metal heads with wooden bodies are not uncommon on late conical flutes. Almost all Reform flutes are like this Reform flutes have a system of ring keys or perhaps even keys that cover the tone holes. Since it is not a very old flute, it will not be so valuable. I paid $1500 once for a Reform flute circa 1910, but only $200 for an old system flute with a Reform head from about the same time.

"Migma" is an acronym for "Musikinstrumenten Genossenschaft Markneukirchen", a co-operative of several hundred musical instrument makers, established in 1943. G.R. Uebel worked in Wohlhausen from 1910 to at least 1937. This information is from The New Langwill Index: A Dictionary of Musical Wind Instrument Makers by William Waterhouse (Tony Bingham, London, 1993). This reference should be in any significant music library (tell them to get it if they don't have it) as well as mentioned in our forthcoming FAQ.

(From Robert Bigio, London, England)

Most flutes from the early part of this century were padded "wet". Instead of using paper shims to level the pad, the cup was filled with shellac or white wax which, when heated, would squirt to the required parts of the cup to level the pad. The pad washer was necessary only to stop the pad from bulging. This method has fallen out of favour, although it has the great advantage that there can be no air leakage between the pad and the screw.

There is an old repairer in London (and I mean old - he's about 85), who still uses this technique. He makes his own pads using very thick, very soft felt. A flute newly-padded by this man does not work very well, but after a few months when the pads had bedded down it will work beautifully, at least according to the players who swear by this technique.

I have seen old German-made flutes that have shellac in the cup, topped by a tight-fitting paper washer. The idea is that the shellac will level the pad, but will not stick to it.

Many early flutes had a screw soldered into the cup and a threaded washer to attach the pad. I suspect your Rittershausen was made like this, but some of the screws were replaced over the years.

In my experience wooden flutes work better with softer pads (but not as soft as the old chap in London uses). I would recommend ordinary flute pads, but as soft as you can find. The problem sometimes is finding pads that are thin enough.

(From ?)
According to Susan Berdahl...

John Schwelm was a Wm S Haynes employee from 1904 - 1908 and 1915 - 1920. In 1920 he formed a partnership with Wm S Haynes *JR*. Schwelm apparently left the partnership in 1923, but the Haynes-Schwelm Co. continued in business until the mid 50s. Schwelm apparently went to work at the Powell shop around 1936 where he stayed until his death in 1955.

Wm S Haynes Jr (born Wm W Haynes) was a thorn in his father's side for many years. He changed the name of his flute-making business several times in attempting to outmaneuver lawsuits over the use of the Haynes name.

The one Haynes-Schwelm flute I tried years ago was a decent, sturdy intermediate instrument. Nothing near the quality of a "real" Haynes, but one or two steps above the student flutes generally available prior to Asian imports.

2.1.27 What kind of flute option is best, open or closed-hole?
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(From David Dahl)

Open hole photo on John Rayworth's web site
Closed hole photo on John Rayworth's web site

Most people think that open hole flutes are the only way to go. The main argument is that an open-hole flute enforces a better hand position. They also claim such benefits as more alternate fingerings and "extended" techniques for playing modern music. As a result it is easier to find a good open-hole flute than a good closed-hole model. Most closed-hole flutes available new are entry-level student models. This fact lead many to view all closed-hole flutes as lower quality. In fact if it is important to you to buy a flute that will be easiest to resell, an open-hole flute might be the better choice. It is possible to order a closed-hole flute of the highest quality.

Those of us who are the vocal minority of closed-hole enthusiasts, claim that there is no clear benefit to open-hole flutes. No feature is going to ensure a proper hand position, only good and vigilant instruction and conscientious practice will accomplish that. In fact, some players blame open-hole flutes for poor hand positions and even injuries. Several players have expressed joy at much more relaxed hands when they acquired closed-hole flutes. If closed-hole flutes are more comfortable to you, there are good reasons to stay with a close hole model. If, like many people your hands feel comfortable on an open-hole flute, and you like the feeling, an open-hole flute may be a good choice. The point is that neither option is necessarily a foolish choice.

