Student Instrument Guide and Technique Assignments
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Every year at MVHS, your first semester project will be to complete this Instrument Guide. Download the attachment above and begin working on it as soon as possible. Different parts of the assignments will be due throughout the first semester. We hope you will find this information beneficial to your understanding of your instrument. This project is in conjunction with Mr. Scherr’s Master Degree through the American Band College.
Index
The Flute Family Equipment and Materials - Parts of the Flute - Required Equipment - Body Materials Maintenance, Instrument Brands, Upgrades Types of Flutes and Purchasing a Flute Assembling the Flute Playing Posture Flute Embouchure Tone Concepts Vibrato Tone Production Problems and Remedies Fingerings Charts Common Pitch Problems - Tuning Guide Warm Up Suggestions Method Books Solo Literature Extended Technique Resources and Helpful Links Youtube Videos |
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Types of Flutes
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1. Bass Flute in C - Having evolved during the 1920's, these kinds of modern flute are a substitute for the saxophone in jazz music. Its pitch is one octave lower than the ordinary flute.
2. Alto Flute in G - This type of modern flute has over a hundred years old history. It is a transposing instrument, which means that music written for it has a pitch different than what it really sounds. It is notated a 4th above its actual sound. 3. Tenor Flute - Also known as the flute d'amore in B flat by flute players, this kind of modern flute has been existing since Medieval times. It is pitched one step lower than the C flute. 4. Concert Flute in C – These types of modern flute has pitch is in C and the range covers over three octaves, starting from middle C. 5. Soprano Flute in E Flat – This modern flute has a range of three octaves and corresponds to a Concert C Flute. 6. Treble Flute in G - The G Treble Flute is generally accounts for the melody. These kinds of modern flutes have a three octave range which start from g1. It is also a transposing instrument, having its pitch 4th lower than its actual sound. |
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Maintenance / Instrument Brands / Upgrades
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Care And Maintenance Of Flute
- Both the inside and outside of the flute need to be cleaned: Cleaning the inside of the flute is important as you don't want your metal to corrode. Cleaning on the outside too is essential because you don't want the flute to look gross or any of the silver plating wearing down. Not cleaning the flute properly can make it look old in no time. - Cleaning the Inside: The flutes generally come with a rod with a long skinny hole at its end. Take a small piece of clean cloth or a handkerchief and put it through the hole in the rod. Put the rod and the cloth through the flute a few times. |
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- Cleaning the Outside:
Flute care and maintenance on the outside will depend on how dirty your flute is. If you think your flute is really dirty, go for a professional cleaning. You can use a cloth to clean the flute if it is it only a little dirty. Maintaining the flute is important as you want the instrument to not only sound good but look good too. The cloth for cleaning the flute should be a highly absorbent material such as cotton or silk. flute players can also go for a polishing cloth.
- Keys Maintenance:
When you press down a key and hear a sound like a kiss, you get to know that you have sticky pads. Pads are very sensitive, so they should be treated with utmost care. Use pad papers for the care and maintenance of flute. Place in the pad paper between the pad and tone hole. Then push down the key to blot the pad and then lift the key up, removing the paper. Never try to slide out the paper with the key still closed, as this can scratch the pad leading to an expensive repair! You can also use cigarette paper to get rid of sticky pads, but do not use paper like sheet music or printer paper because it will damage the pads.
Under no situations should one ever clean the flute under water, as this could permanently damage the pads, as they are not meant to get wet.
Flute care and maintenance on the outside will depend on how dirty your flute is. If you think your flute is really dirty, go for a professional cleaning. You can use a cloth to clean the flute if it is it only a little dirty. Maintaining the flute is important as you want the instrument to not only sound good but look good too. The cloth for cleaning the flute should be a highly absorbent material such as cotton or silk. flute players can also go for a polishing cloth.
- Keys Maintenance:
When you press down a key and hear a sound like a kiss, you get to know that you have sticky pads. Pads are very sensitive, so they should be treated with utmost care. Use pad papers for the care and maintenance of flute. Place in the pad paper between the pad and tone hole. Then push down the key to blot the pad and then lift the key up, removing the paper. Never try to slide out the paper with the key still closed, as this can scratch the pad leading to an expensive repair! You can also use cigarette paper to get rid of sticky pads, but do not use paper like sheet music or printer paper because it will damage the pads.
Under no situations should one ever clean the flute under water, as this could permanently damage the pads, as they are not meant to get wet.
Playing Posture and Hand Position
- Have students position their chairs to their right at about a forty-five degree angle to their stands. Their flutes, when they put them up, should be parallel to the position of the stand but at an angle with their body (the same way violins and violas should sit). Head should be turned so that it is facing the stand looking over the left elbow.
- Students’ left hand should be collapse against the flute. A lot of students might complain about this hurting their hand, or that they get sore. You can buy Dr. Scholl’s foam padded moleskin or cushions, cut it into small rectangles, and stick it onto their flute where their left hand is resting. You might have to put them on double thick. They won’t ruin the finish and the adhesive easily comes off with rubbing alcohol.
- Students’ right hand should have the fingers gently curved and the fingers close to the center of the keys.
- Right hand thumb should be in one of two positions:
- For a four-point balance the thumb should be placed directly underneath the index and middle finger, so that the flute gently rests on the side of the thumb. In a four-point balancing position the flute is balanced using the bottom lip, the collapsed left hand, the right hand thumb and the right hand pinky. The student might complain of a sore thumb, good thing for Dr. Scholl’s, you can once again place the padding directly onto the flute; this might also help maintain good hand position. You can also have them go spend between $10-$20 for a “Bo-pep” or a “Thumb port”. Some people feel that this position 1) puts too much pressure on the right hand little finger and 2) is not as stable with all fingerings. This can be avoided using the three-point balancing position – it’s just a little harder to teach.
- For a three-point balance the thumb is on the backside of the flute pressing forward. The three-point position is based on the concept of a lever with the collapsed left hand being the fulcrum. The bottom lip is pressing out, the left hand is pressing towards the body, against the bottom lip and the right hand thumb is counter-balancing it by pushing the flute away from the body. This position is a very good position for children with small hands, short thumbs or short little fingers. It is also especially good for students who have hitch-hiker’s thumb.
Head Joint Info
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1. The tenon should be tight enough to prevent air leaking, and yet loose enough to permit you to tune up. The fit also affects the resonance of the instrument, and people have been arguing over how and why for years. Some people say a loose fit lets the head vibrate more. Others say that a tight fit makes the whole instrument vibrate, which is supposed to be better yet.
2. The taper keeps you from going flat in the high register. A head without any taper plays unbelievably flat on top. The taper is added to bring the flat notes up to pitch. In theory the notes of |
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the second octave are most affected, but no one seems to complain about these. If the angle of the taper is too sharp, it seems to make the notes from high D# through G sharp. If you have this problem try a head made on the old Louis Lot taper or Boehm taper. The Bonneville taper is even a little flat.
3. Wall height is measured at the side of the embouchure hole. Five millimeters is standard. More than that gives an easier low register and harder high register. A lower wall gives the reverse.
4. Undercutting is done on the sides, where the embouchure hole and the head tube meet to form a sharp edge. If this edge is rounded, turbulence is reduced and you get a clearer sound. Undercutting effectively reduces the wall height and so improves the high register. It also makes the headjoint blow more freely.
5. Over cutting seems to work much like undercutting. If it is done too much, the low register suffers greatly. It should never be done to a large embouchure hole.
6. The cork assembly has a lot in common with the tenon. It must be airtight and people argue about how tight and loose it should fit and what it ought to be made of. Its position affects the taper and therefore intonation and quality of tone. If your flute seems sharp, as mentioned under taper, try setting the cork at 18 mm. or even 19 mm. instead of the customary 17 mm. Sometimes this helps and sometimes it creates more problems than it solves. In theory there is an ideal cork position for each note and you have to find the best compromise.
7. The head crown is another subject of controversy. People have been doing strange things with them for years. My best guess is that what is really important with both cork and crown is the weight. If you change the weight by as little as two grams, the playing characteristics of the instrument are affected. A lighter flute seems to blow freer and a heavier flute more resistant. (If you want to try this, just stick a clothespin anywhere on your flute, the location doesn't seem to matter.)
8. The strike wall is also known as the front wall, or the back wall depending on which side of the flute you view it from. Some people say it should be straight, others favor a gentle curve. A 7¡ã angle is about standard. If this wall is longer or shorter it favors the low or high register respectively.
9. For a name, see number 8 above. This wall seems to arouse very little discussion or controversy. If the top is rounded it seems to give more depth to the sound, assuming the hole isn't too large to begin with.
10. The back of the lip plate should have a curvature which is comfortable under the lip. Further, if it is bent up, the effect is to aim the air more down into the hole. Bending it down effects the reverse.
11. The front of the lip plate and the strike wall form a wedge over which the airstream must pass. A narrow wedge lets air pass more freely and a wide wedge provides more resistance. This greatly affects response in the different registers and, to a lesser extent, intonation.
3. Wall height is measured at the side of the embouchure hole. Five millimeters is standard. More than that gives an easier low register and harder high register. A lower wall gives the reverse.
4. Undercutting is done on the sides, where the embouchure hole and the head tube meet to form a sharp edge. If this edge is rounded, turbulence is reduced and you get a clearer sound. Undercutting effectively reduces the wall height and so improves the high register. It also makes the headjoint blow more freely.
5. Over cutting seems to work much like undercutting. If it is done too much, the low register suffers greatly. It should never be done to a large embouchure hole.
6. The cork assembly has a lot in common with the tenon. It must be airtight and people argue about how tight and loose it should fit and what it ought to be made of. Its position affects the taper and therefore intonation and quality of tone. If your flute seems sharp, as mentioned under taper, try setting the cork at 18 mm. or even 19 mm. instead of the customary 17 mm. Sometimes this helps and sometimes it creates more problems than it solves. In theory there is an ideal cork position for each note and you have to find the best compromise.
