or just dip your fingers in crazy glue, that's what I do..

I agree with Klarinet's suggestion:
"You might also google 'Rockstro' and 'modified rockstro' to hear a good description of some ergonomic ways to set up and hold your flute. Jeniffer Cluff's website has a good article."

But I think that the Thumbport is a better mousetrap than the BoPep:

http://www.thumbport.com/

"I have weaghts(SP?) on my Flutes head. And I ilke sound beder when I have the Havier ones."
If you practice while lying on your back, you can develop some really good lip muscles with those wieghts. Make you look like Angelina Jolie.

Could a C foot fit on my Yamaha (originally with B foot) improve the tone for middle D sharp?
So it seems to me...

(I realize that you have a serious question, Jose-Luis)

My high D is kinda squeaky. Should I oil my flute?

I like Angelina Jolie...

Yes, Tibbiecow. I really mean it. A problem I still experience and have not been able to correct.

Hi Jose,
I assume that when you say the tone, you don't mean the tuning.
The tone on a D#/ Eb can be tricky.
On an open hole flute it could be;

1)The Flute pads not sealing. I know it's pretty new but there's always the possibility that a pad has deformed ever so slightly or a linkage isn't acting correctly or someone damaged something. If this one note is truely unique in being of bad tone than it could very well be a pad.

2)Open hole covering. I think that you said that you have all but one plugged. Which hole is that? The one that is ususally the easiest to cover for most people would be the right index. That's the one that I'd first uncover. Try a piece of electrical tape on that one for a test. Make sure that your plugs are working properly.

3)Joint or head joint cork issue. If the body joint's are slightly loose, you can get a more fuzzy tone. The cork can dry out in a dry climate.

4)Your embouchure. Keep working on tone quality exercises and listen well. If you get a good connection with the lower octave of the flute as far as a solid tone then this note shouldn't be too difficult to master.

patrick, have you noticed you're being kind of ignored ? like some old decrepit dribbling uncle stuck in the corner of the room cos he's really embarrassing lololololol

well, just to let you know you made me laugh {{{patrick}}} hugs to you ..... aw bless

Yes, I mean quality of sound, not the tuning. I can control the tuning rather well by now.
It sounds dull or airy (should I say fuzzy)? It happens already on the 2nd octave D but is worst with Eb.

It could be a pad, yes. Difficult for me to say. Do you think of anyone in particular?

The cork could have dried in less than a year as it is rather a dry climate in Madrid, but..

The cork position is definitively not the right one, but it came like that from the dealer. The rod mark shows on the border of the blowhole (the farthest from the crown side) and not in the middle (it is the original cleaning rod that came with the instrument).

But the instrument was tested by three knowledgeable people last year (a flute soloist, a technician and my teacher). Nobone noticed any problem.

At that time I was still adapting to the EC cut and several notes had less than Acceptable sound quality (and tuning, at that time).

Right now I have quality problems with these two notes and other (manageable) difficulties with some in the third octave (F sharp, G sharp and 4th octave C).

Now, I am a student with less than four years of private lessons and that is all my experience; it could be that a minor problem could go undetected for a pro but still be an important issue for me?

The only unplugged hole is the LH middle finger (A). I could try taking the plug from the RH index and see if it helps.

But, coming to the subject of this thread, I notice that replacing the original B foot by the C foot of the Gemeinhardt M3 (though it fits a little loose), seems to improve those two problematic notes.

Gullible or not?

well I do have a niece, so I am an uncle, and I do drool quite a bit on occasion, so I guess you are right!

Awhh... no, we could never ignore our Petric! I love reading his comments it is what makes this forum so fun and exciting to read at times. Drooling or not, Patrick, I still luv ya!

Jose,
This is weird:
"The cork could have dried in less than a year as it is rather a dry climate in Madrid, but..

The cork position is definitively not the right one, but it came like that from the dealer. The rod mark shows on the border of the blowhole (the farthest from the crown side) and not in the middle (it is the original cleaning rod that came with the instrument)."