If you decide that open holes are for you, the conventional wisdom says to just jump in. It should only take a few weeks (or less) to become comfortable playing on a open-hole. It should not be necessary to press very hard on the keys to get a good seal. If you do find that more pressure is needed than seems reasonable, have the flute adjusted by a competent technician. Even new flutes may need adjustment.

It is worth mentioning that the plugs that are available for open-hole flutes are intended as a transition to fully open holes. An open-hole flute is made to sound its best with open holes. An open-hole flute with plugged holes will sound differently than a closed-hole flute.

(From Glen Ross)

Like yourself I have played on both styles of flute over the last 45 years and I have yet to find any COMPELLING reason to select one over the other. OK we know all about the slight shadings and microtonal tuning adjustments that are supposed to be available on the open hole system. I will take a bet that any flutist can move pitch on a closed hole every bit as far as someone using an open hole. Try listening to some 1910 era recordings of flutists using the Victorian "glide" This was a straight glissando running over two octaves or more. This was done using closed hole flutes. How much farther do you want to move?

As far as CORRECT POSITION goes would someone tell me how a maker knows what is the correct position for MY fingers. What the open hole maker is saying is "This is where I have decided you will put your fingers. Try using a modern metal open hole flute if you have extra large hands and long fingers as I have. My hand ends up in the crab positio and mobility of the fingers is impaired. I had no trouble with wooden flutes because of the increased dimensions.

A correspondent mentioned that the open hole thing only seems to have any real importance in the American market. It is certainly true that the vast majority of European flautists [ European spelling ] are using closed holes. If you go into a general music shop, rather than a specialist flute supplier, you will have great difficulty in finding an open hole flute offered for sale.

(From Robert Dick)

Subject: open holes, a rational approach

Lacking the proper adapter to connect my US laptop's modem with the Dutch phone system, I was out of email touch for the past few days while visiting Holland. In Amsterdam, it was great to meet Maarten Visser and see the terrific work he's doing in flute ergonomics.

And so I have just read the whole open vs closed hole thread, with its posts ranging from fulminating self-righteousness (BORING) to the giggling (Thank you, John Levine!). What seems missing is an overview, focussed on the fundamental principles that effect us all rather than on any particular individual's experience or musical taste. The question, it seems, divides into two basic aspects:

Musical needs/desires/dreams of the individual and choosing the appropriate instrument in accord with the music to be played.

Problems concerning covering the center holes, including the various ergonomic issues and hand position issues -- and the related issue of the inline G flute.

I'll write on the technical part today and the aesthetic part tomorrow.

Its clear that the closed hole offset G flute is the place for children to start, and the curved headjoint model is a wonderful thing indeed for little ones! And for smaller adults too. With adult players having problems with the open hole flute, the consensus is that these center on the G key and the D key. Nobody wrote about the A, F or E keys, so it seems that unless one has truly extraordinarily small hands and/or narrow fingers, we can assume that adults having troubles with open hole flutes are dealing with difficulty or discomfort with the G key or D key. Let's have a look at these one at a time.

THE G KEY. Here the problems have two basic sources, which are hand position and design of the flute. Design first: If we crack our flute history books for a peek at photos of the flutes Boehm himself made so as to see what the original design by this brilliant fellow actually was, we see only offset G flutes. The inline G was created by Louis Lot to enable him to build flutes more quickly. In the 19th century, everything had to be done by hand. By moving the G key on to the main mechanism rod, fewer parts were needed and more flutes went out the door of the Lot shop each year. Because Lot's flutes were considered the best of his time, his design was mindlessly copied even after manufacturing methods changed. Thus the openhole inline flute became the "French Model" and the professional standard in the US and elsewhere.

Regardless of hand size, the inline flute makes no sense ergonomically, open or closed hole. For the inline flute to be ergonomic, the fourth finger would have to be longer than the middle finger. The first post I ever made to FLUTE was on this issue. I wrote about my experience in the 1970's owning two flutes, one inline and the other offset. I found that if I could play a passage at quarter note at 124 on the inline flute, I could play it equally well at 132 on the offset flute simply because the hand position was more natural and relaxed. For those wishing to play an open hole flute, problems with the G key can almost always be solved by playing on an offset G flute -- this can be further aided by using a Bo-Pep or similar device, preferably covered with moleskin or another material to provide a soft surface -- and by analyzing and correcting position. "Position" means posture, the overall use of the body, including hand position on the flute.

