what's an octave??????

datguy594 · Post by **datguy594** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 10:30 pm

what's an octave...... i keep hearing it and i'm curious... so plz tell what is an octave.

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 10:49 pm

This is the definition of an octave:

An interval spanning seven diatonic degrees, eleven semitones. The frequency of a note one octave above another will have exactly twice as many Hertz as the frequency of the note an octave below it.

For example, the C in the staff is one octave above low C.

squints · Post by **squints** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:10 am

Now this seems to fit here.

My upper octive poor but my lower octive is good. This is because most of the music I pick is written in the lower register. Would it improve me greatly to play all my music up or will it not?

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:26 am

It would be a great idea to improve your upper ranges. Ian Anderson was a great flutist, though his style is different from most flutists. To be able to pull of some of the stuff he does, you need to be extremely flexible. Part of that is being comfortable in any octave. You can't live in the bottom octave forever.

squints · Post by **squints** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:30 am

Well I could try!

It's actually very nice down there. No high E to deal with.

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:36 am

squints wrote:Well I could try! It's actually very nice down there. No high E to deal with.

Haha! High E's get a bad rap that they don't really deserve. With most good quality instruments in decent repair, they're not an issue.

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 9:34 am

Absolutely. High E's aren't as bad as they are made out to be. I too like my lower register a lot more than my upper, however I see the importance of having a good upper register too. So, I consistantly work on both.

So, I would start doing long tones and such working on your upper octave (and scales in two octaves or more) [ only some scales are possible in three octaves, but they are worth learning].

Also, [If I remember this correctly] on james galway's webpage [ I think it is like galway network.com or something like that-- just do a web search] there is a link to a page that talks about a really wierd technique that involves the upper register. It was created by a clarinetist, and a flutist figured out how to do it .

It is basically a sort of complex gliss using overtones of certain fingerings. It is really cool. If you work on just the first section, it will make your upper range absolutely electrifying. So, go and look, and if I find it , I will post the link on here.