7. The head crown is another subject of controversy. People have been doing strange things with them for years. My best guess is that what is really important with both cork and crown is the weight. If you change the weight by as little as two grams, the playing characteristics of the instrument are affected. A lighter flute seems to blow freer and a heavier flute more resistant. (If you want to try this, just stick a clothespin anywhere on your flute, the location doesn't seem to matter.)
8. The strike wall is also known as the front wall, or the back wall depending on which side of the flute you view it from. Some people say it should be straight, others favor a gentle curve. A 7¡ã angle is about standard. If this wall is longer or shorter it favors the low or high register respectively.
9. For a name, see number 8 above. This wall seems to arouse very little discussion or controversy. If the top is rounded it seems to give more depth to the sound, assuming the hole isn't too large to begin with.
10. The back of the lip plate should have a curvature which is comfortable under the lip. Further, if it is bent up, the effect is to aim the air more down into the hole. Bending it down effects the reverse.
11. The front of the lip plate and the strike wall form a wedge over which the airstream must pass. A narrow wedge lets air pass more freely and a wide wedge provides more resistance. This greatly affects response in the different registers and, to a lesser extent, intonation.
Choosing the Right Headjoint
Embouchure Hole Size
(The size and shape of an embouchure hole lends itself toward certain distinctions. )
Find the Style of Cut and the material that that will give you:
- nuance of color,
- comfortable articulation
- consistent tone color throughout all registers.
French Opening:
- Small opening on the head joint: provides more flexibility but smaller sound.
- A small hole has a sweet sound.
German Opening:
- Larger opening on the head joint: provides a larger more resonant sound but limits flexibility.
- A large hole has a big sound.
Large Oval Shaped Hole.
This shape is more traditional in style and will facilitate fluid slurs, excellent upper register response and delicate pianissimo passages. This is an excellent headjoint for ensemble playing and for those who like a little more resistance to produce a full, broad sound.
Rectangular Shape Hole:
This shape is regarded as our ‘modern’ cut. The flat front edge that results from the rectangular shape is excellent in handling the air blown from a wider aperture as found in low register playing. Therefore, while the sound produced in the low register is very rich and focused, the middle and upper registers enjoy excellent core and clarity as well. The sound produced is large and orchestral and a popular style for soloists
Blowing Edge
The angle of the blowing edge affects how much you have to roll the headjoint in or out to find the “sweet spot” with the best focus and tone. The blowing edge angle also impacts how much resistance is given to the air stream and the overall quality of articulations.
A gradual blowing edge is the most remonstrant to that of traditional headjoint styles. This provides a good amount of functional resistance, where the player has room to project with a lot of air and not worry about overblowing or “fracking.”
A angled blowing edge provides less resistance and quick response. This enables the player to articulate with ease especially in the sometimes formidable lower register.
Materials
The main reasons why different metals produce different sounds are density and stiffness. Both density and stiffness are inherent properties of the material. Stiffness can be affected by how that material is alloyed and heat treated. Higher density tends to favor the lower harmonics; lower density, the opposite. In practical terms, a denser metal would have more resistant qualities than a less dense metal but the sound also has potential to carry farther and possess more complexity. Higher stiffness tends to favor higher harmonics; lower stiffness, the opposite.
RISERS & LIP PLATE
A gold riser on any kind of silver head will add color and nuance by using a denser metal for the most critical part of the whole flute, directly where the sound originates. Gold is perceived by many to “darken” the sound and add a profound color palate at an economical price.
The gold embouchure is a gold lip plate in addition to a gold riser resulting in subtle additional benefits over a gold riser alone. It supplies gold at the exact tip of the blowing edge, the weight adds substance to the sound and the aesthetic is admirable.
The platinum riser The projection and color added are both striking and beneficial and can be appreciated by orchestral player, soloist, and chamber musician alike. Platinum is widely known for its free-blowing fortes, but its subtlety of color and ability to facilitate upper octave pianissimos is also unparalleled.
Embouchure Hole Size
(The size and shape of an embouchure hole lends itself toward certain distinctions. )
Find the Style of Cut and the material that that will give you:
- nuance of color,
- comfortable articulation
- consistent tone color throughout all registers.
French Opening:
- Small opening on the head joint: provides more flexibility but smaller sound.
- A small hole has a sweet sound.
German Opening:
- Larger opening on the head joint: provides a larger more resonant sound but limits flexibility.
- A large hole has a big sound.
Large Oval Shaped Hole.
This shape is more traditional in style and will facilitate fluid slurs, excellent upper register response and delicate pianissimo passages. This is an excellent headjoint for ensemble playing and for those who like a little more resistance to produce a full, broad sound.
Rectangular Shape Hole:
This shape is regarded as our ‘modern’ cut. The flat front edge that results from the rectangular shape is excellent in handling the air blown from a wider aperture as found in low register playing. Therefore, while the sound produced in the low register is very rich and focused, the middle and upper registers enjoy excellent core and clarity as well. The sound produced is large and orchestral and a popular style for soloists
Blowing Edge
The angle of the blowing edge affects how much you have to roll the headjoint in or out to find the “sweet spot” with the best focus and tone. The blowing edge angle also impacts how much resistance is given to the air stream and the overall quality of articulations.
A gradual blowing edge is the most remonstrant to that of traditional headjoint styles. This provides a good amount of functional resistance, where the player has room to project with a lot of air and not worry about overblowing or “fracking.”
A angled blowing edge provides less resistance and quick response. This enables the player to articulate with ease especially in the sometimes formidable lower register.
Materials
The main reasons why different metals produce different sounds are density and stiffness. Both density and stiffness are inherent properties of the material. Stiffness can be affected by how that material is alloyed and heat treated. Higher density tends to favor the lower harmonics; lower density, the opposite. In practical terms, a denser metal would have more resistant qualities than a less dense metal but the sound also has potential to carry farther and possess more complexity. Higher stiffness tends to favor higher harmonics; lower stiffness, the opposite.
RISERS & LIP PLATE
A gold riser on any kind of silver head will add color and nuance by using a denser metal for the most critical part of the whole flute, directly where the sound originates. Gold is perceived by many to “darken” the sound and add a profound color palate at an economical price.
The gold embouchure is a gold lip plate in addition to a gold riser resulting in subtle additional benefits over a gold riser alone. It supplies gold at the exact tip of the blowing edge, the weight adds substance to the sound and the aesthetic is admirable.
The platinum riser The projection and color added are both striking and beneficial and can be appreciated by orchestral player, soloist, and chamber musician alike. Platinum is widely known for its free-blowing fortes, but its subtlety of color and ability to facilitate upper octave pianissimos is also unparalleled.
Embouchure
Building a Great Flute Embouchure
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Flute Tone Production Problems and Remedies
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Sound Produced
1. Correct Sounds 2. No tone, rushing air 3. Some sounds, Mostly air 4a "Whoof" sound 4b. "Thu" sounds 5a. High-pitched "whistle" (overtone) 5b. Flat Pitch |
Causes of Problems
- None - Air is going across hole - Lower lip not on hole - Corners of lips not pulled together - "Splitting" the tone - Too large of an opening in lips - No tongue being used - Tongue going between teeth and/or lips - Too much air - Head joint rolled out too far - Hole Covered too much - Rolled in too far |
Remedies
- None - Blow more into hole - Place more lip over hole - More "Whee" - Lower chin, blow down - More "oo" needed - Emphasize "too" - More "Too" (tongued on roof of mouth) - Blow less hard - Turn headjoint in - Cover less hole - Roll Out |
Fingerings
The Three Bb Fingerings
- Thumb Bb:
This is the most desirable of the three Bbs. It should be used whenever possible, especially in flat key signatures. The thumb key may be left down for all notes that normally have the thumb down except for F#2. It is acoustically the best sounding. It will also allow players to play more fluently. It takes a little bit of training to make students aware of when they will have to take the thumb key off in order to prepare for an upcoming chromatic passage, B natural, or high F#. - Side, prepared, lever or hook Bb:
This is the second most desirable of the three Bbs. It should be used in chromatic passages. The hook, which most students don’t know what it is for, can be left down on any note and it will not affect it. You can prepare for a Bb ahead of time even when there is a B natural soon after. It is closer acoustically to the Thumb Bb. - F/Bb:
This is the least desirable of the Bbs and should be avoided unless Bb occurs directly before or after a D, Eb, E, or F, when followed by a B natural or an F#.
Range
Tone Concepts
Playing in all the registers
And Intonation
Playing Softly in Tune
And Intonation
- If a student has a relaxed embouchure the high register should not be a problem. To get to the high register the air has to be going at a higher velocity. A lot of people believe that you just have to make the embouchure tighter or smaller in order to go higher. For the beginner and intermediate student this is a bad approach, encourage the student to use more air a faster speed so that they feel like they are doing sit-ups or “yelling” at someone with their flute. They should also picture aiming their air higher on the flute or moving their lips forward into a “kiss”. Have the student bring their bottom lip forward or bottom jaw forward, lip flat or squished against the lip plate. By starting them out this way they might at first have to play the upper register loudly but they will be developing a better method of support for the air column and they won’t be developing bad habits such as pinching the notes out, or even worse, pinching the notes and rolling the flute in at the same time. You can also liken air speed and aperture to a garden hose and watering a garden. Most students have done this or at least messed around with a hose...lol. You have too big of an aperture even if the hose is turned on fully the water will land at your feet. With the same water pressure if you cover too fully you end up watering the next door neighbors' grass. There are so many different combinations to work with experimentation is key!