Often (but of course not always) problems covering the holes are the symptom of poor hand position, not it its cause. In the left hand, an unnatural twisting of the thumb so as to play the thumb keys with the ball of the thumb pulls the hand into a position that inhibits fluid technique and covering the open holes. Its not possible to go into every variation of problematic position here so I won't try. But its important to say that hand position is like everything else, there are fundamental general principles that apply to everyone. These are tweaked a bit for the individual, but usually not all that much. While the human hand varies in size, normal hands don't extremely vary in their basic construction -- at least as applied to flute playing. These principles include:

Playing with a curve in every finger and with a bend at every knuckle is a must. A straight finger or thumb is the inhibitor of free technique.

The similarity of curvature in each finger is more important than the degree of the curvature. Its easy to see how problematic the left hand can be, with the forefinger tending to be very curved and the fourth and fifth fingers often straight. When these problems are worked out, coverage of the open holes often is, too.

THE D KEY. Most of the time problems covering the center hole are symptoms of problems in how the flute is held and/or how the footjoint is positioned rotationally. Once again, let me stress the "most of the time"; there is never an "always". That said, by a huge margin, the flutists I have seen who have problems with the D key have their right thumb either in a twisted position, playing on the ball of the thumb instead of its side. Or they hold the flute with the thumb more or less under the E key, instead of under the F key or even "above" the F key (closer to the headjoint). This pulls the fourth finger away from the D key and makes footjoint technique more difficult. A simple test to find the best right thumb position for any individual is to (gently) flap the right hand up and down until its completely relaxed. Then, palm down, have a look at where the thumb is. Put it under the flute in that position and gently bring the fingers onto the keys. Everything will get easier! Patricia George writes about the "Coke bottle test" which is an effective variation on this theme. Without thinking about it, pick up a soda-type can (filled with the beverage of your choice, naturally). Have a look at how you are holding the can and replicate this position when holding the flute. (Also wipe up the mess if the can was open.)

Flutists generally appear to position the footjoint the way they were shown at their first lesson, most often taken in childhood. While lining up the ball of the footjoint mechanism with the center of the D key is almost always excellent for kids, we do grow up and our hands get bigger. Turning the footjoint outwards, so that the little finger is resting towards the tip of the D# spatula is more comfortable and logical. It also helps cover the center hole in the D key. Playing with a CURVED fifth finger will also make a huge difference in overall technique as well as making the D center hole easier to cover.

Folks with very short arms may have a real problem with covering the center hole of the D key. Should this be the case, put in a plug or play on a flute with a curved headjoint.

CONCLUSIONS: Sometimes it is necessary to plug the holes in the G and/or D keys. And when its necessary, put in those plugs -- the Earth won't stop turning. But based on thirty plus years of experience as a professional teacher, I believe that far more often than not the root problems in playing the openhole flute are the inline G and the basic posture, hand position and technique of the player. With these issues addressed, covering the center holes normally turns out to be straightforward and not a big deal at all.

I'm not going to go into the open D# open G# discussion. In terms of freedom of the hands and maximizing potential technique, its obvious that relieving the right fifth finger from spending almost all its time on the D# key is a winning idea. But since we are virtually all playing on closed D# flutes, I've kept the overview to the problems and potential of the flute we are playing on at this point in history.

Its certain that this post has not covered everything. How to balance the flute, etc etc. But I hope it helps put at least the main factors into perspective in a way that is applicable to all who have "normal" hands and are without any debilitating physical issues.

A personal conclusion: I do think that one of the vibes of our time is the occasional tendency to focus too much on problems. When this happens, symptoms get treated readily because its easier to do so than to develop solutions at the root level. Identifying problems is of course the vital first step without which no progress can be made. But let's not stop there. If the problem is in how the player is playing, let teacher and student work through it. If the flute needs to be modified, there are craftspeople ready to help.

