Do you have a preferred flute/hj for different music genres?

flutego12 · Post by **flutego12** » Sun Feb 03, 2013 4:45 pm

Do you find yourself preferring a different flute or headjoint for the different music genres you are playing?
I don't mean it in a deliberate way but...

Instead of pulling off a JenCluff by varying your tone using embouchure and blowing angles), do you find yourself preferring one flute or headjoint (which you find particularly flattering) for a particular piece of music?

For example:
Yamaha 371H for Jethro Tull's Bouree or Hromek's Celtic Guitar type music or Claude Bolling's Suite For Flute & Jazz Piano Trio Nos 1 & 2
Miyazawa PA202 for Poulenc's Sonata for the Flute & Piano or Debussy's Syrinx maybe ... in the absence of a Louis Lot!
Altus 807 for Boehm's Caprice No 16 in Ab Minor (YouTube's Michael Nyugen plays this beautifully on his higher-end Yamaha) or Vivaldi's Four Seasons perhaps.
Altus 1307 + for Enescu's Cantible et Presto (such exquisite raw dark tonal colours - see YouTube by Carnivorious at the Mellby Atelier, Sweden) shivers! Compare this with Rampal's more controlled
version. Much as Rampal is my all time benchmark, I admit I preferred Carnivorious's rendition. Was it the flutist? flute? or simply superior recording technology?
Muramatsu for Jacques Casterede's Etude No 5 (I loved this on two YouTube clips, one on a Muramatsu (see Mauro Scapini) and the other on the exquisite Abell (see E Gaston)... wonder if a Guo New
Voice will do it?

)

but it would seem that Emma Resmini could make her entire repertoire sound good on her initial flute (?) and subsequently the Powell Conservatory. Watching a pint sized little girl/young lady emerge with such expression (with volume) leaves me with no excuses - that all things are possible.

jefkearns · Post by **jefkearns** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 11:31 pm

delete

JButky · Post by **JButky** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 11:56 am

I would say no.

The flute's voice is what I make it. No need for so many flute's and headjoints...

Zevang · Post by **Zevang** » Fri Mar 15, 2013 3:18 pm

All my respect to Joe's opinion.

Although I need to say that for me, while a professional, it's very interesting having different configurations depending on the repertoire being played by the orchestra.

Configs are:

(New) Nagahara, all gold, platinum raiser: From the romantic period and beyond.

Muramatsu EX with a Wooden DiZhao headjoint: barroque, classical (Mozart, Haydn, etc), to early post classical like Beethoven, and even sometimes Mendelsohn.

When we have to play outsides, more to the popular side of repertoire, I use my EX with the original Tsubasa headjoint.

It's very personal, I know. Many prefer a wider range of color using only one preferred headjoint, many times with a flute body of a different brand.

That's just me

flutego12 · Post by **flutego12** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 4:00 am

JButky wrote:I would say no.

The flute's voice is what I make it. No need for so many flute's and headjoints...

It's fascinating that we can all have a unique voice for each flute headjoint combo - a little like unique vocal fingerprinting.

flutego12 · Post by **flutego12** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 4:05 am

Zevang wrote:All my respect to Joe's opinion.

Although I need to say that for me, while a professional, it's very interesting having different configurations depending on the repertoire being played by the orchestra.

Configs are:

(New) Nagahara, all gold, platinum raiser: From the romantic period and beyond.

Muramatsu EX with a Wooden DiZhao headjoint: barroque, classical (Mozart, Haydn, etc), to early post classical like Beethoven, and even sometimes Mendelsohn.

When we have to play outsides, more to the popular side of repertoire, I use my EX with the original Tsubasa headjoint.

It's very personal, I know. Many prefer a wider range of color using only one preferred headjoint, many times with a flute body of a different brand.

That's just me

I so get you on this one! I find a different tonal spectrum for each set up which to me flatters a different genre. But along that note, my teach had just made me promise to store away the yamaha and just practice on the mura which she thankfully thought was a beautiful flute (dollars not wasted), so that I wouldn't confuse my embouchure.

evrmre · Post by **evrmre** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 5:03 am

flutego12 wrote:
Zevang wrote:All my respect to Joe's opinion.

Although I need to say that for me, while a professional, it's very interesting having different configurations depending on the repertoire being played by the orchestra.

Configs are:

(New) Nagahara, all gold, platinum raiser: From the romantic period and beyond.

Muramatsu EX with a Wooden DiZhao headjoint: barroque, classical (Mozart, Haydn, etc), to early post classical like Beethoven, and even sometimes Mendelsohn.

When we have to play outsides, more to the popular side of repertoire, I use my EX with the original Tsubasa headjoint.

It's very personal, I know. Many prefer a wider range of color using only one preferred headjoint, many times with a flute body of a different brand.

That's just me
I so get you on this one! I find a different tonal spectrum for each set up which to me flatters a different genre. But along that note, my teach had just made me promise to store away the yamaha and just practice on the mura which she thankfully thought was a beautiful flute (dollars not wasted), so that I wouldn't confuse my embouchure.