- If when they are first playing these notes they sound sharp (they will) have the students pretend they have really bad buck teeth and to stick their top lip out and over the teeth to aim the air column down, this will usually correct the intonation. Puffing, or allowing the cheeks to inflate, will instantly lower the pitch and allow for a fuller tone as well. Some students will have the opposite problem of playing too flat in the upper register, they are probably not supporting and not using enough air or their air column is aimed too low. If it’s the air column have them pretend that they are with their friends and something really disgusting just happened and make them say “eeeww” scrunching up their top lip and their nose. This will help them get the feel for lifting their top lip and help them develop the muscles of their upper lip. Tell them that if it’s too embarrassing to do in front of other people to do it when they are alone at home.
- Low notes generally sound unsupported and hollow in young players.
- Have the students make the opening smallest for the low register and biggest for the high register; they might not actually do this but they will psychologically avoid the overly large opening in the low register and the pinched one in the upper register. Also have them make their lips firmer for the low register and very relaxed for the high register. They will develop a more even tone in all the registers this way so they won’t sound like different flute players depending on what octave they are playing.
- Have the students aim for the opposite edge of the embouchure hole and pretend they are cutting the air stream to get those lower notes…which they are. You can also have them pretend that their air is like a laser that has to travel all the way across the room when they are playing in the low register (or any register).
- Tell them to practice cracking the low notes so they know exactly how much air and speed it will take them to do it. Tell them that playing the flute in any register should feel like they are walking close to the edge of a cliff, always just one step away from cracking a low note or breaking a high note down. They’ll have more energy and better tone when they are thinking this.
- After adjusting the head joint by pulling in or out, intonation in general should be controlled by the upper lip. Further over and focusing the air down into the flute will lower the pitch, and air that is aimed higher by lifting the upper lip, pushing the bottom lip forward and focusing the air higher will raise the pitch.
- At the ends of phrases when flutists tend to go flat…sustained long notes etc… Try having your whole section raise their chins (this effectively rolls out). You can watch the section correct the pitch this way and it works.
Playing Softly in Tune
- Students need to first aim their air higher by lifting their upper lip and pulling their bottom jaw forward and out. Both lips go forward into the kissing your mom position. Have them make their opening smaller, firmer, and decrease the amount of air.
- You can do an exercise were the students start playing loudly and relaxed, have them slowly bring their jaw or bottom lip forward, reduce their air and close their opening until they are playing so softly that no sound is coming out anymore. This will help them gain the control they need for soft playing.
- You can also have them purse their lips like they are about to kiss their flute. This forward embouchure raises the air stream and also makes it smaller.
- You can also do a pitch bending exercise just using lips and not rolling in and out. Good for improving lip flexibility.
Vibrato Concepts
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Warm Up Suggestions
Common Pitch Problems - Tuning Guide
Playing Piccolo
1. When advising a student on what kind of piccolo to purchase or purchasing one for your school always go for wood or plastic. Avoid metal piccolos. They are very shrill sounding and are even harder to control and play in tune than the other 2 types. It’s already hard enough.
2. When starting a student on piccolo you should tell them to place it further up on the bottom lip and to have the top lip out more than they are used to.
3. The biggest problem young piccolo players have is courage. The more timid the piccolo player the worse the piccolo will sound. I know this first hand. The more I stress out about pitch and get nervous and try to “disappear” into the band sound, the worse things get. Why? Because piccolo needs a lot of air support, especially in the high register. Usually young piccolo players are very flat in the high register (sounds “great” with those super sharp young flutists in the high register); good players can easily go flat in the high register too. The best thing to do is to, I know this is HARD!, encourage you piccolo players to play out and play proud. It might be loud and obnoxious for a while (like a beginning oboe) but it is much better in tune and in the end will be more pleasing to the ear. Composers know the piccolo is loud and high, if they wrote for it they should be prepared for what they get. Having the piccolo set a little higher on the lip is also very helpful with pitch.
4. Don’t pinch!!! Your lips will buzz when you least want them to. You should be super relaxed like upper register flute, even puff their cheeks and under their top lip if they want to. Everyone has different take on puffing, but some of the finest players in the world do it, James Galway, William Bennet…etc… Players get very tired if they have a tight embouchure, puffing doesn’t allow the player to have a tight embouchure!
5. The piccolo’s pitch tendencies are almost completely opposite to the flute. High register is flat, low register is sharp. Remember that it’s going to clash with the flutes if they are playing in the same “written” octave.
2. When starting a student on piccolo you should tell them to place it further up on the bottom lip and to have the top lip out more than they are used to.
3. The biggest problem young piccolo players have is courage. The more timid the piccolo player the worse the piccolo will sound. I know this first hand. The more I stress out about pitch and get nervous and try to “disappear” into the band sound, the worse things get. Why? Because piccolo needs a lot of air support, especially in the high register. Usually young piccolo players are very flat in the high register (sounds “great” with those super sharp young flutists in the high register); good players can easily go flat in the high register too. The best thing to do is to, I know this is HARD!, encourage you piccolo players to play out and play proud. It might be loud and obnoxious for a while (like a beginning oboe) but it is much better in tune and in the end will be more pleasing to the ear. Composers know the piccolo is loud and high, if they wrote for it they should be prepared for what they get. Having the piccolo set a little higher on the lip is also very helpful with pitch.
4. Don’t pinch!!! Your lips will buzz when you least want them to. You should be super relaxed like upper register flute, even puff their cheeks and under their top lip if they want to. Everyone has different take on puffing, but some of the finest players in the world do it, James Galway, William Bennet…etc… Players get very tired if they have a tight embouchure, puffing doesn’t allow the player to have a tight embouchure!
5. The piccolo’s pitch tendencies are almost completely opposite to the flute. High register is flat, low register is sharp. Remember that it’s going to clash with the flutes if they are playing in the same “written” octave.
Flute Solo Literature
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Method Books
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Composer
CPE Bach JS Bach Bartok-Arma Baxtresser Berio Bloch Boehm Borne Bozza Burton Chaminade Copland Debussy Dutilleux Enesco Faure Fukushima Ferroud Godard Griffes Handel Hanson Hindemith Hue Hummel Ibert Jolivet Kennan Leclair Marais Marcello Martin Martinu Messiaen Mozart Muczynski Nielsen Piston Poulenc Prokofiev Reinecke Roussel Saint-Saens Sancan Schubert Schumann Telemann Varese Vivaldi Wummer Wye |
Piece
A minor Solo Sonata, Hamburger Sonata, Concertos Sonatas, a minor Partita, Suite in b minor Suite Paysanne Hongroise Orchestral Excerpts for Flute Sequenza Suite Modale Nel Cor Piu variations, op. 4 Carmen Fantasie Image Sonatina Concertino Duo Syrinx Sonatine Cantabile et Presto Fantasie Mei Trois Pieces pour Flute Suite en Trois Morceaux Poem Sonatas Serenade Acht Stucke, Sonata Fantasie Sonata in D Major, op. 50 Concerto, Piece Chant de Linos Night Soliloquy Sonatas Les Folies d’Espagne Sonatas Ballade Sonata Le Merle Noir Mozart – Flute Concertos in D and G Sonata, op. 14 Concerto Sonata Sonata Sonata Concerto, Sonata "Undine" Joueurs de Flute Airs de Ballet d’Ascanio Sonatine Introduction and Variations, op. 160 Three Romances Fantasies, Sonatas, Suite in a minor Density 21.5 Flute Concertos, Piccolo Concertos in a and C (PV 79) Orchestral Excerpts (9 volumes) A Piccolo Practice Book |
Extended Technique: 12 Flute etudes on extended flute technique: www.forthecontemporaryflutist.com
Wind Tones:
A wind tone is a flute sound of wind noise only. The traditional flute sound - which I sometimes like to call the 'belcanto flute sound' - is absent. There is no full vibration of the tube, but wind noise only. At first we may think that a wind tone has no pitch, however if we look (and listen) closer we will hear that it actually consists of a complexity of pitches. Exactly this creates its beauty and character: a indirect expression, like the shadow of the 'belcanto' flute sound, and a powerful and musical sonority.
http://www.forthecontemporaryflutist.com
with 12 flute etudes on extended flute techniques - by Wil Offermans
Playing a Wind ToneTo play a wind tone, basically we have to change two aspects compared to a standard playing style:
A wind tone is a flute sound of wind noise only. The traditional flute sound - which I sometimes like to call the 'belcanto flute sound' - is absent. There is no full vibration of the tube, but wind noise only. At first we may think that a wind tone has no pitch, however if we look (and listen) closer we will hear that it actually consists of a complexity of pitches. Exactly this creates its beauty and character: a indirect expression, like the shadow of the 'belcanto' flute sound, and a powerful and musical sonority.
http://www.forthecontemporaryflutist.com
with 12 flute etudes on extended flute techniques - by Wil Offermans
Playing a Wind ToneTo play a wind tone, basically we have to change two aspects compared to a standard playing style:
- Make a high and narrow lip-opening, a little similar like when whistling.
We should 'roll out' the flute, so that the lower-lip covers less of the embouchure hole of the flute. This may feel like we more blow 'over' instead of 'into' the embouchure hole.
Notating a Wind Tone
Concerning the notation, in the score you can see a 3-line mark above or under a note-head to indicate a wind tone, An arrow indicates a gradual change from wind tone to flute tone, or visa versa.
Studying the Wind Tone
So with these two important rules in mind - a high lip-opening and rolling out the flute - we now pick up our flute and study some real wind tones. For this basic but useful study, we will simply play long notes, each on one breath length. We start playing long notes on the low-G and move up chromatically until one octave. Next re-start again from the low-G, but now moving down chromatically until the low-C (or low-B). This we can do in two consecutive series (see image):
Concerning the notation, in the score you can see a 3-line mark above or under a note-head to indicate a wind tone, An arrow indicates a gradual change from wind tone to flute tone, or visa versa.