And, in fairness, let it be recognized that the "old school" mentality with its "just do it whether it hurts or not" mentality has damaged many players physically and emotionally -- and has brought more than one career to a painful, premature end.

As a masterclass teacher, I've met lots of young students who have somehow acquired the idea that switching to an open hole flute is a huge and fearful step. Why? Its an exciting leap forward, to be joyfully anticipated. Sometimes the answer is nothing more than taking the plunge, popping out the plugs and diligently practicing in front of a mirror to develop good position and make it habitual. I well remember the day at age 12 when I got my first open hole flute. It was a blast!

2.1.28 How can I find listserv lists for other instruments?
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CataList, the official catalog of LISTSERV® lists
UseNet Newsgroups
Yahoo Groups

2.1.29 Performance Anxiety/Stage Fright.
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(From Lynn Hutchins)

I performed in public constantly as a child, and enjoyed the experience thoroughly. When my daughter was born, she was so ill, I didn't have time to prepare for those sorts of things anymore, and went through a seven year period of not performing at all. When I finally sat down to play piano (I didn't play flutes back then) in front of a strange group of people (only about 30), I totally lost control of my fingers. With, shaking, sweating, and blurred vision, I slaughtered those pieces, and felt like a total fool. The next time I was so embarrassed, just from remembering the previous occasion, that the it was even worse. I'm sure those people thought I was the WORST pianist they'd ever heard, and I was sure I'd never be able to perform in public again!

This is how I resolved the problem:

Step 1: When I practiced I would pretend there were people listening, and if that made me shaky (as it did often, at first) I would stop and do what I call meditational playing. For me, that's playing by ear, whatever comes into my head, as this has always had the effect of calming me down. For you it might mean stopping and playing your favorite piece of music (or try playing outside in the sun, or in the bathroom for a few minutes). Whatever you do, you must interrupt that shaking and replace it with flute playing that you really enjoy to help develop new associations. Then go back to pretending that you're in front of people, and start this step over again until the practice performance no longer induces shaking. Keep at it. It really helps. (Remember, when you perform for real, you don't go over mistakes, so you must do the same for this sort of practicing, trying to keep the rhythm no matter what mistakes you might make).

Step 2: Tape your performance in the safety of your practice room, so that a friend or spouse can listen to it later. This is really just one step away from public performance! The neat thing is, if you don't get it right the first time, you can just tape over it until it's perfect. If you get panicky, stop and practice the piece where you made errors, and try again. Then, when the tape is done, watch as the friend listens to the tape (they don't have to comment on it-the point is for you to watch them as your music plays).

Step 3: Try to find a friend who is willing to sit and listen to a private performance in the safety of your own practice area. If you get shaky, just remember, this is a friend who was willing to take time out to help you (and probably doesn't care WHAT it sounds like).

Step 4: Memorize the piece of music perfectly, but still take the written stuff with you to the performance. You can't be better prepared than that, and being thoroughly prepared will help alleviate much anxiety.

Step 5: Make sure your instrument is in good working order. A poorly working instrument has been known to cause me to panic in the middle of a performance... Just having your flute checked over by a reputable repair person, may help to alleviate some pre-performance anxiety.

Step 6: Avoid caffein several hours before a performance. For me, tea only makes the hand shaking thing worse, and sometimes makes me want to throw-up. Be aware that if you normally consume large quantities of coffee or tea, this can trigger a withdrawal headache. I started to drink too much tea recently, which is why I know this.

Step 7: I used to get a headache during performance(stress, not caffein withdrawal). Knowing this, and knowing a headache will distract me, I learned to take couple of ibuprophen an hour before performing. This fortunately, is no longer necessary.

Step 8: Go on stage, and pretend you're in your practice room making another tape. If you make a mistake, focus on the next note(pretend nothing happened). Remember, non-musicians will probably not notice a mistake if you keep the rhythm up, and don't make a stupid face. Also, musicians will sympathize with what you're going through, and be impressed by your poise. Perform in public as often as you can get the chance. The more you perform, the more comfortable you'll feel.

