Having switched from a student flute with a "standard" head joint (Jean Baptiste 0291X) to the Sankyo CF401 with a RT1 head joint, I am having some problems adjusting. The surface of the head joint slopes down from the blow hole, and it seems to require a different embouchure. In fact, the James Galway embouchure he demonstrates, with the lower lip extended somewhat and pulled down at the corners appears to fit the shape of the head joint as if it had been designed with his embouchure in mind.
Has anybody tried this head joint who could tell me whether such embouchure adjustments are called for?
Embouchure on Sankyo RT1 head joint
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Re: Embouchure on Sankyo RT1 head joint
Is it a range of notes you are having trouble with or everything?
If your problem is isolated to a certain range of the flute, like lower range not speaking which normally does speak for you. You should most definitely try different headjoint cuts. I could not get the FT cut to speak well at the bottom range and the top range had crazy dynamic range to levels that are not safe for the ears. The FT and RT1 are high range emphasis heads. I found the RT2 to give a rich lower range and I still have plenty of dynamic range on top without any worry of playing louder than is safe. There's also the RT3 which is even more bottom friendly.
The lip plate wave itself shouldn't really change your embouchure. The shaping is to re-direct air on the sides of the embouchure hole to improve tone, similar to Lafin Wings or Muramatsu Tsubasa. If anything it should make someone with a bad embouchure sound a little better!
If your problem is isolated to a certain range of the flute, like lower range not speaking which normally does speak for you. You should most definitely try different headjoint cuts. I could not get the FT cut to speak well at the bottom range and the top range had crazy dynamic range to levels that are not safe for the ears. The FT and RT1 are high range emphasis heads. I found the RT2 to give a rich lower range and I still have plenty of dynamic range on top without any worry of playing louder than is safe. There's also the RT3 which is even more bottom friendly.
The lip plate wave itself shouldn't really change your embouchure. The shaping is to re-direct air on the sides of the embouchure hole to improve tone, similar to Lafin Wings or Muramatsu Tsubasa. If anything it should make someone with a bad embouchure sound a little better!
Re: Embouchure on Sankyo RT1 head joint
I have no problem with the 1st octave, which sounds nice and full, and the 3rd octave is a bit shrill. The biggest problem comes in the 2nd octave, where I have to really increase air speed so as to not get cracked notes. I went back to my student flute/headjoint and the problem was not as noticeable.amoretto wrote:Is it a range of notes you are having trouble with or everything?...
...The lip plate wave itself shouldn't really change your embouchure. The shaping is to re-direct air on the sides of the embouchure hole to improve tone, similar to Lafin Wings or Muramatsu Tsubasa. If anything it should make someone with a bad embouchure sound a little better!
By the way, Sankyo advertises the RT-1 head joint as optimized for the lowest octave, which I affirm by my experience with it.
Also, I just noticed a tiny nick on the far side of the blowing hole. It is less than one millimeter in length, about 3-4mm to the right of the leftmost part of the hole, and just deep enough in the surface to feel with a finger nail. It does not appear to have affected the inside surface (edge) of the hole. Could this be causing a problem, and should it (could it) be smoothed out?
By the way, going back to the student flute surprised me, as I had thought I got pretty good tone out of it. But after a month on the Sankyo I can now hear how much richer the tone on the Sankyo is.
Re: Embouchure on Sankyo RT1 head joint
You are right, I flipped RT1 and RT3.
It is interesting that you are experiencing cracking in the mid-range, you should be able to maintain consistent tone through the mid-range of flute regardless of head type. That could be flute related, if there are any leaks you could have stuffy/breaking notes. I have a flute that can crack when I push middle Eb and Db due to a C# trill key leak, when I press in the C# trill key pad into place (at least on Db), the problem goes away.
I would suggest trying another headjoint on your flute and play descending long tones with increasing volume from say B3 and see if you still experience the breaking.
If the breaking occurs with too little air versus too much air is could just be a support issue and can improve over time with practice. If too much air is causing breakage and you have to hold back to prevent the break, that flute should be looked at.
That ding sounds far enough away that it shouldn't be a worry, they unfortunately happen and it could probably be smoothed out, but you may get more over time anyways and may find them reduce in size/notability in the normal course of getting a clean/oil/adjust on your flute over time.
It is interesting that you are experiencing cracking in the mid-range, you should be able to maintain consistent tone through the mid-range of flute regardless of head type. That could be flute related, if there are any leaks you could have stuffy/breaking notes. I have a flute that can crack when I push middle Eb and Db due to a C# trill key leak, when I press in the C# trill key pad into place (at least on Db), the problem goes away.
I would suggest trying another headjoint on your flute and play descending long tones with increasing volume from say B3 and see if you still experience the breaking.
If the breaking occurs with too little air versus too much air is could just be a support issue and can improve over time with practice. If too much air is causing breakage and you have to hold back to prevent the break, that flute should be looked at.
That ding sounds far enough away that it shouldn't be a worry, they unfortunately happen and it could probably be smoothed out, but you may get more over time anyways and may find them reduce in size/notability in the normal course of getting a clean/oil/adjust on your flute over time.
Re: Embouchure on Sankyo RT1 head joint
I don't have access to another head joint that would fit this flute. But I'm beginning to think it's a support problem, and will practice on that octave. By the way, here is an attached picture of the ding on the head joint. It is silver, but on a yellow cloth, so it appears to be gold.amoretto wrote: If the breaking occurs with too little air versus too much air is could just be a support issue and can improve over time with practice. If too much air is causing breakage and you have to hold back to prevent the break, that flute should be looked at.
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