Studying the Wind Tone
So with these two important rules in mind - a high lip-opening and rolling out the flute - we now pick up our flute and study some real wind tones. For this basic but useful study, we will simply play long notes, each on one breath length. We start playing long notes on the low-G and move up chromatically until one octave. Next re-start again from the low-G, but now moving down chromatically until the low-C (or low-B). This we can do in two consecutive series (see image):
- Play a long wind tone and very gradually change it to a flute tone. Take a breath. Now play the same note and gradually change back from a flute tone to wind tone. Take extreme care to make no sudden changes in sound. Use standard tonguing to articulate the beginning note. Keep a flat dynamic.
- Play a long wind tone, but now change abruptly from wind tone to flute tone. Take a breath. Play the same note and change back rapidly from flute tone to wind tone. Use standard tonguing to articulate each note (both wind and flute tone). Keep a flat dynamic (or even pretend a louder wind tone).
Remember to always use a high lip-opening for the wind tone as well as to roll out the flute. You will realize that it is a totally different position of both embouchure and the flute, compared to the normal flute sound. So it will invite you to make quite active movement.
Study Daily
Like with many exercises, these wind tone studies will give you a better result if you study daily, instead of too long and only occasionally. Just 10 till 15 minutes a day would be fine. Or try to reserve some 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night into your daily schedule. You will realize after some weeks that your embouchure is really developing.
Study Daily
Like with many exercises, these wind tone studies will give you a better result if you study daily, instead of too long and only occasionally. Just 10 till 15 minutes a day would be fine. Or try to reserve some 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night into your daily schedule. You will realize after some weeks that your embouchure is really developing.
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Harmonics:
Etude 2: Harmonics Etude 2 (Click Here to listen to the audio example) Your first thought might be that this is actually not such a 'new' technique, since it is used on flutes since ancient times. That's right! But that is exactly what I have told you in the other chapters: these 'new' techniques are not new, they are actually very (and sometimes very, very) old, only we forgot about them, or they have disappeared from our musical attention. Also the technique of harmonics is one of my most favorite techniques, since it is very suitable for explaining how to deal with extended techniques. If you understand how to deal with harmonics, you will develop a much better understanding of how to approach the extended techniques. Most techniques are based on the same acoustical principles and the way of studying them have great parallels. So understanding the harmonic is of great importance. Let's go! The Timbre We can ask ourselves, how possibly we can distinguish between a violin and a flute by just hearing its sound? Mmm, maybe you say, that is easy, you just hear a violin or a flute. You just recognize them… Mmm… But how my ear can recognize these instrument sounds even when they are playing the same pitch? Because they are different instruments, one may say… Mmm… But sorry, our ear can’t see these are different instruments. Our ear can only listen. And if they both play the same pitch, how my ear can hear any difference in sound?… Ah, you may argue, because they sound differently: they have a different timbre. And because I know which timbre belongs to the violin and which timbre belongs to the flute my ear can recognize each instrument. Right! So there we have the answer: we can hear the difference because each instrument has a different timbre! This also explains how we can hear the difference between two vowels, like [o] (in york) and [ee] (in cheese). The different vocalization creates a different timbre. The Frequency If we produce sounds with different timbre but of the same pitch, obviously the frequency of such sounds will be the same. Frequency is expressed in Hertz (Hz), which is 'vibrations per second'. Like the pitch of A has about 440 vibrations per second or simply 440 Hz. High pitches vibrate much quicker and have higher frequencies. Like the A in the octave above will have a frequency of 880 Hz, so vibrating twice as much. But again, where is the timbre if there is just one number for the frequency? When we produce a sound, we do not only produce the fundamental frequency of the pitch, but also a package of additional higher frequencies. And it is exactly this package of frequencies, which adds the specific timbre of the instrument so that our ear can recognize that a sound is produced by a flute or a violin, and that we can hear the difference between [o] and [ee]. To put this all together: if we produce a sound, we not just produce one frequency, but a complex of frequencies. From this cocktail of frequencies, we will perceive the fundamental (lowest) frequency as the pitch. The presence of the frequencies above this fundamental describe to us the timbre of the sound. If we speak about harmonics, we are actually referring to this complex of frequencies. Now have a look, and click the play button to listen, to the different frequency images and note that the [ee] has much more higher harmonics compared to the [o]. Please take a moment now to sing [o] and [ee] for yourself. Do so without moving the lips. The Harmonics Series The frequencies above the fundamental are always an integer multiple of the fundamental. If the fundamental has frequency N, then the additional harmonics will have a frequencies of 2xN, 3xN, 4xN, 5xN, etc. This results in a fixed series of harmonics and is called the harmonics series. How strong each of these harmonics is present in a certain sound decides its timbre. In the image the fundamental frequency is represented by a one-segment vibration. The other vibrations have more segments (2, 3, 4 etc.), so a shorter wave length, resulting in a higher pitch. (Click on images to enlarge them) |
Audio example: ooo singing [o]
Audio example: eee singing [ee]
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About Pasta and the Salsa
While these acoustic ideas may sound intimidating, the actual basics are quite simple and really fascinating to know about. To understand this better, let's think about something more popular like cooking some food. Let’s say you are going to cook a pasta. The pasta is the base of the dish, like the fundamental wave is the base of the sound. But you certainly can’t present the pasta without a tasteful salsa. The salsa will complete the dish and add the identity, like the timbre adds flavor to the fundamental frequency. You will prepare your salsa by combining and balancing certain ingredients, like some salt, some sugar, some hot pepper, a bit of fresh onion, don’t forget the garlic, some basil or whatever else you want. By selecting and balancing the ingredients of the salsa (‘how much of this, how much of that’) you create the unique taste of your pasta.
In a similar way, we combine and balance the harmonics to add a unique timbre to a somewhat dull fundamental pitch. Using timbre in music is the art of balancing and controlling the harmonics, parallel to balancing the taste when preparing some food. Good music is like a good food: an amazing creation with a delicious taste!Approach for playing Harmonics on the FluteOn a string instrument we can play a harmonic by softly touching the string in the middle, or at 1/3rd, 1/4th, 1/5th, etc., like we can hear performed on the guitar. Sometimes also called ‘flageolet’ or ‘overtone’, they basically all refer to the same concept. On the flute we are playing harmonics with traditional fingerings for example when playing the octave from the low E. To perform such a harmonic, we could simply:
While these acoustic ideas may sound intimidating, the actual basics are quite simple and really fascinating to know about. To understand this better, let's think about something more popular like cooking some food. Let’s say you are going to cook a pasta. The pasta is the base of the dish, like the fundamental wave is the base of the sound. But you certainly can’t present the pasta without a tasteful salsa. The salsa will complete the dish and add the identity, like the timbre adds flavor to the fundamental frequency. You will prepare your salsa by combining and balancing certain ingredients, like some salt, some sugar, some hot pepper, a bit of fresh onion, don’t forget the garlic, some basil or whatever else you want. By selecting and balancing the ingredients of the salsa (‘how much of this, how much of that’) you create the unique taste of your pasta.
In a similar way, we combine and balance the harmonics to add a unique timbre to a somewhat dull fundamental pitch. Using timbre in music is the art of balancing and controlling the harmonics, parallel to balancing the taste when preparing some food. Good music is like a good food: an amazing creation with a delicious taste!Approach for playing Harmonics on the FluteOn a string instrument we can play a harmonic by softly touching the string in the middle, or at 1/3rd, 1/4th, 1/5th, etc., like we can hear performed on the guitar. Sometimes also called ‘flageolet’ or ‘overtone’, they basically all refer to the same concept. On the flute we are playing harmonics with traditional fingerings for example when playing the octave from the low E. To perform such a harmonic, we could simply:
- blow with more strength
- squeezing the lip-opening, so airspeed will be increased
- using tonguing to initiate the higher note
To find a suitable alternative, let's bring back the circle image, which I have introduced to you in the Introduction. There we concluded that we should avoid to study 'that what we already master' (the center). Instead we better focus on studying those difficulties which we do not yet master (remote areas). By integrating the techniques from the more remote areas into our daily studying we will increase our effectiveness and flexibility. This tells us that we should study harmonics in the following way:
Vocalization
To change our vowels when speaking, we are constantly changing the acoustical space of the mouth cavity. All these different shapes result in different harmonic characters. It is like we use the mouth cavity to decide how much of which harmonic we want to activate for a certain sound, similar to filtering a sound with an equalizer. If you look to the frequency spectrum analyses in the image you can clearly see the differences between the [o] and [ee]. Compared to the [o], the [ee] has less presence of the lower harmonics, but much more presence of the higher harmonics. So this vocalizing is actually a very common thing, since we use vocalization all day long when we speak and create all the different vowels of our language.
Vocalization is one of the most fascinating and useful aspects in relation to performing harmonics and to flute playing in general. It makes us realize that we should not only ‘blow the flute’ but also use our body, especially the mouth cavity, to support and ‘shape’ the sound. This may feel like you become part of the sound, or the sound part of you. Or like you are singing the sound, and feeling the resonance inside your very body. To do this correctly, one should consiously use the mouth cavity - and not the lips - to create the desired vowel.Audio samples of vocalization techniques by the mouth cavityPapua Insect vocalization with a buzzing beetle in front of the mouth (Papua New Guinea)
Mongolia2 overtone singing song Khoomii (Mongolia)
Tibet The Eternal Voice, Monks of the Jyme Tatsang Monestry (Tibet)So now let's include all this information into one study: vocalization, decrescendo, legato and breath support. A great study which will lead us towards developing more flexibility and a more relaxed embouchure, resulting in a more open and clear sound. So let's grab the flute and move on to the study below.
