Getting flute in tune

ckee · Post by **ckee** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:10 pm

I just got a new flute and had a lesson earlier today. When I put the head joint all the way in, my electronic tuner shows the notes being very very sharp. I can get the flute in better tune by pulling the head joint out a little. Is it normal to have to do this or should the notes be in tune with the head joint all the way in? I was also wondering if perhaps it might be something I'm doing since I am just learning. I will certainly appreciate any help I can get with this.

ckee

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:54 pm

It's pretty normal to have to pull out the head for tuning, sometimes as much as 1/2 an inch. Most makers make the head a bit longer than it has to be so that you can adjust both a little flat and a little sharp. To see how far yours should be pulled out, finger C1, and overblow it to C2. If your head's in the right position for the flute, the two should both be in tune. If it's not in the right position, adjust until they are in tune. Of course, this is just the best place for the head based on the scale length of the flute, not find the perfect place for every note to be perfectly in tune and some notes are naturally going to be more out of tune than others, so even once you figure out where the head should be, you'll need to work on adjusting. Congratulations on the new flute!

lachiquitadelaflautaloca · Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:55 pm

When you play the flute, you adjust your tuning by either pulling the headjoint in or pushing it back out... Generally, pushing in makes it more flat and pulling out makes it more sharp.

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 8:05 pm

That's only partially true, lachiquitadelaflautaloca. When you pull in or out, you are adjusting the length of tube which will put one note (whatever you are playing) in tune, but all the other notes will be affected as well. There is no head position where every note will naturally be in-tune. The best way to tune is to find the optimum head position, which will be where the scale (size and placement of toneholes, in addition to headjoint taper and the like) allows you to play everything in tune most easily, and learn to adjust with your mouth/air. Pulling the head out or pushing it in is not the way to tune while you are playing....Controlling your air is.

ick27 · Post by **ick27** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:14 am

ckee,

Flutes are designed to be played with the head joint pulled out a bit. This makes them more flexible, because you can tune higher or lower if you need to.

We generally only move the headjoint around when we first take out the flute. When playing with an ensemble, it is usual to tune together to a particular note, so everyone can adjust their instruments to be in tune with eachother. Of course you can adjust pitch a bit while playing, so the goal of moving the head joint is find a comfortable medium where the most notes will be the most in tune.

Pulling your head joint out makes it more flat, while pushing it in makes it more sharp (not the reverse, as lachiquitadelaflautaloca said.) Remember, longer tubes make lower pitches and shorter tubes make higher pitches (this is why piccolos sound higher than tubas for instance.)

Ask your teacher about how to tune your flute at your next lesson. Until then, don't worry too much about what your electronic tuner says, just try to get a good sound out of the instrument.

angiepea · Post by **angiepea** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 12:19 am

i think lachiquitadelaflautaloca was trying to say that if you either tip the flute towards you or turn it out away from you this will also flatten or raise the pitch

ckee · Post by **ckee** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:41 am

I would like to thank everyone who replied to my post about getting my flute in tune.

ckee

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 1:31 pm

angiepea wrote:i think lachiquitadelaflautaloca was trying to say that if you either tip the flute towards you or turn it out away from you this will also flatten or raise the pitch

Well it will, but it will also affect tone, and it's a terrible habit to have. Rolling in and out can be used to tell if you are sharp or flat while tuning (assuming your ears aren't trained well enough to tell on their own), but at that point you should adjust the head and the make the small changes with your air like I said before. Under no circumstances should you be rolling in and out constantly as you play.

angiepea · Post by **angiepea** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 1:43 am

I completely agree, and i would like to point out that this was not my suggestion even though your reply implies so.

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 1:24 pm

I'm sorry if my reply implied that you suggested it. I did not intend that to be the case. Rather, I understood that you were just trying to clarify for us what lachiquitadelaflautaloca meant.