modern flute B foot

B3

Impedance

Fingering a key depressed a key not depressed a part of the mechanism that is not normally touched Details in fingering legend. Acoustic schematic a closed tone hole an open tone hole Non-specialist introduction to acoustic impedance Non-specialist introduction to flute acoustics

This is the lowest note on this flute. All tone holes are closed, so the flute most closely resembles a cylinder, and there is no tone-hole filtering at high frequencies. As a result, the regular series of minima (and maxima) in Z(f) extends to high frequencies. The gradual rise at high frequencies is due to the overall geometry: the chimney is in series with the parallel combination of the main part of the bore and the short section between the closed end and the embouchure. The first eight or nine minima can be played (B3, B4, F#5, B5, D#6, F#6, A6, B6, C#7), but usually flute players only play the first, for which the higher minima aid the production of harmonics. Details on the all-closed fingering at lowest note.

Sound

Sound spectrum of a modern flute with a B foot played using fingering for B3.

Sound Clip

You can hear B3 played by Geoffrey Collins.

B3 is not played on a flute with a C foot.