Harmonics Exercise
In this study we perform most gradual transitions from one note to its next harmonic. It means, there are always two notes on one full breath. Perform these transitions extremely 'poco a poco' especially at the very moment, where you move from the lower to the higher note. In the notation, we use a diamond note-head to indicate the fingering and the usual note-head for the actual pitch, whenever the fingering and the sound do not coincide (see score). While moving towards the higher harmonic, keep in mind the following remarks:
- play p instead of f
- strive for a high, open and relaxed lip-opening, which will open the sound
- play legato, instead of tonguing
- use vocalization, varying the acoustic of the mouth cavity
Vocalization
To change our vowels when speaking, we are constantly changing the acoustical space of the mouth cavity. All these different shapes result in different harmonic characters. It is like we use the mouth cavity to decide how much of which harmonic we want to activate for a certain sound, similar to filtering a sound with an equalizer. If you look to the frequency spectrum analyses in the image you can clearly see the differences between the [o] and [ee]. Compared to the [o], the [ee] has less presence of the lower harmonics, but much more presence of the higher harmonics. So this vocalizing is actually a very common thing, since we use vocalization all day long when we speak and create all the different vowels of our language.
Vocalization is one of the most fascinating and useful aspects in relation to performing harmonics and to flute playing in general. It makes us realize that we should not only ‘blow the flute’ but also use our body, especially the mouth cavity, to support and ‘shape’ the sound. This may feel like you become part of the sound, or the sound part of you. Or like you are singing the sound, and feeling the resonance inside your very body. To do this correctly, one should consiously use the mouth cavity - and not the lips - to create the desired vowel.Audio samples of vocalization techniques by the mouth cavityPapua Insect vocalization with a buzzing beetle in front of the mouth (Papua New Guinea)
Mongolia2 overtone singing song Khoomii (Mongolia)
Tibet The Eternal Voice, Monks of the Jyme Tatsang Monestry (Tibet)So now let's include all this information into one study: vocalization, decrescendo, legato and breath support. A great study which will lead us towards developing more flexibility and a more relaxed embouchure, resulting in a more open and clear sound. So let's grab the flute and move on to the study below.
Harmonics Exercise
In this study we perform most gradual transitions from one note to its next harmonic. It means, there are always two notes on one full breath. Perform these transitions extremely 'poco a poco' especially at the very moment, where you move from the lower to the higher note. In the notation, we use a diamond note-head to indicate the fingering and the usual note-head for the actual pitch, whenever the fingering and the sound do not coincide (see score). While moving towards the higher harmonic, keep in mind the following remarks:
- Use an open vowel like [o] to support the lower sound, and change your vocalization gradually towards a smaller vocal space like [ee] for the relative higher sound.
- Start with a mf or f and make a decrescendo until the next harmonic appears.
- Use legato.
- Keep an open and relaxed embouchure without any squeezing the lips.
- Start with a relaxed breath support but when making the decrescendo, intensify the breath support.
Etude 2: Harmonics
After you have worked on the study above, you can move on to the Etude 2: Harmonics of my book For the Contemporary Flutist. This etude, actually quite entertaining, is structured as a rondo with an increasing excitement. The beginning material uses only two fingerings: the low-C and D. While alternating between these two fingerings you combine the harmonics of both fingerings and resulting in a melody. It is like a one-finger melody, just for the right-hand little finger! Especially with the higher harmonics one should take care not to tense the lips, but instead use vocalization and breath support to create round-character, enchanting harmonics.
The road is our Goal
Remember when studying extended techniques, that the study itself is both the road as well as the goal. When we enjoy the road, the result will come without force and without stress. The same goes for the harmonic study. Our goal is not to play the next harmonic. Our goal is to 'invite' the next harmonic by preparing our body (by vocalization with mouth cavity and by breath support) so that the next harmonic may sound. If we force the harmonic it will not sound beautifully, but just stressed and dull. If we 'invite' the harmonic, maybe it will not sound, which is no problem because the road is our goal. But if we 'invite' again and it does sound it will be full of charm, open sounding, and with a relaxed expression for both the listener as well as the flutist.
After you have worked on the study above, you can move on to the Etude 2: Harmonics of my book For the Contemporary Flutist. This etude, actually quite entertaining, is structured as a rondo with an increasing excitement. The beginning material uses only two fingerings: the low-C and D. While alternating between these two fingerings you combine the harmonics of both fingerings and resulting in a melody. It is like a one-finger melody, just for the right-hand little finger! Especially with the higher harmonics one should take care not to tense the lips, but instead use vocalization and breath support to create round-character, enchanting harmonics.
The road is our Goal
Remember when studying extended techniques, that the study itself is both the road as well as the goal. When we enjoy the road, the result will come without force and without stress. The same goes for the harmonic study. Our goal is not to play the next harmonic. Our goal is to 'invite' the next harmonic by preparing our body (by vocalization with mouth cavity and by breath support) so that the next harmonic may sound. If we force the harmonic it will not sound beautifully, but just stressed and dull. If we 'invite' the harmonic, maybe it will not sound, which is no problem because the road is our goal. But if we 'invite' again and it does sound it will be full of charm, open sounding, and with a relaxed expression for both the listener as well as the flutist.
Bamboo Tones
Etude 4: Bamboo Tones
Etude 4 Audio Sample: Etude 4: Bamboo Tones, from the CD Daily Sensibilities
The Etude 4 deals with another most fascinating technique, the bamboo tone. Compared to the difference tone of the previous chapter, the bamboo tone offers us a totally different sound experience and will open a most delicate world, full of nuance, color and wonderful sounds. At the same time, like many of these extended techniques in the etude book For the Contemporary Flutist, it is again another valuable and enjoyable tool to help us further develop the control of both the body and the flute sound.Bamboo Flutes So what is a bamboo tone? Possibly you are imagining the soft sound of a bamboo flute, like the Japanese shakuhachi or the Indonesian Suling? Obviously you are thinking of the importance of the material of bamboo. But we will see that the bamboo material is not the main reason for the typical bamboo tone sound quality. What is of much more importance is the acoustics inside the tube, specifically the relatively small finger-holes, as we will see later.
See the difference in tone-hole diameter (left to right): a nay (Egypt), a suling (Bali), a renaissance flute and a Boehm flute with some keys removed. Audio samples of Bamboo Tones
by Western flutestraverso Allemand, Partita in a, J.S. Bach, for traverso flute by Lucius Voorhorst (rec. 1976)by ethnic flutesbandung Panineungan by Burhan Sukarma, suling and Uyuy Kurniawidjaya, kecapi (Indonesia)
bansuri the bansuri flute by Hariprasad Chaurasia - Raag Miyan Ki Malhar (India)
shaku the shakuhachi by Katsuya Yokohama - Tsuru-no-Sugomori (Japan)
nay the nay flute performed by Mohamed Hassan, student at the Arabic Institute of Music Cairo (Egypt)Bamboo Tone vs. Bel CantoIt is not easy to describe the sound of a bamboo tone by words: enchanting, vague, covered, misty, relaxed, a mixture or a pastel…? But for sure, a bamboo tone is different from how we all know the flute: a clear, open sound. To distinguish this traditional type of sound from other sounds we can speak about the ‘Bel Canto flute sound’ (bel canto = Italian for "beautiful singing"). Why actually this clear and open flute sound is indeed so clear and open? The answer is simple: because all the air inside the flute tube is vibrating the same way. Every air-molecule inside the tube is vibrating the very same pitch in a perfect unison. All air-molecules agree to vibrate over the same length (length = pitch!). There is no disturbance, no discussion, no desertion, only perfect harmony. It’s like the perfect blue sky, just blue without any cloud (even no airplane disturbing the blue). This perfect situation exists for example when all tone-holes are closed: in this situation all the air stops vibrating at the very end of the flute. This perfect bel canto situation also exists in an open string, vibrating between two clear point. All ‘string-molecules’ will swing over the same full length of the string, all with the exact same pitch. That is why most string instruments have a really open and clear sound. Theobald Boehm, the creator of our fluteTheobald Boehm (1794-1881) of course also knew about the air-molecules. When he designed his flute he had to take into account the recent developments and the musical desire of his time with louder and denser orchestral music, performed in bigger theaters. How the delicate flute sound could possibly cope with these developments?
Boehm found a solution by redesigning the flute and by making the tone holes as big as possible. Why? Well, when you open a tone hole and the tone-hole diameter is larger, clearly more air-molecules will be able to understand that they can escape and finish vibration (for closed tone holes there is no difference between large and small tone holes: they are just closed and air can't get out). When all air-molecules vibrate over the same length in the tube and go out from the same tone-hole we will get the clearest sound. So since Boehm intended to create a clearer flute sound he decided to make the tone-holes as big as possible, nearly as big as the diameter of the tube. Since these large tone-holes could impossibly be covered by the fingers - like typical for the older types of flutes - he had to develop a new key-system: the Boehm-system.
About the ‘less educated’ air-moleculesLet’s imagine now you too are an air-molecule vibrating inside the tube. While you travel through the tube you should vibrate constantly! Imagine, inside the tube it is dark and really humid. Yes, it must be a dirty and tough task! Having started your vibration from the embouchure hole, you will be glad when you finally reach the first open tone-hole. You will understand - since you are a really intelligent air-molecule - that this is your chance to escape and to finish the dirty work! So that’s great for you. But what about the less educated air-molecules? Or those distracted by chatting or partying? They probably miss the opportunity to escape through the first open tone-hole. Especially when the tone-hole is a kind of small, like for example on a bamboo flute(!) or on a baroque traverso. On these flutes the tone-hole diameter is obviously limited to the thickness of the finger. In any case, our less educated air-molecules, who missed the first tone-hole, may now try to escape through the next tone-hole. But what to do if the next tone-hole is closed? Then these air-molecules have no other possibility than to continue vibrating, in darkness and high humidity, until they finally reach a next open tone-hole from where they can get out and finish their vibration.
So what does this mean for the sound-quality? Since the less educated air-molecules will travel a longer way, they will create a different vibration than the intelligent air-molecules. Consequently, the sound result will be a mixture, a little vague, misty… indeed, a bamboo tone!
