Robin wrote:Hello fluteland,
I've been looking at the selection of head joints that Yamaha have to offer but am left utterly bewildered. Firstly, the models are named after letters of the alphabet, which doesn't exactly reveal their focus. Secondly, their descriptions
are all the same. Each one being a shuffle of the words 'warm', 'dark', 'expression', 'tonality', 'response', 'color' and 'projection'. This seems to be the case for most manufacturers.
Can anyone offer any insight into the diffent cuts of headjoint and how they affect tone (in terms a scientist might understand, rather than as above)?
Many thanks to anyone who can help
Robin
Hi Robin,
Yes the general descriptions are pretty worthless. It's the marketing BS that we use to describe a tone.
Headjoints respond differently to various players since the player introduces their own unique variables which also act in the entire system. So you are dealing with an interface that is affected by its human component. So finding a good "interface" for you is key.
The things that affect tone (and playability) are divided into certain general attributes. These must be manipulated as a complete system. As such the variables can be combined to create a seemingly unending variety of acceptable designs.
I'll try and give you some guidelines, There is really too much to try and explain it all here.
Components include:
Tubing taper
Embouchure Cut, Hole geometry
Riser height
The taper has a lot of attributes that contribute to sound and tuning. Some have steeper rates of taper, others less. Because of length requirements and sufficient taper reduction (10% reduction overall) hole placement is somewhat governed but that choice but it will determine some tonal and playing characteristics as a result, (more or less free blowing and some tonal content.)
Embouchure cut/ hole geometry has a lot to do with sound. The overall size of the hole can help determine overall sound output and can also be interpreted as more or less resistant. This is highly dependent on the players blowing habits. The actually geometry is further subdivided into the "squared oval" shape. Some are very square (generally less resistant) ore more oval (more resistant) again, different players will manifest this to their liking.
The amount of undercutting/overcutting also has a large effect. Generally really straight walls are more resistant and less responsive and a more "reedy" sound (can be interpreted as dark or bright (depending on the concept of the person you ask..) More undercutting / overcutting (curving of the side walls) makes a headjoint more free blowing, articulate etc. This phenomenon is
balanced out with the taper and overall hole geometry volume to produce a wide variety of options.
The last variable also affect that volume and it is riser height. Generally speaking, taller risers favor the low register and are more resistant and short risers favor the high register (when
all other variables are constant).
So you can hopefully see that there are multiple tradeoffs in the system. The middle of the road headjoint has a fairly linear taper (the so called parabolic taper is mathematical result of measurement). Given a standard bore diameter and 10 percent reduction. Hole placement generally end up in the 17.3 mm range (approximately 150mm from the tenon end.) The actual bore measurement varies in this location (For many reasons that is not practical to address here) A standard geometry is .400" across X .460" wide (diagonal measurements determined by squareness or oval-ness) and a riser height of .200" +/- .010" to delineate the low riser and high riser versions.
The standard front wall angle is 7 degree resultant angle and is pretty standard on all flutes. The others are all subject to manipulation.
Another general rule is that the more efficient the air column become, the brighter it gets. (this includes the player's variables.
So it important to find the right combination of all these variables that compliments the variable that you the player add to the system. Not an easy task...
You can play a headjoint to discover if the interface is good for you or you can measure it and play it. Most people just play them because the tools are not commercially available unless you've made them for yourself.
