classical flute flared foot

F#6

Conventional Fingering

Impedance

Acoustic and Fingering Schematic a covered tone hole or key pressed an uncovered tone hole or key not pressed a partly covered hole Details in fingering legend. Non-specialist introduction to acoustic impedance Non-specialist introduction to flute acoustics

It may be considered as the fingering used to play D4, but with two register holes that weaken and detune the first four minima, while leaving the fifth minimum unchanged. Thus a note is produced near the fifth harmonic of D4.

This fingering is out of tune - classical flutes intended to play in the third octave usually had extra keys, which allowed the designer more parameters to vary to maintain intonation over a wider range. In our study, the player was asked to play the fingerings 'where they were', rather than to tune them by varying the coverage of the embouchure hole. (The dimensions of the instrument are based on those of a large-hole Rudall and Rose flute: R & R #655 from the Bate Collection in Oxford.)

Sound

Sound spectrum of a classical flute with a flared foot played using conventional fingering for F#6.

Sound Clip

You can hear F#6 played with conventional fingering by Geoffrey Collins.

Impedance

Acoustic and Fingering Schematic a covered tone hole or key pressed an uncovered tone hole or key not pressed a partly covered hole Details in fingering legend. Non-specialist introduction to acoustic impedance Non-specialist introduction to flute acoustics

This fingering may be considered as F#4 with a register hole (LH 2nd finger). The fourth minimum produces F#6. This fingering is very sharp, which is why the fingering above has the RH 3rd finger as cross fingering.

Sound

Sound spectrum of a classical flute with a flared foot played using alternative fingering for F#6.

Sound Clip

You can hear F#6 played with alternative fingering by Geoffrey Collins.