classical flute flared foot

G6

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 is comparable to that for G4 except for the use of the LH 2nd finger as a register hole. This creates a pressure node (or flow antinode) about three quarters of the way along the pipe, and thus allows G6 but not G4, G5, or D6. Comparing this with the G4 impedance spectrum, we see that the fourth minimum is little changed. The third is shallower and unplayable. The first minimum plays ~B4 and the second ~B5 but, because it is a cross fingering for these notes, their timbres are darker.

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. 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 fingering for G6.

Sound Clip

You can hear G6 played by Geoffrey Collins.