Headjoints

[MissyHPhoenix]

I have three headjoints that I play with my Prima Sankyo -- the original Sankyo that came with my flute, a Full Circle Louis Lot wooden headjoint, and a Muramatsu. The Sankyo is very easy to play, flexible with a bright full sound at all registers, especially the higher notes. The wooden headjoint I use when I'm playing my Bach and Telemann especially; it has a great, woody (of course) sound, tends to be very finnicky to play, and sounds best in the middle register. The Muramatsu is very easy to play and has a dark, full resonance especially in the lower register.

Can someone explain to me how the headjoints can be so different as I described above? What do the makers do to them to, for instance, make one be specifically "better" at the higher registers? Simply curious is all. Thanks!

[pied_piper]

Mostly the differences are in the "cut" or shape and that can be quite complicated.

Some factors:

• height of the riser
  size of the hole
  shape of the hole (more round or rectangular)
  amount of undercutting
  amount of overcutting
  the material of the tube/riser/embouchure plate (but some say that's negligible)

[MissyHPhoenix]

Is there a general guideline to go by when looking at a headjoint, or do you just have to take the company's description on it? Thanks for the info, too.

[pied_piper]

Generally, no. Most of the makers use named descriptions and don't describe a lot of specifics. Typically, they try to describe the type of sound or use for each headjoint, but unfortunately, there are no real standards for comparison of those descriptions.

You'll see non-descriptive names such as Philharmonic, Soloist, Forte, Vivo, etc., sometimes numbers are used (i.e. Sankyo & Miyazawa). Read these descriptions on these websites. They provide some of the makers' descriptions of the cuts offered. Some of them describe the sound, the undercutting, and/or shape of the embouchure hole.

http://www.flutesmith.com/headjoints/mi ... joints.asp
http://www.flutesmith.com/headjoints/po ... joints.asp
http://www.flutesmith.com/headjoints/br ... joints.asp
http://www.flutesmith.com/headjoints/bu ... joints.asp
http://www.pearlflutes.com/headjoints.html
http://www.sankyoflute.com/e/catalog/head.html

[Zevang]

The best way is really try playing. Even with lots of input from the makers, it's your playing that counts when choosing a headjoint.
The orientations they give, as told before here, are just guidelines so you have a general idea of what the design of the headjoint is intended to.
It's really a personal matter and that's probably the reason there are so many makers in the market with good reputation and many, many diferente preferences from flutists.

[Benjahmin]

Interesting topic !

So as I understand it there is no general tendency of different heads to have a special characterisics ??

On Sax -mouthpieces for example, one can generally say that one with a big bore will sound softer and one with a tight one brighter...of course altering with the player, but still giving a general idea.

So this will not go for different Flute-Headpieces, but here simply depend on the player and his likes ??

or did I catch it wrongly ??

Benjahmin

[pied_piper]

There are some general characteristics defined by the shape and size of the embouchure opening. Headjoints with more round or oval shape tend to be sweeter, softer, and easier to play. A more rectangular shape adds more overtones to the sound, it tends to be a bit louder, and requires more control of the player.

If you read the manufacturer links from my previous message, there are some additional description of the various cuts.

Some of it is a bit of black magic though, known only to the masters. Read this article:
http://syrinxflute.com/pdfs/TechnologyFA07.pdf

[Benjahmin]

@Pied_piper

Ok, that s the general information , I was looking for, concerning the shapes of Toneholes for example


Thanks a lot!!

Benjahmin

[SaxyShanny]

You can try up to four different headjoints from Flute World at a time. I am primarily a sax player and since picking the flute back up in Nov. '09 ( I had a 684 Yamaha with the EC cut headjoint) I had a horrible time playing or blowing and getting the sound I longed for. In January, I bought the Yamaha K cut headjoint (which I currently have for sale;) and it was a little better but this headjoint I feel is for a more seasoned/developed flutist, not a full time sax player. So I talked to Jeffrey at Flute World (totally an awesome guy) and I told him my situation and what flute I played on and he picked four headjoints for me to try and let me tell you something!!! I was standing in my private instructor's room, crying, saying, "See! I'm not that bad a flute player!!" So needless to say, I found a headjoint that totally works for me (I couldn't have done it without the help of Jeffrey at Flute World or Cindy Bruce (Flute Master C, my private instructor.) So if you have the means to go this route, I highly suggest it!

SS

[JButky]

Generally, no. Most of the makers use named descriptions and don't describe a lot of specifics. Typically, they try to describe the type of sound or use for each headjoint, but unfortunately, there are no real standards for comparison of those descriptions.

This is very true. I just finished teaching a headjoint design and cutting class last week and there are numerous other factors to consider that contribute to the way a headjoint plays.

The basic gist is that all of these factors work together, you can't really take one spec and apply it to everything. Several specifications work together.

That's why there are so many headjoints out there since there are near infinite possibilities.

Proporations are important to consider as well. These things include relationships of the taper to placement of the hole vs bore diameter, Riser height vs Hole volume space (vs bore spec at the hole center)

Riser height and hole geometry are important but are not the only considerations..Lip plate designs are also very interesting (Single, double, even triple, bent, cut-aways, straight raised and saddle shaped, Offset riser, etc..)

Best to try them out as others have suggested to find one that works best for you.

One interesting feature that is obvious with spectral analysis is that you can take the same headjoint, have two different players blow on it and get 2 different sets of partial strengths. So the player has a huge affect on a headjoint too. You can't take anyones recommendations. You have to have someone listed to you play to make a recommendation..