Professional Headjoint and Flute Poll

[flutepicc06]

1)What headjoints do you own(which is the best)?

I own a 14K Tom Green and a solid silver Yamaha EC, and will soon have a titanium head from Jon Landell. None is necessarily better, but I prefer the Landell and the Tom Green with my playing style.


2)What headjoints do you think is best for solos, duets trios, smooth quiet passages, and expressive ability?(you do not have to own it)price of headjoints

It depends on the particular passage, but my Tom Green. This also relies quite a lot on the player, and their style of playing.

3)What headjoints do you think is best for loud projective playing and ability to stand out with a large dynamic range?(you do not have to own it)price of headjoints

The Landell Titanium, but once again, this is player preference.

4)What professional flute models and brands (under$3000 Shocked )would you recommend for someone who wishes to major in flute performance and become first chair and soloist in college/university band and future groups?

For under $3000, Yamaha, Pearl, Altus, Sankyo, Muramatsu, Miyazawa, etc. etc. all are good options. For this price, chances are others will have nicer instruments than you, but the instrument doesn't matter nearly as much as how you play it.

5)Best Headjoint-flute combinations for expressive quiet solos?

Will vary from player to player.

6)Best headjoint-flute combinations for loud projecting playing that stands out?

Varies from Player to player, but for me, a 14K Tom Green body with the Landell headjoint, though excellent (different, but no worse) results can also be achieved with the Tom Green head.

7)Brands and models to avoid? Evil or Very Mad

Junker Chinese imports, and anything that you can't find a professional looking website for. Also, eBay flutes.

[fluteguy18]

1)What headjoints do you own(which is the best)?
I currently own a sterling headjoint and a silver plated headjoint.

2)What headjoints do you think is best for solos, duets trios, smooth quiet passages, and expressive ability?(you do not have to own it)price of headjoints. It varies from player to player. Although I prefer gold headjoints for this style playing with maybe a platinum riser.

3)What headjoints do you think is best for loud projective playing and ability to stand out with a large dynamic range?(you do not have to own it)price of headjoints. I personally prefer silver with a gold riser and lip plate, but gold headjoints with platinum risers, or even solid platinum headjoints are really nice. However, it varies by player.

4)What professional flute models and brands (under$3000 )would you recommend for someone who wishes to major in flute performance and become first chair and soloist in college/university band and future groups? I would suggest a handmade flute by either muramatsu or miyazawa. however, if the person doesnt like them, then I wouldnt force the flute on them. I just like them personally. Everyone is different. And, as Chris said, you will definately be running the chance of someone having a nice instrument than you. Even though it is mostly the player, and not the instrument, having a really nice flute helps (I know, because I have an intermediate manufactured model flute and it is really holding me back compared to handmade flutes I have played)

5)Best Headjoint-flute combinations for expressive quiet solos?
It varies, although a good headjoint should be able to do about anything.

6)Best headjoint-flute combinations for loud projecting playing that stands out?
Again it varies.

7)Brands and models to avoid?
Cheap imports. Ebay flutes that A: dont have a recognizable name/brand and B: have a return policy that is enforced. I purchased my wooden piccolo off of ebay, and it is very nice. However, it had a great return policy, a recognizable brand that I like (yamaha) and the dealer had almost 1000 sales, and still a 100% feedback score. If it had been any less (less that 100% rating, okay return policy etc.) i would not have purchased it. But I am very happy with it, and got a great deal.

But, to be completely safe, avoid ebay flutes. and Walmart flutes. And Sam's club flutes.

[Meredith]

Walmart sells flutes?!?!? And to think, I was scandalized to learn earlier this week that Sam Ash markets their own brand!

[MeLizzard]

Yeah. I think they're almost all teh same, really. Tons of cheap no-name instruments are produced overseas for, like, $15 each, and then stamped with whatever name the retailer chooses. Our local WalMart experienced so many repair issues within only a couple months that they quit selling them! That was about three years ago, I think.

[fluteguy18]

around here (and I have seen them elsewhere) the company's name was "First Act" they also made clarinets, and trumpets, and guitars and tons of stuff.

[Meredith]

There are no words...

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. ... id=5038675

The list price is $198.00. For that, I'm wondering* if it's no worse than any other generic nickel flute that they give out to fourth graders.


* But still quite sceptical, as I loathe Wal-mart.

[ick27]

Most of your questions about headjoints. How loud a headjoint plays is a function of its geometry. Headjoints with tall risers and large rectangular embouchure holes will be the loudest. Headjoints with lower risers will respond faster and generally be more flexible. The preference for hole sizes has a lot to do with the shape and size of the players lips I think.
I would also like to point out that loudness and projection are not the same thing. I admit that I don't totally understand what exactly makes the flute sound project, but I have heard old flutes (with small oval holes, little undercutting, etc.) project marvelously.