2.1.30 How does 19th C. Performance Practice differ from that of today?
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(From Rick Wilson)

While thinking about sensitive notes recently, I was motivated to try to write down some brief remarks on my understanding of some other 19th century performance practices and aesthetics, from the flute point of view. I think I will post them-- in the hope that others will find them interesting, or controversial, and/or that some of the many experts on this list will correct, clarify, or qualify some matters. I oversimplify many things, sticking my opinions in along the way. It is ridiculous, of course, to think that some brief remarks can describe what was done over a hundred year period in numerous different countries.

The old system conical bore flute with six open finger holes and with four, five, six, eight, nine, eleven, or as many as 15 keys or more. This is what German, Austrian, Russian, and Italian flutists used for essentially all of the 19C. In France, however, the silver Boehm flute was adopted by the Paris Conservatoire in 1860 and one can assume that the great French music after that date was intended for that instrument. England is complicated. Many (most?) major US players used Boehm instruments (wooden, in orchestras) by 1880.

--> Tonal aesthetics:
The idea of a soft and mellow flute tone gradually lost ground to the school advocating a strong, metallic, and even piercing tone. The term 'metallic' was used by Tromlitz and others long before there were metal flutes; a metallic sound was desired on *wooden* flutes. There is a possibility, however, that different sounds and instruments were thought appropriate for orchestral use and chamber practice. To my ear, many 19C old system flutes produce a 'focused' tone, incorporating great sweetness and a bit of astringency, whatever that means. Especially in Germany, an emphasis was placed on blending with the other wind instruments (which is in part why the Boehm flute was resisted, according to German flutists and conductors). Evenness and uniformity in tone color was desired more and more as the century progressed, although the variation in color of the old system flute's scales was strongly defended by Tulou and Furstenau as desirable at mid-century.

--> Intonation, sensitive notes:
The equal tempered scale was accepted in principle, though variation from it for artistic purposes was common. Leading notes were sharpened, often with special fingerings, even on the Boehm flute. In a passage like G-F#-G-F#-G, or G-F#-G-A-B-C#-D, the F# and C# would be played as 'sensitive notes', that is, raised so as to be only about 1/3 tone below the G and D.

--> Alternate fingerings:
Alternate fingerings were cultivated and exploited for color and pitch variation. (They were not called *fake* fingerings in the 19C; they were *real* then.) The regular use of harmonic fingerings was not uncommon.

--> Vibrato:
Nope. It wasn't used. Well, there was a certain amount of finger vibrato used in England in the first half of the century, especially by certain performers, and a much smaller amount in Germany. Most 19C woodwind tutors don't mention vibrato at all--not one word. In exception are several bassoon tutors, which dismiss or ignore breath vibrato and allow finger vibrato in selected and few instances. (Finger vibrato has a different quality--one musically naive friend once told me "it sounds like the flute is doing it instead of you", whatever that means--and allows more control of speed and intensity, in my opinion.)

--> Embellishment and ornamentation:
Sure. In moderation. 19C sources caution the player not to change one note of Mozart or Beethoven, but encourage variations in lesser works. One little trick that I saw in a Drouet variation (c.1830) changed a half note E appoggiatura to a D into slurred eighth notes E-F-F#-G and then the D. I like that one and use it periodically on repeats.

--> Appoggiaturas, accacciaturas, grace notes:
On the beat. Even those little notes with a slash through them are on the beat, not before. For the entire 19C. Many 19C treatises will explain that the appoggiatura takes 1/2 the value of the main note while the grace note with the slash takes 1/4 of its value.

--> Trills:
Starting on the upper auxiliary was still more common than starting on the main note at least until circa 1830 or so. Some trills on 19C old system flutes are rather narrow and teasing, in contrast to the wide and lively trills used on baroque flutes.

--> Turns, etc.:
The fingerings given for turns and trills etc. show that smoothness and facility in ornaments was *essential*, and this was often emphasized more than intonation. The lower note in a turn, by the way, according to fingerings in Drouet, might be raised a semitone even though not notated, e.g. a turn on A might be played A-B-A-G#-A in some contexts (with a sensitive G#) even though no # appears under the turn sign.

