Let's Get This Poulenc Started - Cindy Ellis

The Poulenc Sonata for Flute and Piano is a staple of the flute repertoire, and as Powell player Cindy Ellis notes, "the opening is one of our most beloved passages...and one of our trickiest as well."  The opening's high E is particularly a challenging point, but Ms. Ellis demonstrates some techniques for performing the opening with ease.  In the video below, she demonstrates technical exercises using longtones to build control and explains some mechanical options for facilitating the high E (the split-E mechanism and the G disc).

Click here to view the video by Cindy Ellis.

To read more about Cindy Ellis visit:
http://cindyellisflute.com/
https://powellflutes.com/academy/masters/cynthia-ellis

Paul Edmund-Davies on Sonority

When we play flute, the air we put into the instrument creates sound.  However, the way we put air into the instrument affects the sonorities we create.  This concept is discussed by Powell Artist Paul Edmund-Davies in the video below.  While many flutists think about blowing air "into" the flute, Mr. Edmund-Davies demonstrates the concept of blowing air through the flute.  He discusses his conceptualization of blowing "through" the instrument and gives us some terrific examples, including a simple G major scale and the introduction of the Fauré Fantasise for Flute, Op.79.

Click this caption to watch the Paul Edmund-Davies video on sonority.

Flute Scale and Intonation

By Paul Edmund-Davies

I am full of admiration for people who take a scientific approach to the whole process of putting a flute together. There are very logical and valid reasons for trying to make the instrument as close to perfection as possible, and the dedication shown by the few in attempting to evolve the flute further is to be applauded.

Paul Edmund-Davies

One could now have lengthy discussions about precise measurements and distances. However, like many, I am not a scientist, and as such not qualified to make absolute comment on the merits of one flute scale over another, other than through my observations of what I personally experience as a performer. It has also to be noted that advances in flute design and making over the past four decades or so has been significant to the extent that many flute makers across the globe are now making outstandingly good instruments.

However, it should be remembered that in the end, there is no such thing as an in tune flute. What finally comes out of the instrument is the responsibility of the performer, not the instrument itself. It is up to the musician to use his or her intelligence and ears to play the instrument that they have in their hands to the best of their ability. This includes having a precise concept of pitch and the relative distances between notes. Whilst the correct positioning and size of the holes on the flute are of obvious importance, there are many more factors beyond the construction of the instrument that need to be considered in the art of playing in tune.

A key area that seems to be ignored in this discussion is individual physiology. This has a colossal impact on the character and pitch of the sound that comes out of the flute/flute player. Fact: we are all constructed differently, therefore, we will blow flutes in very varying ways. What might well work for me is not necessarily going to work for someone else. Yes, there are starting blocks to work from, but these won’t always lead to the same conclusions.

 *Note -- This post is an excerpt from "In My Opinion," a post Mr. Edmund-Davies wrote for his own blog.  To read the full article, visit http://blog.pauledmund-davies.com/?s=scale.

*Photo courtesy of http://www.priorparkcollege.com/gallery.asp?galleryID=52.

Taming the Beast—Revolutionize Your Piccolo Intonation! (Part II)

By Stephanie Mortimore

Stephanie Mortimore

Piccoloist, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

Part II

Make a Difference

While the properties of sound production can be traced back to pure physics, hearing is a more complicated matter—biology also enters into play. When sound waves enter the ear they are translated into neural impulses which can be perceived by the brain. When two notes of different frequencies are heard simultaneously, events inside the ear or brain—there is some debate on this matter—often cause the listener to perceive a third tone. This “ghost note” is known as a difference tone, so called because of the mathematical relationship it has to the two primary notes; its frequency is the difference between the frequencies of the other two notes -- the frequency of the higher note (f2) minus the frequency of the lower note (f1) is equal to the frequency of the difference tone (D):

 

f2—f1=D

When the two notes are close together (less than about 30Hz apart) they will produce beats as described above. When the two notes are further apart (more than about 30Hz), they will begin to produce a difference tone which is audible as not just a buzzing, but as a separate note. Difference tones then actually combine with the primary notes to form the illusion of three note chords. As a result, the difference tone becomes a powerful tool for improving your intonation. By paying close attention to and tuning difference tones instead of the primary notes you will develop the skills you need to play in tune with yourself and with your orchestral colleagues. To use the bike analogy again, difference tones are your training wheels.

This training will have two major positive effects. First, by sensitizing yourself to difference tones in your individual practice, you will develop muscle memory around how to adjust your piccolo so that you can play in tune with yourself (meaning you use just intonation to play arpeggiated intervals). Second, by using these skills when you play in the orchestra, you will hear the harmonic relationships which exist between your notes and your colleagues’ notes. When you hear difference tones which are not harmonically related and, therefore, not aesthetically pleasing to the ear, you will know how to adjust your instrument accordingly.

Practical Application

Let’s give it a try. For this part, you will need a tuner that plays a reference tone chromatically at least up to B6 (written as the B just above the staff for the piccolo), and that will play loud enough for you to hear well while playing but without causing pain. The louder your tuner is, the more audible and identifiable the difference tones will be.

First, let’s listen for beats. Put your tuner on A6 (this note is written as the A directly above the staff—A1760). Now, on your piccolo, play the same A. Try to move above and below the tuning note by allowing your hands to turn the piccolo, first in, then out. Listen for the beats. Notice how the buzzing speeds up as you get further away from the tuning note. Notice too how it slows down and eventually stops as you approach and arrive at a perfect unison.