One can say that with a bel canto sound the air-molecules go out all at the same spot. But with a bamboo tone the situation is different. Now the fingering, in combination with the tone-hole diameter, creates a kind of intelligence test which makes the less educated air-molecules vibrate for a longer distance, before leaving the flute at another spot than the intelligent molecules. Finally, this mixture of vibrations is responsible for the typical bamboo tone quality.
Timid, Gentle and ImportantTypically a bamboo tone is not that loud and more often will have a kind of timid character. But that doesn’t make it less important! Timid characters can also be beautiful, attractive and certainly of great importance. We can see the importance of a variety of characters if we look to the drama or opera. Some characters are prominent, loud or even obtrusive, while others are shy or introvert and may use more delicate ways to reach their goals. In a similar way, we can regard all the sound - including the bamboo tone, the wind tone, the harmonic, the bel canto flute sound and so on - as characters in a drama, all with its own unique quality and importance.
FingeringsWe can divide the fingerings on the Boehm-flute into two categories. (This division is really helpful to get more understanding of the bamboo tone, but also about the multiphonic, which we will discuss in the next chapter): 1/ Basic Fingerings: all tone-holes are closed until a certain spot, whereafter all tone-holes are open. Most of the traditional fingerings in the first two registers of the flute belong to this category. A basic fingering creates a clear ending of the vibration and will always have a bel canto sound quality. Also it will have the harmonic series as we discussed with Etude 2: Harmonics (octave; octave+5th; etc.). 2/ Fork-Fingerings: all tone-holes are closed until a certain spot, whereafter one or more tone-holes are open, followed again by one or more closed tone-holes. We may know the fork-fingering from the recorder. A fork-fingering on the flute creates an diffused and mixed ending of the vibration, so it will always create a less clear sound: a bamboo tone. Also it will have some unexpected series of harmonics, totally depending on the exact fingering (and there are thousands of fingering possibilities!). VocalizationTo play a bamboo tone with an attractive character we cannot just use our standard embouchure. The most important tool to develop an adequate embouchure is the vocalization, as mentioned already in the article on Etude 2: Harmonics (this article also has attractive sound samples of vocalization). Develop your bamboo tone by concentrating on the acoustic of your mouth cavity. You can do so by pretending or imagining that you are singing a vowel and by experimenting with changing between different vowels. In general, bigger vowels like [o] (in ‘york’) do work very well for bamboo tones, but also vowels like [ee] (like in ‘cheese’), [a], [i], [oo] and others can be most useful. We also can use a combination of vowels, like [o] and [ee], where we imagine the [o]-sound in the lower part and [e]-sound in the higher part of the mouth cavity. Furthermore, and most important, the bamboo tone can be best studied softly, but with a focus. Also, you can experiment with a flexible vibrato.
In the note sample below you can find various bamboo tone fingerings (also for closed-hole flutes). Just give them a try and intend to add character to each sound using the above mentioned instructions.
Open-hole vs. Closed-hole FlutesAs mentioned before, Boehm made the tone-holes as big as possible. But for those with an open-hole system on their flute, there exists actually another type of tone-hole, which can extend the possibilities for bamboo tone fingerings remarkably. On a flute with an open-hole system we can depress only the rim of an open-hole key, without covering the centre hole. This will create a small hole, of the similar size as the trill keyholes. And small holes will further deceive the ‘less educated’ air-molecules and intensify the bamboo tone quality. So that is why it is advices to use an open-hole flute if you are really interested into performing lots of bamboo tones. That's also why my Etude 4: Bamboo Tones is for only open-hole flutes.
Etude 4: Bamboo TonesEtude 4 from my etude-book For the Contemporary Flutist has the character of an attractive miniature, with a limited number of fingerings, but with some really interesting and delicate sounds. In the note sample already mentioned above you can find some fingerings used in this etude. Be sure to try them, if you have an open-hole flute. Always play the bamboo tone soft, but with a focus. (a bamboo tones is not a windy sound, as some players seem to think!). If you have the etude book For the Contemporary Flutist and study the Etude 4, you will notice the enormous contrast in sound quality between the bamboo tones and the bel canto flute sound (like the F#1 in 3rd line).
Honami for Flute SoloA similar contrasting alternations between bamboo tones and bel canto tones appears in my composition Honami (Zimmermann, ZM30730). As you can see in the score excerpt below, the B is alternating between bamboo and bel canto. To support the sound changes adequatly, one has to alternate the embouchure on each note really quickly. By the way, Honami is a piece which combines various techniques. The middle part has many harmonics in a really melodious and attractive cantabile and the instruction ‘with an irregular motion’.
honami Honami excerpt (page 1; staff 2)
To study the bamboo tone and to learn to give each of them its own character using vocalization will be of great value for your flute playing. After some time you will be more conscious and able to vary your sound by using vocalization also in your most favorite flute music. Your music will never be the same again!
Etude 4: Bamboo Tones
Etude 4 Audio Sample: Etude 4: Bamboo Tones, from the CD Daily Sensibilities
The Etude 4 deals with another most fascinating technique, the bamboo tone. Compared to the difference tone of the previous chapter, the bamboo tone offers us a totally different sound experience and will open a most delicate world, full of nuance, color and wonderful sounds. At the same time, like many of these extended techniques in the etude book For the Contemporary Flutist, it is again another valuable and enjoyable tool to help us further develop the control of both the body and the flute sound.Bamboo Flutes So what is a bamboo tone? Possibly you are imagining the soft sound of a bamboo flute, like the Japanese shakuhachi or the Indonesian Suling? Obviously you are thinking of the importance of the material of bamboo. But we will see that the bamboo material is not the main reason for the typical bamboo tone sound quality. What is of much more importance is the acoustics inside the tube, specifically the relatively small finger-holes, as we will see later.
See the difference in tone-hole diameter (left to right): a nay (Egypt), a suling (Bali), a renaissance flute and a Boehm flute with some keys removed. Audio samples of Bamboo Tones
by Western flutestraverso Allemand, Partita in a, J.S. Bach, for traverso flute by Lucius Voorhorst (rec. 1976)by ethnic flutesbandung Panineungan by Burhan Sukarma, suling and Uyuy Kurniawidjaya, kecapi (Indonesia)
bansuri the bansuri flute by Hariprasad Chaurasia - Raag Miyan Ki Malhar (India)
shaku the shakuhachi by Katsuya Yokohama - Tsuru-no-Sugomori (Japan)
nay the nay flute performed by Mohamed Hassan, student at the Arabic Institute of Music Cairo (Egypt)Bamboo Tone vs. Bel CantoIt is not easy to describe the sound of a bamboo tone by words: enchanting, vague, covered, misty, relaxed, a mixture or a pastel…? But for sure, a bamboo tone is different from how we all know the flute: a clear, open sound. To distinguish this traditional type of sound from other sounds we can speak about the ‘Bel Canto flute sound’ (bel canto = Italian for "beautiful singing"). Why actually this clear and open flute sound is indeed so clear and open? The answer is simple: because all the air inside the flute tube is vibrating the same way. Every air-molecule inside the tube is vibrating the very same pitch in a perfect unison. All air-molecules agree to vibrate over the same length (length = pitch!). There is no disturbance, no discussion, no desertion, only perfect harmony. It’s like the perfect blue sky, just blue without any cloud (even no airplane disturbing the blue). This perfect situation exists for example when all tone-holes are closed: in this situation all the air stops vibrating at the very end of the flute. This perfect bel canto situation also exists in an open string, vibrating between two clear point. All ‘string-molecules’ will swing over the same full length of the string, all with the exact same pitch. That is why most string instruments have a really open and clear sound. Theobald Boehm, the creator of our fluteTheobald Boehm (1794-1881) of course also knew about the air-molecules. When he designed his flute he had to take into account the recent developments and the musical desire of his time with louder and denser orchestral music, performed in bigger theaters. How the delicate flute sound could possibly cope with these developments?
Boehm found a solution by redesigning the flute and by making the tone holes as big as possible. Why? Well, when you open a tone hole and the tone-hole diameter is larger, clearly more air-molecules will be able to understand that they can escape and finish vibration (for closed tone holes there is no difference between large and small tone holes: they are just closed and air can't get out). When all air-molecules vibrate over the same length in the tube and go out from the same tone-hole we will get the clearest sound. So since Boehm intended to create a clearer flute sound he decided to make the tone-holes as big as possible, nearly as big as the diameter of the tube. Since these large tone-holes could impossibly be covered by the fingers - like typical for the older types of flutes - he had to develop a new key-system: the Boehm-system.
About the ‘less educated’ air-moleculesLet’s imagine now you too are an air-molecule vibrating inside the tube. While you travel through the tube you should vibrate constantly! Imagine, inside the tube it is dark and really humid. Yes, it must be a dirty and tough task! Having started your vibration from the embouchure hole, you will be glad when you finally reach the first open tone-hole. You will understand - since you are a really intelligent air-molecule - that this is your chance to escape and to finish the dirty work! So that’s great for you. But what about the less educated air-molecules? Or those distracted by chatting or partying? They probably miss the opportunity to escape through the first open tone-hole. Especially when the tone-hole is a kind of small, like for example on a bamboo flute(!) or on a baroque traverso. On these flutes the tone-hole diameter is obviously limited to the thickness of the finger. In any case, our less educated air-molecules, who missed the first tone-hole, may now try to escape through the next tone-hole. But what to do if the next tone-hole is closed? Then these air-molecules have no other possibility than to continue vibrating, in darkness and high humidity, until they finally reach a next open tone-hole from where they can get out and finish their vibration.
So what does this mean for the sound-quality? Since the less educated air-molecules will travel a longer way, they will create a different vibration than the intelligent air-molecules. Consequently, the sound result will be a mixture, a little vague, misty… indeed, a bamboo tone!