Just lucky she didn't tell you to store the mura... that would have been heartbreaking... lol

flutego12 · Post by **flutego12** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 10:08 am

Just lucky she didn't tell you to store the mura... that would have been heartbreaking... lol[/quote] indeed...! I must go try the EX again some time. The GX is coming along v nicely indeed with the coaching.how is your RnR coming along. I received my packages two weeks ago. Composer's published sheet music has one with minus one CDs - fab to play along with - there is even a "slower" version for beginners.

evrmre · Post by **evrmre** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 3:50 am

:O I only got the sheet music! Haven't been working on it yet, but I'm starting to listen to it regularly (I learn best by ear). Hope to start on it after easter...

flutego12 · Post by **flutego12** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:32 pm

evrmre wrote::O I only got the sheet music! Haven't been working on it yet, but I'm starting to listen to it regularly (I learn best by ear). Hope to start on it after easter...

evrmre: I'm right there with you on the same page. I learn best by ear TOO! I think that this is how we were originally designed to do. The spirit catches it by sound and hearing. Doing it through note reading alone actually hampers the process for most UNLESS of course one is exceptionally endowed with such musical talents and can interpret so brilliantly to start with. For most it is through many iterations and continuous improvement through the passage of time - so tedious. In that sense, I think mr Suzuki got it right. Learn by hearing. I was very impressed with the old footages of little Emma Resmini on YouTube - so little yet so much colour, projection and an astounding memory!

I learnt Syrinx by first listening to Rampal and same with Poulenc's sonata except for the tough runny bits - before going to the notes. I tend to prefer/do better with the lyrical pieces that challenge my breathing and vibrato techniques then the virtuoistic pcs. =D The mind is a beautiful thing, after hearing, the subconscious then takes over and the body kicks in to reproduce after it.

On Easter.
i LOVE easter, esp our GF service, just one hour but always so powerfully reflective and moving. Be looking forward to hearing your starting the RnR pc. I've started a facebook page called the flute exchange d.u. do share your clips there if you have any, its early days yet and you are potentially my first flute friend... ps I thought your dub-step was really good... and in parts of the drumming reminded me of ikari warriors from the arcade or amiga days (may hv been before your time tho

)

Phineas · Post by **Phineas** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 11:02 am

Here is my .02usd(2 cents).

In a pinch, you should be able to play any style on any playable flute. Technique on a particular flute is the only limitation in my opinion.
I have won many challenges on this very subject.

Do I prefer to play some styles better that others on a given flute setup? The key work is "prefer". Any other limitation is on me(the player).

I have more than one setup. All of them are pretty versatile. Example I like performing live on my Jupiter, and recording with my Miyazawa. Mostly because I play fusion and I do not need as much flexibility live as I do when I am recording. Again this is just a matter of preference, not a limitation for one flute or the other.

For a while, I just carried 2 headjoints. A wood one, and a regular one. This worked out great for me sound wise. Someone else thought so too, and stole it from me.

Phineas

flutego12 · Post by **flutego12** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 4:41 pm

Phineas wrote:Here is my .02usd(2 cents).

In a pinch, you should be able to play any style on any playable flute. Technique on a particular flute is the only limitation in my opinion.
I have won many challenges on this very subject. My teacher would tend to agree with you as would Jen Cluff.

Do I prefer to play some styles better that others on a given flute setup? The key work is "prefer". Any other limitation is on me(the player).This I agree in my case. Hence the preference.

I have more than one setup. All of them are pretty versatile. Example I like performing live on my Jupiter, and recording with my Miyazawa. Mostly because I play fusion and I do not need as much flexibility live as I do when I am recording. Again this is just a matter of preference, not a limitation for one flute or the other. That makes a lot of sense indeed and I've heard a lot of good things about the Jupiter x11s. I've read on another thread that you've got the Legacy headjoint, I'm really curious how that differs from my silver Hj. One day I must go to Japan to try flutes/hjs. color]

For a while, I just carried 2 headjoints. A wood one, and a regular one. This worked out great for me sound wise. Someone else thought so too, and stole it from me. Both??!! Hv you replaced them? oH, I'm really sorry to hear that, Phineas - thats heartbreaking, how !#$%^@, I hope it gets recovered somehow. Read about the Snagg. If it is rice size, wonder how that fits in the cork w/o affecting the sound.
Phineas

evrmre · Post by **evrmre** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 8:13 pm

flutego12 wrote:Read about the Snagg. If it is rice size, wonder how that fits in the cork w/o affecting the sound.

Another person mentioned that the hj is essentially a faraday cage, so a snagg in the hj is of very limited use, sadly...

flutego12 · Post by **flutego12** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 1:04 pm

evrmre wrote:
flutego12 wrote:Read about the Snagg. If it is rice size, wonder how that fits in the cork w/o affecting the sound.
Another person mentioned that the hj is essentially a faraday cage, so a snagg in the hj is of very limited use, sadly...

A REMINDER TO : Always read marketing spiel with your thinking caps on (I suppose), over enthused, not always accurate.

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