Possible repertoire for an overtone flute

Hi tuners.

I was thinking about a possible generalization or characterization of things playable on an overtone flute. If I take the example of harmonics from the 5th to the 16th (which are the ones that can be played acceptably on most overtone flutes), then the pairs go:
5-6 7-8 9-10 11-12 13-14 15-16

(by a dash I mean that you can play pitches in-between, by a space I mean that you can't slide between the two)

For less familiar readers, I should note that when you leave the pipe open on both ends, you get the even harmonics, while closing the opposite end gives you the odd harmonics.

Now, that means that, for example, if the fundamental pitch of the actual open pipe is a C4, then I can play the semi-augmented fourth of F>6 (i.e. the 11th harmonic of C3) but not an F6 because there's no way to get anything between the 10th and the 11th harmonic.

Now, the thing is that these strong limitations are difficult to think about just "from the top of my head" so that when someone asks: "Can you play so and so on that flute?" I can't answer for sure.

Does anyone have an idea of how I might possibly actually think before trying to play, considering the limitations of the instrument?

Thanks for any comments.

Petr

I'm not quite sure what you're asking about "thinking before playing." The flute gives you a limited scale pattern with the overtone and pitch bending pattern, and that's pretty much all you have to work with. Tunes you pick to play have to work on the instrument.

However, have you asked other professional flautists? I don't know him, but John Fonville over at the University of California San Diego has a good reputation; he might be a good place to start if you are able to get in touch with him:

http://musicweb.ucsd.edu/people/people.php?cmd=fm_music_directory_detail&query_Full_Name=%20John%20Fonville&query_Active_Status=Faculty

Andrew

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Petr Pařízek <petrparizek2000@...> wrote:
>
> Hi tuners.
>
> I was thinking about a possible generalization or characterization of things
> playable on an overtone flute. If I take the example of harmonics from the
> 5th to the 16th (which are the ones that can be played acceptably on most
> overtone flutes), then the pairs go:
> 5-6 7-8 9-10 11-12 13-14 15-16
>
> (by a dash I mean that you can play pitches in-between, by a space I mean
> that you can't slide between the two)
>
> For less familiar readers, I should note that when you leave the pipe open
> on both ends, you get the even harmonics, while closing the opposite end
> gives you the odd harmonics.
>
> Now, that means that, for example, if the fundamental pitch of the actual
> open pipe is a C4, then I can play the semi-augmented fourth of F>6 (i.e.
> the 11th harmonic of C3) but not an F6 because there's no way to get
> anything between the 10th and the 11th harmonic.
>
> Now, the thing is that these strong limitations are difficult to think about
> just "from the top of my head" so that when someone asks: "Can you play so
> and so on that flute?" I can't answer for sure.
>
> Does anyone have an idea of how I might possibly actually think before
> trying to play, considering the limitations of the instrument?
>
> Thanks for any comments.
>
> Petr
>

Hi Andrew,

> I'm not quite sure what you're asking about "thinking before playing." The > flute gives you a limited scale pattern
> with the overtone and pitch bending pattern, and that's pretty much all > you have to work with. Tunes you pick to
> play have to work on the instrument.

Well, as it happens, sometimes a melody pops up in my mind and I start thinking: "What about playing this tune on an overtone flute?" And after a few measures, I find: "Aha, I would need a pitch like such and such; and that particular pitch can't be played on this flute." And then I realize: "Oh, if I transpose the whole thing up by a fifth, for example, it actually *can* be played." And I just thought there might be a way to somehow "think a bit faster" so that I would need less time for
A) knowing whether a particular melody can be played on such an instrument,
B) composing new melodies even without having an overtone flute in my hands.
- I don't know if you're familiar with the fact that a lot of people still haven't understood that an overtone flute is a melodic instrument and play it as if it were some sort of percussive instrument controled by breathing. That's why I'm so keen on promoting the "melodic side" of it.

> However, have you asked other professional flautists? I don't know him, > but John Fonville over at the University
> of California San Diego has a good reputation; he might be a good place to > start if you are able to get in touch
> with him:
>
> http://musicweb.ucsd.edu/people/people.php?cmd=fm_music_directory_detail&query_Full_Name=%20John%20Fonville&query_Active_Status=Faculty

Thanks for the link, I'll check what I can find out about him.
Honestly, I don't know about any "skilled" overtone flute players except some who play Norwegian folk music; and these don't seem to have any contact available on the web.

Petr