One can say that with a bel canto sound the air-molecules go out all at the same spot. But with a bamboo tone the situation is different. Now the fingering, in combination with the tone-hole diameter, creates a kind of intelligence test which makes the less educated air-molecules vibrate for a longer distance, before leaving the flute at another spot than the intelligent molecules. Finally, this mixture of vibrations is responsible for the typical bamboo tone quality.
Timid, Gentle and ImportantTypically a bamboo tone is not that loud and more often will have a kind of timid character. But that doesn’t make it less important! Timid characters can also be beautiful, attractive and certainly of great importance. We can see the importance of a variety of characters if we look to the drama or opera. Some characters are prominent, loud or even obtrusive, while others are shy or introvert and may use more delicate ways to reach their goals. In a similar way, we can regard all the sound - including the bamboo tone, the wind tone, the harmonic, the bel canto flute sound and so on - as characters in a drama, all with its own unique quality and importance.
FingeringsWe can divide the fingerings on the Boehm-flute into two categories. (This division is really helpful to get more understanding of the bamboo tone, but also about the multiphonic, which we will discuss in the next chapter): 1/ Basic Fingerings: all tone-holes are closed until a certain spot, whereafter all tone-holes are open. Most of the traditional fingerings in the first two registers of the flute belong to this category. A basic fingering creates a clear ending of the vibration and will always have a bel canto sound quality. Also it will have the harmonic series as we discussed with Etude 2: Harmonics (octave; octave+5th; etc.). 2/ Fork-Fingerings: all tone-holes are closed until a certain spot, whereafter one or more tone-holes are open, followed again by one or more closed tone-holes. We may know the fork-fingering from the recorder. A fork-fingering on the flute creates an diffused and mixed ending of the vibration, so it will always create a less clear sound: a bamboo tone. Also it will have some unexpected series of harmonics, totally depending on the exact fingering (and there are thousands of fingering possibilities!). VocalizationTo play a bamboo tone with an attractive character we cannot just use our standard embouchure. The most important tool to develop an adequate embouchure is the vocalization, as mentioned already in the article on Etude 2: Harmonics (this article also has attractive sound samples of vocalization). Develop your bamboo tone by concentrating on the acoustic of your mouth cavity. You can do so by pretending or imagining that you are singing a vowel and by experimenting with changing between different vowels. In general, bigger vowels like [o] (in ‘york’) do work very well for bamboo tones, but also vowels like [ee] (like in ‘cheese’), [a], [i], [oo] and others can be most useful. We also can use a combination of vowels, like [o] and [ee], where we imagine the [o]-sound in the lower part and [e]-sound in the higher part of the mouth cavity. Furthermore, and most important, the bamboo tone can be best studied softly, but with a focus. Also, you can experiment with a flexible vibrato.
In the note sample below you can find various bamboo tone fingerings (also for closed-hole flutes). Just give them a try and intend to add character to each sound using the above mentioned instructions.
Open-hole vs. Closed-hole FlutesAs mentioned before, Boehm made the tone-holes as big as possible. But for those with an open-hole system on their flute, there exists actually another type of tone-hole, which can extend the possibilities for bamboo tone fingerings remarkably. On a flute with an open-hole system we can depress only the rim of an open-hole key, without covering the centre hole. This will create a small hole, of the similar size as the trill keyholes. And small holes will further deceive the ‘less educated’ air-molecules and intensify the bamboo tone quality. So that is why it is advices to use an open-hole flute if you are really interested into performing lots of bamboo tones. That's also why my Etude 4: Bamboo Tones is for only open-hole flutes.
Etude 4: Bamboo TonesEtude 4 from my etude-book For the Contemporary Flutist has the character of an attractive miniature, with a limited number of fingerings, but with some really interesting and delicate sounds. In the note sample already mentioned above you can find some fingerings used in this etude. Be sure to try them, if you have an open-hole flute. Always play the bamboo tone soft, but with a focus. (a bamboo tones is not a windy sound, as some players seem to think!). If you have the etude book For the Contemporary Flutist and study the Etude 4, you will notice the enormous contrast in sound quality between the bamboo tones and the bel canto flute sound (like the F#1 in 3rd line).
Honami for Flute SoloA similar contrasting alternations between bamboo tones and bel canto tones appears in my composition Honami (Zimmermann, ZM30730). As you can see in the score excerpt below, the B is alternating between bamboo and bel canto. To support the sound changes adequatly, one has to alternate the embouchure on each note really quickly. By the way, Honami is a piece which combines various techniques. The middle part has many harmonics in a really melodious and attractive cantabile and the instruction ‘with an irregular motion’.
honami Honami excerpt (page 1; staff 2)
To study the bamboo tone and to learn to give each of them its own character using vocalization will be of great value for your flute playing. After some time you will be more conscious and able to vary your sound by using vocalization also in your most favorite flute music. Your music will never be the same again!
Miltiphonics
Whisper Tones
Singing Unison / Parallel
Polyphonic Singing
Diverse
Circular Breathing
Double Tonging
Triple Tonging
Flutter Tongue:
Famous Players and Recordings
Emmanuel Pahud
Helpful Links & References
The Orchestra: A Users Manual http://andrewhugill.com/manuals/intro.html http://eldredspellflutes.com/Articles.htm http://www.forthecontemporaryflutist.com with 12 flute etudes on extended flute techniques - by Wil Offermans www.larrykrantz.com he has an amazing list of links. www.jennifercluff.com lots of info. Video lessons too. www.realfluteproject.com Nina Perlova also has a lot of great teaching videos on YouTube. www.flutediva.com http://www.thefluteplayer.net |
Flute Performances
Famous People Who Also Play Flute
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Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of France, from 21 April 1509 until his death. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII.
Frederick II (German: Friedrich II.; January 24, 1712 – August 17, 1786) was a King of Prussia (1740–1786) from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was Frederick IV (Friedrich IV) of Brandenburg. He became known as Frederick the Great (Friedrich der Große) and was nicknamed der alte Fritz ("Old Fritz").
John Reid (also known as John Robertson) (February 13, 1721-February 6, 1807) was a British army general and founder of the chair of music at the University of Edinburgh.
Benjamin Banneker (November 9, 1731–October 9, 1806) was a free African American astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, almanac author and farmer.
Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736 – June 6, 1799) was a prominent figure in the American Revolution, known and remembered for his "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!" speech. Along with Samuel Adams and Thomas Paine, he was one of the most influential (and radical) advocates of the American Revolution and republicanism, especially in his denunciations of corruption in government officials and his defense of historic rights.
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 1738[2] – 29 January 1820 [N.S.]) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter of the United Kingdom, formed by the union of Great Britain and Ireland, until his death. He was concurrently Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and thus prince-elector of Hanover in the Holy Roman Empire, until he became King of Hanover on 12 October 1814. He was the third British monarch of the House of Hanover, and the first of Hanover to be born in Britain and speak English as his first language. In fact, he never visited his realms in Germany.
James Madison, Jr. (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836) was an American politician and the fourth President of the United States (1809–1817), and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Madison was the last founding father to die. Considered to be the "Father of the Constitution", he was the principal author of the document. In 1788, he wrote over a third of the Federalist Papers, still the most influential commentary on the Constitution. The first President to have served in the United States Congress, he was a leader in the first Congresses, he drafted many basic laws and was responsible for the first ten amendments to the Constitution (said to be based on the Virginia Declaration of Rights), and thus is also known as the "Father of the Bill of Rights". As a political theorist, Madison's most distinctive belief was that the new republic needed checks and balances to limit the powers of special interests, which Madison called factions. He believed very strongly that the new nation should fight against aristocracy and corruption and was deeply committed to creating mechanisms that would ensure republicanism in the United States.
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, (formerly marquis de) Lafayette (or la Fayette) (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834) was a French military officer born in the Haute-Loire region of France. Lafayette was a general in the American Revolutionary War and a leader of the Garde Nationale during the French Revolution.
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John Quincy Adams (July 11, 1767–February 23, 1848) was an American diplomat and politician who served as the sixth President of the United States from March 4, 1825 to March 4, 1829. At various times he was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties.
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Louis Hector Berlioz (December 11, 1803 – March 8, 1869) was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande Messe des morts (Requiem). Berlioz made great contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation and by utilizing huge orchestral forces for his works, sometimes calling for over 1,000 performers. At the other extreme, he also composed around 50 songs for voice and piano.
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Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864), known as the "father of American music," was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century. His songs, such as "Oh! Susanna", "Camptown Races", "My Old Kentucky Home", "Old Black Joe", "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Old Folks at Home" ("Swanee River") remain popular over 150 years after their composition.
John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who assassinated Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865. Lincoln died the next day from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head, becoming the first American president to be assassinated.
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George Eastman (July 12, 1854 – March 14, 1932) founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented the roll of film, helping to bring photography to the mainstream. The roll film was also the basis for the invention of the motion picture film in 1888 by world's first filmmaker, Louis Le Prince, and a decade later by his followers Léon Bouly, Thomas Edison, the Lumière Brothers and Georges Méliès.
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Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950, in Chobham, Surrey, England) is an English musician. He first came to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career. More recently he has focused on producing and promoting world music and pioneering digital distribution methods for music. He has also been involved in various humanitarian efforts.
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Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of France, from 21 April 1509 until his death. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII.
Frederick II (German: Friedrich II.; January 24, 1712 – August 17, 1786) was a King of Prussia (1740–1786) from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was Frederick IV (Friedrich IV) of Brandenburg. He became known as Frederick the Great (Friedrich der Große) and was nicknamed der alte Fritz ("Old Fritz").
John Reid (also known as John Robertson) (February 13, 1721-February 6, 1807) was a British army general and founder of the chair of music at the University of Edinburgh.
Benjamin Banneker (November 9, 1731–October 9, 1806) was a free African American astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, almanac author and farmer.
Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736 – June 6, 1799) was a prominent figure in the American Revolution, known and remembered for his "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!" speech. Along with Samuel Adams and Thomas Paine, he was one of the most influential (and radical) advocates of the American Revolution and republicanism, especially in his denunciations of corruption in government officials and his defense of historic rights.
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 1738[2] – 29 January 1820 [N.S.]) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter of the United Kingdom, formed by the union of Great Britain and Ireland, until his death. He was concurrently Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and thus prince-elector of Hanover in the Holy Roman Empire, until he became King of Hanover on 12 October 1814. He was the third British monarch of the House of Hanover, and the first of Hanover to be born in Britain and speak English as his first language. In fact, he never visited his realms in Germany.
James Madison, Jr. (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836) was an American politician and the fourth President of the United States (1809–1817), and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Madison was the last founding father to die. Considered to be the "Father of the Constitution", he was the principal author of the document. In 1788, he wrote over a third of the Federalist Papers, still the most influential commentary on the Constitution. The first President to have served in the United States Congress, he was a leader in the first Congresses, he drafted many basic laws and was responsible for the first ten amendments to the Constitution (said to be based on the Virginia Declaration of Rights), and thus is also known as the "Father of the Bill of Rights". As a political theorist, Madison's most distinctive belief was that the new republic needed checks and balances to limit the powers of special interests, which Madison called factions. He believed very strongly that the new nation should fight against aristocracy and corruption and was deeply committed to creating mechanisms that would ensure republicanism in the United States.
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, (formerly marquis de) Lafayette (or la Fayette) (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834) was a French military officer born in the Haute-Loire region of France. Lafayette was a general in the American Revolutionary War and a leader of the Garde Nationale during the French Revolution.
Noah Webster (October 16, 1758 – May 28, 1843) was an American lexicographer, textbook author, spelling reformer, political writer, word enthusiast, and editor. He has been called the “Father of American Scholarship and Education”. His “Blue-Backed Speller” books taught five generations of children in the United States how to spell and read, and (in the United States) his name became synonymous with "dictionary", especially the modern Merriam-Webster dictionary that was first published in 1828 as An American Dictionary of the English Language.
John Quincy Adams (July 11, 1767–February 23, 1848) was an American diplomat and politician who served as the sixth President of the United States from March 4, 1825 to March 4, 1829. At various times he was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties.
Napoleon I (born Napoleone di Buonaparte, later Napoleon Bonaparte) (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the history of Europe. He was a general during the French Revolution, the ruler of France as First Consul of the French Republic and Emperor of the French and King of Italy, Mediator of the Swiss Confederation and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine.
Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American poet, short-story writer, editor and literary critic, and is considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective-fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction. He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.
Louis Hector Berlioz (December 11, 1803 – March 8, 1869) was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande Messe des morts (Requiem). Berlioz made great contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation and by utilizing huge orchestral forces for his works, sometimes calling for over 1,000 performers. At the other extreme, he also composed around 50 songs for voice and piano.
Henry David Thoreau (born David Henry Thoreau; July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862) was an American author, naturalist, transcendentalist, tax resister, development critic, sage writer and philosopher. He is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay, Civil Disobedience, an argument for individual resistance to civil government in moral opposition to an unjust state.
Stephen Collins Foster (July 4, 1826 – January 13, 1864), known as the "father of American music," was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century. His songs, such as "Oh! Susanna", "Camptown Races", "My Old Kentucky Home", "Old Black Joe", "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Old Folks at Home" ("Swanee River") remain popular over 150 years after their composition.
John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who assassinated Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865. Lincoln died the next day from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head, becoming the first American president to be assassinated.
Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (May 7 [O.S. April 25] 1840 – November 6 [O.S. October 25] 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. While not part of the nationalistic music group known as "The Five", Tchaikovsky wrote music which was distinctly Russian: plangent, introspective, with modally-inflected melody and harmony.
Sidney Clopton Lanier was born February 3, 1842, in Macon, Georgia, to parents Robert Sampson Lanier and Mary Jane Anderson; he was mostly of English ancestry, with his distant French ancestors having immigrated to England in the 16th century. He began playing the flute at an early age, and his love of that musical instrument continued throughout his life. He attended Oglethorpe University near Milledgeville, Georgia, graduating first in his class shortly before the outbreak of the American Civil War.
George Eastman (July 12, 1854 – March 14, 1932) founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented the roll of film, helping to bring photography to the mainstream. The roll film was also the basis for the invention of the motion picture film in 1888 by world's first filmmaker, Louis Le Prince, and a decade later by his followers Léon Bouly, Thomas Edison, the Lumière Brothers and Georges Méliès.
Nicholas II of Russia born Nikolay Alexandrovich Romanov (18 May [O.S. 6 May] 1868 – 17 July [O.S. 4 July] 1918) was the last Tsar of Russia, King of Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland. His official title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is currently regarded as Saint Nicholas the Passion Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.
Enrico Caruso (born Errico Caruso; February 25, 1873 – August 2, 1921) was an Italian opera singer. As has been stated repeatedly in print by reputable critics, biographers and musicologists, he was one of the greatest and most influential tenors in history. Caruso was also one of the most significant singers in any genre in the first two decades of the 20th Century and one of the most important pioneers of recorded music. Indeed, Caruso's popular recordings and his extraordinary voice, known for its youthful beauty, mature power and unequalled richness of tone, made him perhaps the best-known operatic star of his era. Such was his influence on singing style, virtually all subsequent Italian and Spanish tenors (and many non-Italianate tenors, too) have been his heirs to a greater or lesser extent.
Robert Meredith Willson (18 May 1902 – 15 June 1984) was an American composer, songwriter, conductor and playwright. He is best known for writing the book, music, and lyrics for the hit musical The Music Man, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1958. The cast recording of The Music Man won the first Grammy Award given for best cast album. Willson also is remembered for his work on films, the Burns and Allen radio program, among other radio shows, and was nominated for two Academy Awards.
Henry Mancini (April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an Academy Award winning American composer, conductor and arranger. He is remembered particularly for being a composer of film and television scores. Mancini also won a record number of Grammy awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. His best-known works are the jazz-idiom theme to The Pink Panther film series (The Pink Panther Theme) and Moon River.
Tony Curtis (born June 3, 1925) is an American film actor. He is best known for light comic roles, especially his musician on the run from gangsters in Some Like It Hot (1959) with Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe. He has also done serious dramatic roles, such as the escaped convict in The Defiant Ones (1958), which earned him an Academy Award nomination. Since 1949, he has appeared in more than 100 films and has made frequent television appearances.
Antonio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim (January 25, 1927 in Rio de Janeiro – December 8, 1994 in New York City), also known as Tom Jobim, was a Grammy Award-winning Brazilian songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, and pianist/guitarist. A primary force behind the creation of the bossa nova style, Jobim is acknowledged as one of the most influential popular composers of the 20th century. His songs have been performed by many singers and instrumentalists within Brazil and internationally.
Jack Kevorkian (born on May 26, 1928) is a former Armenian-American pathologist. He is most noted for publicly championing a terminal patient's right to die via euthanasia; he claims to have assisted at least 130 patients to that end. He famously said that "dying is not a crime."
William John Evans (better known as Bill Evans) (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was one of the most famous and influential American jazz pianists of the 20th century. His use of impressionist harmony, his inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and his syncopated and polyrhythmic melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists, including Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Denny Zeitlin and Keith Jarrett, as well as as guitarists Lenny Breau and Pat Metheny. The music of Bill Evans continues to inspire younger pianists like Fred Hersch, Ray Reach, Bill Charlap, David Thompson, Brad Mehldau, Geoffrey Keezer, Lyle Mays and Eliane Elias. Evans is an inductee of the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame.
Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950, in Chobham, Surrey, England) is an English musician. He first came to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career. More recently he has focused on producing and promoting world music and pioneering digital distribution methods for music. He has also been involved in various humanitarian efforts.
Robert Anthony Snow (June 1, 1955 – July 12, 2008) was an American political commentator, television news anchor, syndicated columnist, blues-rock musician, radio host, and the third White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush. Snow also worked for President George H. W. Bush as chief speechwriter and Deputy Assistant of Media Affairs. Snow served as White House Press Secretary from May 2006 until his resignation effective September 2007.
Andrea Bocelli (born 22 September 1958) is an Italian operatic pop tenor and a classical crossover singer who has also performed in operas. To date, he has recorded six complete operas (La bohème, Il trovatore, Werther, Pagliacci, Cavalleria rusticana and Tosca) in addition to various classical and pop albums. He has sold 60 million albums worldwide thus far. Born with congenital glaucoma, total blindness came to Bocelli at the age of twelve, after a football accident.
Sarah Louise Heath Palin (born February 11, 1964) is the current governor of the U.S. state of Alaska, and is the presumptive Republican vice presidential nominee in the 2008 United States presidential election.
Björk Guðmundsdóttir (born November 21, 1965) is an Icelandic singer-songwriter, composer, actress and music producer. She has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards (including one for acting).
Dana Marie Perino (born May 9, 1972) is the current White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush, having taken over the position on September 14, 2007. From March 27 to April 30, 2007 she was the Acting White House Press Secretary while her predecessor Tony Snow underwent treatment for a recurrence of colon cancer, which claimed his life on July 12, 2008. On August 31, 2007, Bush announced that Snow would be resigning his post and that Perino would become his replacement. She is the second woman to serve as White House Press Secretary; Dee Dee Myers was the first, during the Clinton Administration.
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress and former singer. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss?, Phoebe Halliwell on the supernatural series Charmed or via her new female apparel clothing line Touch. Recently, she has appeared in a recurring role on My Name is Earl as Billie Cunningham. She got her start in acting by starring in the Broadway show Annie.