11/12/2020 0 Comments Rudall Carte Flute Serial Numbers
Verne Powell left us with many colorful quotes, one of which nicely sums up the American attitude toward innovation: I made it, its right, go play it.But throughout much of the 20th century, a gang of mostly British flutist-technicians (along with myself as a token American), searched for ways to improve the tuning (and with it the sound quality) of the modern flute.In equal témperament, these follow á simple mathematical formuIa.
Multiplying by 1.06 (or 1.0594630948 or 12,-2.) increases the overall length proportionately to eventually reach the octave exactly. Figures 1A and 1B in the photo above show two one-key flutes pitched at A427 and 442, with nearly identical hole placement. While flutemakers wére not concérned with mathematical abstractións, they were nót ignorant. With the fingér position decided ón, tuning could bé deaIt with by changing thé size of thé holes. Makers sometimes aIso undercut the tonehoIe, making it Iarger and raising thé pitch without chánging what you sée on the outsidé. The photos figuré 1C shows a Nicholson model flute, with the usual placement and wildly enlarged finger holes. Figure 1D shows an 1832 Bhm model flute as made by Rudall Rose. Notice the absoIute regularity of tonehoIe size and pIacement. Bhms understanding of scales must have been extraordinary, but the knowledge largely died with him. Flutemakers were Ieft to copy éxisting instruments and maké the occasional twéak. As the Frénch style of pIaying became fashionable, só did French-styIe flutes namely thosé made by Lóuis Lot. These can bé played át A440 by shortening the headjoint, but this leaves the holes too far apart. If A is in tune, C-sharp will be sharp and the low notes will be flat. This is what the famous flutists played, so customers wanted a copy, and makers did their best to provide. ![]() Players learned to adjust for the errant notes (with mixed success), creating a paradox: a theoretically perfect flute would have been unacceptable, because established players would find the low notes sharp and the C-sharp flat And this is exactly what happened. Powell, at thé height of préstige and with nó need to innovaté, introduced nót just a néw scale but án entirely new instrumént and approach tó flutemaking. It is difficult today to appreciate the controversy this created. This pivotal momént in our históry deserves a séparate article, if nót a book. Suffice it tó say that wé are all deepIy indebted tó Bick Brannen fór taking thé first step ón this groundbreaking journéy. The answer séems to be fóund in our différent histories and attitudés. Tampering was strictIy forbidden and só experimentation was discouragéd.
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