I have just recorded a pratice session of mine on a video recorder and the sharpness of my 3rd octave is unbelievably horrible. How am I supposed to flatten the note (so it isn't sharp)? I don't roll my flute out. Any ideas? Thanks!

as you know, I'm no expert... my suggestion would be, start with where you are in tune... go up in semitones... compare to the octave below... LISTEN REAL HARD! experiment with air speed/direction/how narrow your airstream is... find the optimum for each note. work your way up slowly and constantly check your intonation... don't take it on trust that it'll be right if your fingers are right. Make sure your aren't getting tense and rigid... and work *slowly* up, have patience with yourself and get each note right in turn. Sure, you probably can play up to C4, but don't try and correct your tuning on every one of those notes in one practice session.

Learning to listen is probably the most important thing, you will find out can vary the pitch more than you realise. Especially being able to easily record and listen back, you have a great way of objectively checking your pitch... good on you for using it, and keep using it. But learn to listen while you play as well; remember that your ears are probably more forgiving than the tape, which is why you got such a shock when you listened back. If you can be more discerning with your ears, you'll learn to be in tune and you'll be able to listen back and think "Oh, that sounds nice!"

Make sure you and your flute are both properly warmed up - especially you abdominal muscles and diaphragm, as your playing in the top octave will always be rather naff if your body isn't warmed up and ready for it!! Warming up properly and doing tone exercises are the two things that have indirectly helped my tuning more than anything. It was quite a shock recently to hear myself as I played just over a year ago, by comparison it was a pleasant surprise to hear a more recent recording and think it sounded pretty nice.

E and F sharp tend to be sharp - most people have to learn to compensate.

Remember that when you pull out or push in your headjoint to adjust your tuning, you change the tuning of the whole flute, and not to a completely equal degree either. So you are always going to have to compensate somewhere for something while you are playing. Developing your sense of pitch is a very good and useful idea.

Oh, and ask your teacher, or someone who has more knowledge than me (ie most people!). I hope this helps, but this really is just stuff that I've found helpful, not from any great fount of knowledge!!!

Sarah, thanks again for a lovely, detailed reply

I found out on the recording (I video recorded myself). It might be that as I was doing my chromatic scale (speed 60, in C) as my warm up then I was probably more warmed up afterwards and maybe I should do it at the end as well. Maybe going from C4 to C1.

I could tell when I was play some of the real harsh tones I was doing - it was frightful!

I am going to record 2 pieces today, wait a month and record them again. I am hoping that playing in front of a camera and in front of family will help conquer my nerves ready for my March exam.

Good luck with your exam in march! I'm taking one too and I know I'm going to be really nervous *shivers at the thought*! I think I'll try recording myself as well - it seems like a good idea!!!
I'm no expert either as far as intonation goes, but I know that I always go flat when I lower my head/my head drops down! maybe lowering the music stand and looking down a little more could help in your case?!

Thanks Charlotte. I think I will record myself today and watch in detail in my movements when I got sharp of flat.

Hope you sort it out!

I tend to go sharp too, even in the 2nd octave

I was told not to roll my flute out/in, but to keep my position correct and to blow striaght and not downwards.

but the main reason was that the i was too clenched up in my mouth, which causes a harsh screechy tone.

i was told to relax :P

Lol, I would probably be told to relax also. I am never calm, always worried or stressed about something!

I've been told a good way round this one, is to play through scales with an electronic tuner in front of you. You can soon see which notes have probelms etc. and by how much.

Funny though, I tend to be in tune with myself, and yet have never given this much thought. But then, I don't have an electronic tuner, it was just something one of my guitar playing friends pointed out when we were playing together once. She wan'ted to know if I knew I was about a 1/4 tone sharp on every note!

Er, yes, that would be my flute deary.

I do have an electric tuner and it varies from note to note, my lower octaves are usually in tune, it is when I get from C3 and above when it really goes wrong!

QUOTE (nicki_flute @ Dec 30 2004, 10:11 PM)

I do have an electric tuner and it varies from note to note, my lower octaves are usually in tune, it is when I get from C3 and above when it really goes wrong!

Yes, Sandy says, that its because of the enbrouchure that happens. Don't tighten your lips so much...

yeah... like everyone says, relax!

you're not a beginner... you KNOW you can get those notes. relax, and work up to them gently.

I have found my lower notes are flat, but the middle octave is perfectly in tune up til about G#3, then it goes sharp.

QUOTE (nicki_flute @ Jan 6 2005, 05:57 PM)

I have found my lower notes are flat, but the middle octave is perfectly in tune up til about G#3, then it goes sharp.

Roll it out around the bottom octave

But aren't you supposed to avoid rolling in and out and change your embouchure instead?

*nods* that's what I thought... large amounts of rolling in and out is not good technique...

Interesting view. In contrast, if I am playing a piece with lots of quiet top octave notes before my flute is warm, I will actually turn my headpiece a millimetre or two towards me, before I start to play. Yes, this sharpens the notes slightly (but it evens out because my flute is still cold, so is slightly flatter than normal) but at the same time, I still stay in tune with myself.

And of course, I'm sill adjusting my embrocher as I play anyway, so does this count as "bad" technique or not?!

Ooh, I don't know!!

QUOTE (nicki_flute @ Dec 29 2004, 09:48 PM)

I have just recorded a pratice session of mine on a video recorder and the sharpness of my 3rd octave is unbelievably horrible. How am I supposed to flatten the note (so it isn't sharp)? I don't roll my flute out. Any ideas? Thanks!

One other point that no-one has mentioned yet is that your flute would go sharp (or flat) in the high register if the cork were in the wrong place. There are two ways to check that:

1) You may have a gauge with the instrument, or a mark on a cleaning stick, that shows where the cork should be relative to the open end of the head joint;

2) If the cork is in the right place, harmonic octaves and fifths (i.e. the notes that you get with a fixed fingering) should be in tune.

If in doubt, ask your teacher or another experienced player.

*nod* I believe the mark should be central on the whole?

well noticed...

worth getting someone who really knows their stuff to check this.

although many flutes are just flat down the bottom and sharp up the top... ask your teacher about ways to compensate...

I think my friend's cork is out of place and it is really noticable with her tuning generally just being really out. Last time I checked the cork was in the centre, thanks for the pointer though