I finally got the Miyazawa in the mail today!!! It's even better than I remembered!! I am playing every second I get, and I am in love. They sent me about 6-7 different headjoints to try, and I'm having trouble recognizing the differences between them. The website makes each one sound good in their descriptions. Here's the link:
http://www.miyazawa.com/index.php?optio ... &Itemid=40
They sent me all the different headjoint styles and also some with and w/o 14k risers. I'm more confused about the different cuts. A lot of them sound the same to me.
Any suggestions?
Miyazawa headjoints
Moderators: Classitar, pied_piper, Phineas
Miyazawa headjoints
"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music." -Sergei Rachmaninoff
It's really difficult to choose if you don't have anybody around to help you.
Once I had to choose from 15 different heads, all made by Emanuel.
I called a flutist friend to help me, because there were details I could not hear from the position of who is playing the flute. He could clearly point to me important things that really helped me.
There must be lots of communication between you and your helper, so this person knows what you are looking for from the new headjoint.
Anyway, another procedure that can help is recording what you play. If it's not possible, try to find a corner of walls in an empty room (or move the furniture...). Play next to this corner so you make all the sound come back to your ears, so you have a better idea of what are the results.
And forget all what is said at the manufacturer's brochures or websites. They always will say their products are the best for you. We flutists actually know that there is no way to know that for sure unless you try playing, and there is always one model that suits you better than all others.
And of course, don't give up trying if there is still doubts. Play again and again until your are really sure.
Good luck
Once I had to choose from 15 different heads, all made by Emanuel.
I called a flutist friend to help me, because there were details I could not hear from the position of who is playing the flute. He could clearly point to me important things that really helped me.
There must be lots of communication between you and your helper, so this person knows what you are looking for from the new headjoint.
Anyway, another procedure that can help is recording what you play. If it's not possible, try to find a corner of walls in an empty room (or move the furniture...). Play next to this corner so you make all the sound come back to your ears, so you have a better idea of what are the results.
And forget all what is said at the manufacturer's brochures or websites. They always will say their products are the best for you. We flutists actually know that there is no way to know that for sure unless you try playing, and there is always one model that suits you better than all others.
And of course, don't give up trying if there is still doubts. Play again and again until your are really sure.
Good luck
-
pied_piper
- Posts: 1962
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:31 pm
- Location: Virginia
You have to realize that a large part of the sound is attributable to the player - not the headjoint itself. If you have a well developed embouchure, you will sound like "you" on nearly any flute or headjoint. Because you have a concept in your mind of what the flute is supposed to sound like, you may subconsciously make small embouchure adjustments to make it sound the way you think is should sound.
When trying new headjoints, you may find that you experience a different feel to each headjoint/cut/riser. Some may feel very free blowing while others may feel like there is more resistance when you play. Some may allow a great deal of flexibility in the sound while others do not. Approach each one with an open mind and let it speak in it's own voice. Try not to force each one into the sound "mold" that you expect to hear in your mind. You may also find that some tend to play better/easier in the low range while others are better in the upper range. Explore each HJ by playing normally plus the extremes.
Play low notes, play middle notes, play high notes, play 3-octave scales to cover the entire range of the flute, play soft, play loud, play arpeggios, make leaps from low to high and high to low. Play some excerpts from some of your favorite pieces. Play both some very melodic excerpts and some very technical ones. You should begin to notice some differences in the characteristics of each headjoint. Don't just play a minute on one and then switch to another. It takes a few minutes for you to adjust to each different HJ. Play each one for at least 10-15 minutes before switching to another. Then you can begin eliminating some and concentrate on only 2-3 HJs. When you've narrowed the selection, play each for at least 30 minutes before changing to another. Record yourself playing on each and then listen to yourself as objectively as possible. Also, get other flutists or experienced musicians to listen and give their opinion. Often the sound others hear is different than what you hear close-up.
When trying new headjoints, you may find that you experience a different feel to each headjoint/cut/riser. Some may feel very free blowing while others may feel like there is more resistance when you play. Some may allow a great deal of flexibility in the sound while others do not. Approach each one with an open mind and let it speak in it's own voice. Try not to force each one into the sound "mold" that you expect to hear in your mind. You may also find that some tend to play better/easier in the low range while others are better in the upper range. Explore each HJ by playing normally plus the extremes.
Play low notes, play middle notes, play high notes, play 3-octave scales to cover the entire range of the flute, play soft, play loud, play arpeggios, make leaps from low to high and high to low. Play some excerpts from some of your favorite pieces. Play both some very melodic excerpts and some very technical ones. You should begin to notice some differences in the characteristics of each headjoint. Don't just play a minute on one and then switch to another. It takes a few minutes for you to adjust to each different HJ. Play each one for at least 10-15 minutes before switching to another. Then you can begin eliminating some and concentrate on only 2-3 HJs. When you've narrowed the selection, play each for at least 30 minutes before changing to another. Record yourself playing on each and then listen to yourself as objectively as possible. Also, get other flutists or experienced musicians to listen and give their opinion. Often the sound others hear is different than what you hear close-up.
"Never give a flute player a screwdriver."
--anonymous--
--anonymous--
From Jen Cluff's webpage:
http://www.jennifercluff.com/buying.htm#test
http://www.jennifercluff.com/buying.htm#test
Re: Miyazawa headjoints
I was looking at your other thread, so it seems you did make up your mind about what headjoint to go with. I went to the Miyazawa web site and they did not have photos of just the headjoints but I did think that the general model photos displayed different ones. I made a little montage of one that I thought probably represented yours, along with a couple crops from photos of my flute.
I bought this about three weeks ago on EBay to replace a flute that was needing to be retired. Now this one I found was made in 1963 but looks better than new, if that is possible, where it may have been put together maybe once.
I am somewhat intrigued by this whole thing and what I imagine is that someone bought this as a way to avoid having to later buy a step-up model but had the affect of making the prospective student give up immediately. I have personally been on the verge of giving up myself, and I being an experienced player.
The thing is, when I get it right, it is the most amazing thing, so I am encouraged to put in the extra work to get that result more consistently.
These are just the photos from the seller and I have not taken any myself, but when I hold it and look at it, I imagine it to be very similar to what you have, as far as the shape of the embouchure and the lip plate and that sort of thing. I am getting the feeling that the experts in Elkhart got flute making down to a science in the early 60's and the modern flute goes back to that thing that works.
I bought this about three weeks ago on EBay to replace a flute that was needing to be retired. Now this one I found was made in 1963 but looks better than new, if that is possible, where it may have been put together maybe once.
I am somewhat intrigued by this whole thing and what I imagine is that someone bought this as a way to avoid having to later buy a step-up model but had the affect of making the prospective student give up immediately. I have personally been on the verge of giving up myself, and I being an experienced player.
The thing is, when I get it right, it is the most amazing thing, so I am encouraged to put in the extra work to get that result more consistently.
These are just the photos from the seller and I have not taken any myself, but when I hold it and look at it, I imagine it to be very similar to what you have, as far as the shape of the embouchure and the lip plate and that sort of thing. I am getting the feeling that the experts in Elkhart got flute making down to a science in the early 60's and the modern flute goes back to that thing that works.