It seems that years of experience and listening improves ones ability to discern finer and finer degrees of tone colour. See:Īrticle on listener's expertise on pitch and tone colour. As stated in the data analysis, an explanation of the increased frequencies is probably due to a decrease in the volume of air inside each flute.Īlso, as the flute player matures and grows more discerning, more tone colours and qualities become audible to them.
It can be concluded that as flute wall thickness increases, the frequencies of the fundamental, second, and third harmonic also increase. This conclusion indicates that timbre of the flutes cannot be exactly reproduced, even under uniform conditions.Īlthough harmonic amplitude was not affected, there was a slight, but definite change in the frequencies of the harmonics. The outcomes of the trials also suggest the flute timbre varies slightly among flutes of the same thickness. The data and graphs (of sound spectrums of heavy wall and normal wall flutes) showed no directional correlation between a change in flute wall thickness and the relative amplitudes of the harmonics, suggesting that flute wall thickness does not affect the timbre of the tone produced. In the above paper this was the conclusion: The effect of heavy-wall flutes on tone colour Nancy Toff's book on google books: see page 96 and 97.Īfter reading your email, and Toff's words on the subject, I wondered if there were any scientific research papers that were fairly recent and well researched, and I found this one - well worth reading: Note: to read the above jpeg, click on it to enlarge, and use back button to return. Nancy Toff writes on this in her book "The Flute and Flute Playing". dark tone has been going on for at least a century, and possibly several centuries. Now, to the real question which is about the human perception of "light vs dark" in flute tones. That times spent humouring the old scale flutes into tune could be spent on developing tone colour options instead of just trying to play to pitch. Always there will be some that feel or sound darker or lighter than others.Īlso, older flutes with out of tune scales (sharp C#s, flat low registers etc.) make more work for the intermediate player.
Miyazawa flute serial numbers serial numbers#
If you travel to a flute store where all the flutes are in excellent repair (no pad leaks) and play-test try 10 identical flutes in a row with sequential serial numbers you will be unlikely to find two that sound identical or even feel the same. The fact is that no two flutes play alike, and until there is an exacting replication technology, where a given flute is utterly replicated in various different materials, this will continue to be the case. My instructors have said that the B foot is darker, but I "hear" C foot as darker when I compare my flute to B models head to head. I would really like to find a darker flute (C ft) with great action to match it. I bought a 14K Aurumite headjoint and it is amazing, but the Artley can't keep up with the action. Would solid silver make the quality brighter as tonguing is my greatest limitation in playing? Should I go for a nickel plated silver?īasically, I'm trying to figure out the best way to simulate heavy wall sound, but not kill off what little articulation that I have. Is the nickel giving me a darker sound quality that I like?
However, the mechanism is choppy, stiff, and clumsy despite many reputable flute shops looking after it. I tried Miyazawa heavy wall once and liked the action, but it was out of my price range.Do you know which of the older used models from the either company would have a darker tone? Currently, I play a 1989 Artley nickel plated. Hi Jen, love the blog! Listen, I wanted to seek your opinion in continuance of your website recommendations.I'm an intermediate adult flutist and I'm looking for a Muramatsu flute.I adore the heavy wall sound, but cannot afford a DS/GS model.
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