The players I respect the most have headoints that are somewhat of a compromise. They have rectangular embouchure holes with signficant rounding, and moderate riser height. A good compromise allows the player to produce a variety of tone colors and control them in both dynamic extremes. When trying out headjoints, we tend to be immediately attracted to the loudest headjoint in the bunch, because it is so gratifying to play at full blast, but this headjoint is probably not the best for all-around playing. Many flutists do use a single headjoint for their playing, and I don't know anyone that switches headjoints during a piece or anything like that.

Most flute makers do make good quality headjoints, and there are many excellent headjoint makers who focus just on headjoints. To find which ones you like, you really must play them yourself.

As for flutes, you should find a flute which feels comfortable in your hands and which all the parts fit together properly (meaning the pads seal properly over the tone holes and the mechanism fits well without binding or unwanted motion.) If a flute is uncomfortable or mechanically unsound, don't buy it. The scales of flutes made recently are all good in general (certainly compared to 50 years ago) so that's not really a major consideration.

Probably the best deals are from the Japanese makers, who now produce good quality flutes fairly inexpensively (I've been particulary impressed by Altus and Miyazawa lately.) The American makers (Powell, Brannen, smaller makers, maybe Haynes, etc.) continue to produce top quality handmade flutes, and there are a few less expensive models which are generally good (ie. Powell's Sonare, Conservatory, Signature, etc.)

The headjoint/flute pairing is only significant in that the headjoint needs to fit properly on the flute body, and that you need to like both of them.

[flutepicc06]

As for flutes, you should find a flute which feels comfortable in your hands and which all the parts fit together properly (meaning the pads seal properly over the tone holes and the mechanism fits well without binding or unwanted motion.) If a flute is uncomfortable or mechanically unsound, don't buy it.

I agree wholeheartedly with almost everything you wrote, but this bit about passing up a flute if there's unwanted motion or the pads don't seal quite right I don't agree with. Keep in mind that I am speaking only about the mechanical side of the instrument, not the side related to sound. If it leaks so badly that it hardly plays, there's no way to know how it sounds with you playing, and it's probably best to pass it up, but as long as the flute itself is of reasonable quality, anything that small can be set right by a good repair tech quite easily. I agree that if the flute's uncomfortable, it's a good sign that it's not the instrument for you, but don't let minor mechanical problems hold you back from purchasing a flute you otherwise like.

[alexbharris]

I would also like to point out that loudness and projection are not the same thing. I admit that I don't totally understand what exactly makes the flute sound project, but I have heard old flutes (with small oval holes, little undercutting, etc.) project marvelously.

Projection is a function of the upper partials in your sound.

If you play with no upper partials you can play as "loud" as you want, but you won't be heard. If you play with upper partials, you can play pp and still be heard throughout the hall.

A robust sound (robust, not loud) has a mix of upper and lower partials that are catered to the listener (and the hall), and not the player. Players who play well play for the audience, not themselves. Lousy players who play loudly (usually offensively) do not understand this basic principle of musicianship.

Lousy players often fixate themselves on their instrument. Good players fixate on understanding what they are playing, musicianship, intonation, and line.

For more information, read John Krell's Kincaidiana.

[sidekicker]

Not sure how we ended up with two different threads on the same topic, but I'll cross my post over here as well:

Last Feb. I purchased a silver Burkart M2 w/ 14K riser. I play on an old (1967) handmade silver Haynes and just the addition of the 14K riser made a huge difference. When I compared it to an entire gold Burkart head, the difference was almost imperceptible (the silver one I bought sounded almost like a gold head to me; don't get me wrong, though, her golds are fantastic too). The older thin-walled Haynes are known for having a beautiful high register sound, but often lack response in the lower register. I was frustrated for years with all the "designer" heads that delivered great resonance in the lower register; the problem was that the quality of the high register on my instrument was compromised and I was unwilling to make that trade off.

In my opinion, Lillian Burkart makes the best heads around. So far she has had the best success with giving a robust low register while retaining quality in the high register; customer service is also very good. I will say, however, that I played on a gold Powell w/ platinum riser the other day which was absolutely amazing. Brannen-Coopers are awesome as well. In fact, I'm looking for a gold Cooper head right now. Anybody know of someone who has one on the market (besides the dealers of course)? PM me if you do.

SK

[flutepicc06]

I would also like to point out that loudness and projection are not the same thing. I admit that I don't totally understand what exactly makes the flute sound project, but I have heard old flutes (with small oval holes, little undercutting, etc.) project marvelously.

Projection is a function of the upper partials in your sound.

If you play with no upper partials you can play as "loud" as you want, but you won't be heard. If you play with upper partials, you can play pp and still be heard throughout the hall.