The rod mark should be in the center of the emb. hole. Check the length of the rod mark. -17.3mm from end.
Some good reading:
http://www.brannenflutes.com/care.html

Although they state: "To move the cork away from the embouchure hole, tighten the crown and check the alignment with the swab stick to see if the cork has moved."
I would NOT move the cork by trying to tighten the crown. I would say that if a cork is tight, you could strip the threads trying to move the cork in this manner. Best to have a thicker wood dowel to push the cork than the cleaning rod. Then you retighten the crown to a snug fit. I generally remove the crown from the flute if I'm moving the cork. If you are making a dowel to move the cork, you can drill a small hole in the center of the wood dowel so that you can push it either way without damaging the threaded rod in the crown end of the plug. If the cork moves when you tighten the crown by hand, it may be too loose and this causes fuzzy tones as if the pads are leaking.

Pads
Although Micron or Joe could give a better description, to check the pads you can use a small wedge of cigarette paper to go around each pad with your finger pressing lightly and evenly on the key. you will feel the tud to be uneven in an area if the pad is not seating well at that point. From your description, I would probably check the pads from the foot joint on up towards the head end.


At the Galway forum, they have been talking about humidifying the pads to make them seat better. This may work since it may soften the felt and the covering just a tad. You guys can put this in the gullible section if you wish but I've seen where some of the old pros used to not clean out their flute every time because it would help the humidity. I wouldn't do that as I think that it promotes germs and dirt inside but it may have some merit for the humudity idea. I do know that if I don't play one of my flutes for a few weeks, the tone seems to get more fuzzy. Part of the reason may be that the pads and the cork can dry out in the case. One thing that just may help the cork would be to put a loose wad of cotton between the crown and the cork assembly and periodically put a few drops of clean water on it. ~be advised that I have not tried this though. Just a thought.

Obviously breathing effect does not work on Straubinger pads because it didn't do a thing to my flute when I tried it. When I used to own a Yamaha with the traditional felt pads, I showed it to Galway after a concert once and he breathed on the pads of the footjoint and then had me play it. I didn't notice a diffence then either. It could have been because I think there was a small leak in one of pads of the footjoint. I have my Miyazawa off getting re plated, but when it comes back I will have to try it on that one since that one does have the felt pads. I am still not keen into pouring how wax into my headjoint, so count me out of that one.

Thanks again Bilbo.

The mark on the rod measures 17.3mm, but the mark itself is 1 mm wide, so the value depends on where I measure it. The hole internal length is 12.05mm

I measure 10,7 mm from the hole internal wall (cork side) to the farthest side (as measured from rod top)of the rod mark. So I compute that the cork is too much "in" about 4.2mm. I use a good digital calliper, but some distances are tricky to measure. But this value (4mm off centre) does match my visual impression.

Now, how could this happened?

I am reluctant to attempt moving the cork. I am afraid I could end up with a loose cork and a mandatory visit to a good technician (and I do not know any in this city).

We discussed the method of checking pad settings when I started to have problems with my previous GMH (the reason of my first visit to this Forum more than a year ago). I must say that I tried everything then, but I did not feel confident of the results when checking with the paper wedge or with the light method. I lack enough experience and "feeling" for it.

Moreover, I have my end-of-year audition in about two months. On the one hand, changing anything on the flute now, scares me like hell. On the other hand, if I could improve the sound quality, it would increase my confidence and relieve some playing stress.

Also, I plan to play the first (Adagio) movement or may be also the first Allegro of Hallenser I Haendel Sonata. It is a rather simple piece, but I am adding the difficulty of playing with a pre-recorded Basso continuo with Bassoon, Cello and Harpsichord. (yes, the lady playing the harps. could improvise on the cyphers). It is a live recording with some minor tempo changes (or defects, according to my teacher), that make it a little more difficult to follow.

Now, those guys seem to tune to 439 and I already have an issue tuning so low. What if a cork position change makes everything different? Still and added difficulty...

This similar to Hamlet's dilemma, to move or not to move...