Tuning!!!

[zoeage]

Hi

I have a huge problem with tuning!!

I know i tend to go flat when running out of breath or not supporting notes, but my pianist thinks Im flat and my very first supported notes! How does this happen? Im already in tune with the piano!!

[flutepicc06]

Just because you check one note against the piano does not mean you'll be in tune for everything else. Unlike in a band setting, pitches aren't going to change on a piano depending on where they're used, which makes playing with fixed-pitch instruments more difficult. The human ear doesn't hear things perfectly in tune most of the time, so what you're hearing from yourself may sound right, but it may be just slightly off from where the piano's playing, which means it's not right at all (assuming you're working with a well-tuned piano). If you trust your pianist's judgement, you probably are going flat, which means you need to adjust pitch using your air. Try raising the airstream very slightly to bring pitch up and lowering it very slightly to bring pitch down. Don't roll in or out to tune. During your practice sessions, work with a tuner to figure out which notes need adjustments, and which way you have to change them to bring them into tune. This will give you a better ear for where the pitches should be, and eventually you won't even have to think about adjusting.

[Zevang]

wise words flutepicc06.

Also, keep in mind that you must maintain abdominal support at all times.

Zevang

[Claiken]

someone told me before that going a little sharp sometimes is alot better then going flat sometimes, is this true?

[flutepicc06]

someone told me before that going a little sharp sometimes is alot better then going flat sometimes, is this true?

It is, but it's still not advisable to intentionally go sharp. Because the flute is so high pitched, the human ear tends to hear it flat more easily. If you play slightly sharp, it can add brilliance. Sir James Galway is pretty well known for playing on the sharp side of things. If you can control your sound that well, it's not really an issue, but for most players, it would be very difficult to pull off playing sharp well.

[MeLizzard]

Eesh, that's not true!!!! Out-of-tune is out-of-tune. Just because the human ear is more likely to perceive "sharp" (vs. on-pitch or flat) as "in tune" doesn't mean we should go out of our way to play this way! Acoustics are funny... Also, I'm well aware Sir Galway has a huge contingent of fans, justly so for several reasons, but a good many fine flutists don't care for his playing so much, for reasons such as this one.

[flutepicc06]

Eesh, that's not true!!!! Out-of-tune is out-of-tune. Just because the human ear is more likely to perceive "sharp" (vs. on-pitch or flat) as "in tune" doesn't mean we should go out of our way to play this way!

Yes, of course you're right about out-of-tune being out-of-tune, but if no one can tell, how much does it really matter? Of course, I'm not advocating that anyone attempt to play sharp, but is it worth worrying if you're slightly over pitch as long as it sounds right (hypothetically speaking)?

[Mark]

Funny thing, the human ear.

To finely tune a piano one must ~stretch~ the scale going both ways.
a little flat in the bass and a little sharp in the high treble so that it
~sounds~ in tune. The amount needed varies with the style of piano,
of course.

[ick27]

As the flutist's motto goes, "it's better to play sharp than out of tune."

Seriously though, intonation and temperament are complicated subjects. It's important to find an embouchure that allows you to comfortably move the pitch higher or lower. It's good to practice bending notes as sharp and as flat you can (I like to do this with a tuner). Once you get good at doing this, it will be easier to adapt to those playing around you (provided you do listen to them).

[MeLizzard]

Plenty of listeners can tell! We should always make the effort to do the right thing, even if the rewards seem minimal. I'm aware we're discussing intonation, but I'll use tone as an example. Just because Joe Lunchbox can't tell the difference between my tone, his 10-year-old daughter's, and Paula Robison's, I'm not gonna shortcut and play with the tone of the ten-year-old! But, seriously, playing with good intonation is a tough element of technique, which demands as much, maybe more, attention, than developing fast fingers or good rhythm. It's challenging to find the sweet spot on each flute at which the tone is exactly what we want AND the intonation is also good. Trevor Wye included a lot of good reading about intonation and various scales in his Intonation practice book.

[Band_twink_14]

Plenty of listeners can tell! We should always make the effort to do the right thing, even if the rewards seem minimal. I'm aware we're discussing intonation, but I'll use tone as an example. Just because Joe Lunchbox can't tell the difference between my tone, his 10-year-old daughter's, and Paula Robison's, I'm not gonna shortcut and play with the tone of the ten-year-old! But, seriously, playing with good intonation is a tough element of technique, which demands as much, maybe more, attention, than developing fast fingers or good rhythm. It's challenging to find the sweet spot on each flute at which the tone is exactly what we want AND the intonation is also good. Trevor Wye included a lot of good reading about intonation and various scales in his Intonation practice book.

You sound just like my teacher. She's obsessed with long tones, air support, and of course the perfect tone. I actually like tom play a little sharper at home than at my lessons or in band because I like the way it sounds.

[flauter11]

Keep in mind that on the flute the lower registers are flat. C and C# are sharp, and the fourth octave is just outright sharp.