Now let’s listen for difference tones. Put your tuner on A6 again. On your piccolo, play the C# which is a Major 3^rd above the sounding A (C# 2200). Listen closely—in addition to the two primary notes you should hear a ghostly but very distinct third tone. If you carefully tune this note, you will find that it is, in fact, A440—the difference tone (2,200Hz ­— 1,760Hz = 440 Hz).

Useful Intervals

All of the twelve possible intervals within a chromatic scale produce difference tones, but six of them are particularly useful for tuning difference tones. This is because they are all members of the same harmonic series—that of the tonic. Each of these six intervals, when played in tune, will produce perfectly tuned difference tones which are also members of the same harmonic series.

The following chart lists the intervals which are particularly useful for tuning:

Click chart to enlarge

Now work your way through all of the intervals in the chart. Again play A6 on your tuner. As you play each of the intervals on your piccolo, listen for the corresponding difference tone.

The wonderful thing about just intonation is that is works in any key. If you do the same exercises with different tonic notes and play the same intervals on your piccolo, you will hear difference tones at the same scale degrees.

This exercise can also be applied while you are working on excerpts or solo works. Identify the tonic of the passage you are working on, set your tuner to that note, and play the passage over the top of the tuning note, all-the-while paying careful attention to the difference tones that are produced.

How Do I Remember All of This?

This may seem like a lot to absorb, but don’t be too concerned if you can’t remember which difference tone is produced by which interval. Just use your ears and try to tune the difference tone; use the chart as a reference when you need some help hearing where the third note should be.

That said, the generation of musical notes is, at its most basic, a combination of math and physics so it’s not surprising then that certain patterns emerge which will make memorization easier. These are some of the patterns I have discovered:

• If you look at the six intervals which produce useful difference tones, you will notice that there are two minor intervals (m3, m6), two major intervals (M3, M6), and two perfect intervals (P4, P5).

• Look first at Major 3^rds and Perfect 5^ths. These are the intervals which are probably most useful in tuning as they form the basis for the Major triad. Notice that both of these intervals will produce a difference tone of the Root.

• The minor intervals are opposites of each other; if you play a minor 3^rd above the root you get difference tone of a minor 6^th. Conversely, if you play a minor 6^th above the root you get difference tone of a minor 3^rd.

• All of the difference tones sound within the octave immediately below the root with the exception of those occurring with Major and minor 3^rds. These sound within the octave which is two below the root.

In addition to the above patterns, if you memorize the order of the intervals from smallest to largest you can use the following mnemonic device to help aid your memory. 

Interval	Difference Tone	Mnemonic Device
m3	m6	six
M3	R	rudiments
P4	P4	for
P5	R	revealing
m6	m3	tuning
M6	P4	fortitude

These six rudiments really can reveal your tuning fortitude. Just a few minutes each day with these principals will change the way you think of tuning and make all the difference in your piccolo intonation and, hopefully, in your enjoyment of the instrument.

 

Travel Stories - "Variations on a Theme by Mozart"

Sandra Kipp

I have played from memory many times in my career, but never felt completely comfortable. I have always preferred the comfort of having the music in front of me, even if I use it as one would use note cards in a well-prepared speech. But one hot day in a small town in Thailand, I truly regretted not having memorized more pieces!

I was on a two week tour of Thailand, traveling from Bancock south to Surit Thani. (Also spelled Suri Thani and Surithani) We had a very long drive in front of us, so half way through we stopped in a little town where some of the people I was traveling with knew some very welcoming and hospitable folk. They fed us, let us rest, gave us generous gifts, and well wishes for our travels. I was traveling with a pianist, a singer, and the organizer of the tour. Just before we were ready to leave, the organizer announced to our hosts that as a gift in return for their hospitality, we would perform music for them. The pianist looked around and said, “There is no piano, so I can’t perform.” The singer looked at us and said, “Without a pianist, I can’t perform.” So, all eyes turned to me. All of our sheet music and equipment had been transported to our next location in another vehicle, so I would have to play from memory. No problem, I have played countless unaccompanied works. This will be fun! Suddenly, it occurred to me that I had no idea what I should play. So I started the Andante in C Major by W. A. Mozart. No problem…how many times have we played this beautifully sublime work? I finish the opening phrases and thought this is sounding quite nice, as I see a supportive grin on my pianist’s face. Then as I continued, my mind went blank. I simply couldn’t remember the next phrase. So, I began to improvise, “variations on a theme by Mozart,” if you will. I see the look on my pianist’s face change from “How lovely” to “That’s not how I remember the piece going” to “What on earth is she playing????” I saw her starting to smirk and look down as I looked away myself. I knew if our eyes met, I might not be able to keep up this charade. She was doing everything she could not to laugh!

My improvisatory skills are quite lacking and I wish I had a recording of what came out of my flute!!! Thank goodness, this was before YouTube!!! Our hosts thought it was lovely and thanked me for my musical gift to them, as I walked away feeling so silly for having not been able to remember a piece I have played so many times. That was many years ago, but I remember it as if it was yesterday! If you see me traveling somewhere, ask me to play the Mozart! I can now! Anytime, anywhere!!!