--> Glides, portamento:
The glide (a continuous pitch change from one note to another) was popular in England and to a lesser extent in Germany in the first half of the century. But with all the portamento used by string players and singers, I suspect that some flute players used it in the second half too.

--> Slurs, rhythmic alteration:
Thomas Lindsay (1828) illustrates a type of 'inegalite' under slurs. He shows four written eighth notes under a slur being played as a dotted eighth, sixteenth, and two eighths, to emphasize the first note. Also, written slurred pairs of eighth notes are shown played as eighth, sixteenth, sixteenth rest. Sounds like baroque ideas to me, but he says "...much of what is called 'style' depends upon..." these principles.

--> Tempo variation:
Lindsay says that it is *appropriate* to speed up in exciting passages and then slow down in subdued ones. This 19C practice is amply confirmed in many old recordings from the turn of the century.

--> Articulation, phrasing:
This is a very important topic but I won't say much. Instrumentalists were encouraged to emulate singers; the 18C concept of emulating speakers and orators waned. Yet Theobald Boehm advocates "declamation" and "transform[ing] tones, as it were, into words". He uses the words of Schubert songs to teach articulation and phrasing. His illustrations of how to perform these indicate many slurs but also show more detached notes than one might think. In particular, every pickup note in his examples is detached (shown with a dot over it), and he says "the slurring of a note to the following measure is always a fault".

2.1.31 How has the pitch standard evolved?
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(From Glen Ross)

Information on the change of pitch since 1715.

The first tuning fork was invented by Royal trumpeter John Shore in 1711, about the same time as Cristofori invented the first piano. The following table lists SOME of the milestones in the history of musical pitch from 1715 to the present.

2.1.32 Practice Tips.
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(From Nick Wallbridge, Croxley Green,England)

If I have an hour, my practice/playing schedule is something like:

20 mins: Technique based on Clare Southworth's Light Flute Aerobics and Flute Aerobics. This covers long notes, scales, arpeggios, sequences, tone, colour and articulation. If my son is around I will encourage him to play through with me.

10 mins: On studies - but only if I have time. Usually one of Theobald Boehm's 24 Capriccios . If playing with my son, I will probably substitute a couple of duets.

10 mins: Playing a couple easy tunes that I know well and enjoy, usually accompanied by my computer on Yamaha Clavinova!

15 mins: Working on one or two new or difficult pieces so that my "repertoire" gradually expands.

10 mins: Play thorough another couple of pieces that I know well so that I finish on a high.

(From John Wion)

Real practice can't be boring. If you find yourself bored you are wasting your time. The reason to practice is because we want to change something for the better. To do this we have to perceive that something is imperfect - in music this means we have to be listening intently - not thinking about something else. I would suggest you take your T&G #1 and start playing through it.

After a couple of sequences find out what speed on your metronome you have chosen to play. Then with your metronome on play through the entire exercise at that speed (stopping at the end of each sequence to relax and refocus) marking every single place where you are unable to play to your satisfaction. When you finish you will have defined your practice session. Take the first bit you marked and with your metronome off see how slowly you have to play it so that you have no problem. Find that speed on you metronome. Move up one notch and hear the passage in your head - then play it - just once - perfect!

Repeat this process until you reach your basic speed or stop progressing. (a minute or two at most) Go on to the second difficult spot and repeat the process. Whenever you lose interest in that T&G practice something different that *does* interest you. If you are always focusing your practice sessions on specific short term goals they will always be interesting and productive. In this sense your goal is how short the session can be not how long! For every single note that you play in your practice session you need to be able to say - I liked that -or - I didn't like that. Otherwise (if you not truly listening) you are wasting time. (If it's good you're wasting valuable practice time, if it's bad you are getting better at playing it badly!).

As far as T&G goes I encourage my students to work on one a week, discovering and solving the problems as above. A semester later when they have gone through the book we start again but the basic speed has gone up about ten counts (eg 70 to 80) - four years later.

2.1.33 The Rush.
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(From Glen Ross)

The Rush is a Victorian era glissando technique. The technique used to produce the effect is a combination of pitch bending and lifting the fingers slowly. This is relative speed, of course. A complete two octave glide can be played in 2 beats at mm 100.