Unfortunately, Alex, you're not quite correct. It's actually the lower partials that allow for projection. In an article about Trevor Wye in Flute Talk (the Novermber 2005 edition), he says, "Ships at sea are a good analogy. They have low-frequency fog horns; this low, deep sound carries long distances. To produce a carrying, projecting sound, the tone should have lots of low frequency in it, not second harmonics or higher frequencies." It's the lower partials that determine projection, not the upper partials. Those, in various combinations, create tone colors, and other nuances, but are not responsible for projection.

[alexbharris]

Unfortunately, Alex, you're not quite correct....It's the lower partials that determine projection, not the upper partials. Those, in various combinations, create tone colors, and other nuances, but are not responsible for projection.

If you think that lower partials cause your sound to project then you probably have no sound.

Sound projecting over water is quite a bit different than sound projecting through air. Unless you intend to play in your bathroom over a tub of water you'll need to play with upper harmonics to get your sound to project.

[flutepicc06]

Unfortunately, Alex, you're not quite correct....It's the lower partials that determine projection, not the upper partials. Those, in various combinations, create tone colors, and other nuances, but are not responsible for projection.

If you think that lower partials cause your sound to project then you probably have no sound.

Sound projecting over water is quite a bit different than sound projecting through air. Unless you intend to play in your bathroom over a tub of water you'll need to play with upper harmonics to get your sound to project.

I suggest you read that article that I quoted from. Wye has an extremely vast knowledge of the way a flute works, and makes some very interesting points in it. A foghorn is not different than a flute. It may be traveling over water rather than land, but it is not travleing THROUGH water. The sounds of both a foghorn and a flute travel through the same medium....Air.

[alexbharris]

I suggest you read that article that I quoted from. Wye has an extremely vast knowledge of the way a flute works, and makes some very interesting points in it. A foghorn is not different than a flute. It may be traveling over water rather than land, but it is not travleing THROUGH water. The sounds of both a foghorn and a flute travel through the same medium....Air.

A foghorn is not different from a flute? Projection over water is the same as through air?

Not to be disparaging, but a foghorn is quite obviously not a flute and projection over water is absolutely not the same as through air.

Thanks for your suggestion about reading your Flute World but I'll pass. Upper partials determine projection, filter out the upper harmonics and you won't hear the player at a distance. True for every instrument, same reason that a violin playing at the same db as a viola will be heard over the viola. Same for a soprano and an alto, etc, etc.

I presume that Mr. Wye was referring to something else, if he in fact said what they claim he said my best guess is that he meant that without lower partials you would not want to listen to the sound produced. That is a fact, an additional fact, and not the same fact as the one that I have stated (again) above.

[flutepicc06]

I suggest you read that article that I quoted from. Wye has an extremely vast knowledge of the way a flute works, and makes some very interesting points in it. A foghorn is not different than a flute. It may be traveling over water rather than land, but it is not travleing THROUGH water. The sounds of both a foghorn and a flute travel through the same medium....Air.

A foghorn is not different from a flute?
Projection over water is the same as through air?

Not to be disparaging, but a foghorn is quite obviously not a flute and projection over water is absolutely not the same as through air.

Thanks for your suggestion about reading your Flute World but I'll pass. Upper partials determine projection, filter out the upper harmonics and you won't hear the player at a distance. True for every instrument, same reason that a violin playing at the same db as a viola will be heard over the viola. Same for a soprano and an alto, etc, etc.

I presume that Mr. Wye was referring to something else, if he in fact said what they claim he said my best guess is that he meant that without lower partials you would not want to listen to the sound produced. That is a fact, an additional fact, and not the same fact as the one that I have stated (again) above.

I did not phrase that sentence about flutes and fog horns well. Obviously they are different, but in this situation, the concept is the same....They produce noise that is transmitted through the air. Transmission of sound through the air is different than transmission of sound through the water, but as I already remarked, the water does not serve as the medium through which the sound of a foghorn travels. The foghorn's low pitch travels through the AIR, just as the flute's high pitched sound travels through the AIR. I said nothing about reading a "Flute world." That is a flute speciality shop in Michigan. I suggested you read an article on Trevor Wye in "Flute Talk," which is a publication by the NFA, and I still think you would benefit from doing so. Upper partials do not control projection. That, along with many other ideas (as Mr. Wye points out in his article), are misconceptions carried on by flutists who don't think about their ideas. A high pitched noise will be heard before a low pitched one because the sound waves involved in a high pitch are much higher energy than a low pitch's waves. They travel faster, but not further. The low pitch has the advantage in projection. It's larger wavelength allows the sound to travel much further than a high pitched sound could. Projection is not about which is heard first, but which is heard best at a distance. Filter out the lower harmonics, and you won't hear an instrument at a distance. You can presume all you want, but Wye was rather clear about what he was discussing. I quote again from the same passage as before: "It's the lower partials that determine projection, not the upper partials." Your concepts seem rather muddled. I suggest you do some additional research into this, as none of your points seems to have been very valid beyond pointing out an omission in my writing.