2.1.34 What are scales?
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(From John G. Zornig)

Russ Thornton wrote:

"Could someone be so kind and explain the term "scales" as used in some literature and in this list: I see ads for flutes with "Selmer scales" or "The New Cooper Scale." I thought the G scale was the G scale."

Good question. It is a confusing term, born of the corrupt notion that the instrument determines what pitch is played.

For a long time, about a century, the original hole sizes and placement of Boehm remained unchanged. Flutemakers simply measured and copied Boehm's design and then each other's. Starting a few decades ago, however collaborations of players and flutemakers started fiddling with these sizes and placements in an attempt to make a flute that would require less effort to play in tune. The old hole placements were a massive improvement on earlier designs, which required big embouchure adjustments in order to preserve intonation, but they still required some effort, particularly on certain infamous notes.

After several decades of tinkering, there are now a substantial number of more or less different modern designs. The widely used nomenclature for a particular schema of hole sizes and placements is "scale", a completely different use of the word than "G scale" or "practice your scales". I think it's a confusing and inappropriate term - my preference would be "design" or "schema" - but as it panders to the notion that a new instrument will fix all of one's playing problems, the flutemakers love it.

(from Leonard E. Lopatin)

>The trouble with using harmonics to set your flute up is>
>that this method is only as reliable as your embouchure.>

When I designed my scale, and being aware of the above, I first set out to tune the length of the first octave by finding the right length for low C, then for the C at the upper end of the first octave. That was pretty good, I thought, and it was pretty darn similar to what Albert Cooper had decided upon. But when I played the third C (top of the second octave), it was sharp. It dawned on me at the point that this is at least part of the reason that with all the wonderful scale-shortening work that has been done over the last several decades, the top register is still sharp. We use the left hand tone holes for venting the high register, and some kind of compromise is required. The compromise that has been employed for the most part is to accept a slightly sharp high register, since we play in the first two registers more. I don't like that choice of compromises. In contemporary music, there is a huge amount of playing required in the third register.

So I tried the compromise I thought would me better---to make my scale length so that bottom C and the C at the top of the second octave (two ledger lines above the staff) were both perfectly in tune. That really brought the high register down to pitch. So now you might suppose that that is what I do on the flutes I make now, but I don't! I wanted to, because I felt that the least flexible notes on the flute, those in the third register were in tune (or close as I believed they could be). But the other side of the coin was that the notes above A in the first octave were noticeably flat. I *still* didn't mind. It took a bit of a change in the approach needed to cross register breaks, assuming you still were planning to play in tune, but I didn't mind. The notes at the upper end of the first octave are the most flexible on the flute as to pitch.

So I had players try my prototype, and within seconds, I could tell no one was going to accept (therefore buy) a flute with this scale. I couldn't go all the way to this extreme, but I found that by splitting the difference, I could "get away with it." So I made the C at the top of the first octave a teensy bit flat, the C at the top of the second octave a teeny bit sharp, and had reduced the sharpness of the third octave a little.

So, I compromised my compromise. I was less happy, but more people were more happy, so who's to say what's right?

The next point (and I will try not to be as long-winded!), is about the desire I frequently hear expressed by players to have manufacturers tell you just how far to pull out/push in to play at the nominal pitch of the flute. It seems to have gotten lost in the mists of time, but we have done that. It was always the industry standard, to my recollection, to make the head joint 2 mm shorter than needed to play at A=440, 442, or what have you. But we makers have always known that some players will pull out to 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm or what have you. Some will push all the way in and complain that they are still flat!

So, when a player asks me to tell them exactly how much they are "supposed" to pull out, I tell them that I can't say. They would have to tell me exactly how hard they plan to blow, at what angle (do they "roll in/roll out", and how much), are they used to pulling out or pushing in, why do they do these things?, etc. I believe that many set there flute up a certain way because that's how their teacher does.

I know this all sounds very curmudgeonly of me to say, but the reasons we don't more precisely indicate how much you are to pull out are:

A) There are too many variables.
B) Most players would not listen to this "rule" and would set up the way they are comfortable setting up.