That system involves using a couple of different programs in sequence.
I've distilled it down to one program called Flutini which is less
flexible but easier to use and can show your tuning live as you play.
It is free and open source and available here:
That page has a better description, screenshots and a tutorial if you
are interested.
(I'd include the standard disclaimer that this is not intended as a
substitute for your own ears, but the usual array of grumpy
curmudgeons will have their say one way or the other, so I shan't
bother!)
But do we have to reveal the results to the fiddle players?
(signed, a worried flute player...)
PS thank you very much for doing this work. I shall use it and see when I am most in tune. But if that turns out to be when I am stone cold sober at home, there may be a problem..
Very sobering results come from the RTTA version from Misters McGee and Roxburgh. Almost as shocking as the first time I listened to myself recorded.
However, it can help one a lot. I seriously recommend reading the section on Terry's web site about interpreting the results. You can look at this two ways, either for information about how you play, or about how your flute plays. Best is to sort out the flute first - i.e. play something slow that you can play - don't look at the screen while doing so and try not to consciously "correct" the tuning of any notes that you play. Also be careful that you aren't letting specific notes in the tune systematically be wrong by e.g. dropping your breath support on the single high G that comes into the tune.
If you have several flutes, repeat this with the same tune played as nearly in the same way as you can.
I used the programme to get the stopper position on my flutes set better and I also stumbled across a tendency of mine to let certain notes fall in pitch by relaxing my diaphgram at the inappropriate moments in the tune. Interestingly, always the same points in any given tune!
I have also realised that A is not the best note for me to tune to since it is not smack in the middle of the pitch spread on any of my flutes. Better to tune to B or D for me - seond octave D is better still. D might actually be convenient for the fiddlers too. tuning to D on some historical flutes would be a disaster though!
I also learnt that playing a tune as if I am starting it in a session automatically shifts me 10 cents sharper than if I am playing along to someone elses tune. Now that I am better aware of this (I knew something often went wrong, but couldn't quite identify how to fix it - since it only happens with the combination of nerves, pressure,etc.) I can work on correcting it.
I have also got a lot closer to improving my gut feeling about the difference between equal and just temperament and what it means to me in a session. (Boxes versus fiddles tuned in perfect fifths versus flutes tuned to just temperament (all my wooden flutes) to flutes tuned to equal temperament (Boehm)).
Also note, the end result is not that you can forget about listening when playing with others. All you achieve with this exercise is making sure that your flute is already fairly close to where you have to play to be in tune and that the lipped corrections you have to make on the fly are as small as possible. And you also learn which notes will probably need correcting in which direction - helpful if you don't alredy know your flute that well - working this out in the heat of a larger session is not always easy.
Flutini
Flutini
Some little time ago, Terry McGee and Graeme Roxburgh put together a
system for analyzing the tuning of instruments as they're playing
music:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/17715
That system involves using a couple of different programs in sequence.
I've distilled it down to one program called Flutini which is less
flexible but easier to use and can show your tuning live as you play.
It is free and open source and available here:
http://www.novasession.org/Flutini/
That page has a better description, screenshots and a tutorial if you
are interested.
(I'd include the standard disclaimer that this is not intended as a
substitute for your own ears, but the usual array of grumpy
curmudgeons will have their say one way or the other, so I shan't
bother!)
# Posted on July 9th 2008 by srt19170
Re: Flutini
But do we have to reveal the results to the fiddle players?
(signed, a worried flute player...)
PS thank you very much for doing this work. I shall use it and see when I am most in tune. But if that turns out to be when I am stone cold sober at home, there may be a problem..
# Posted on July 9th 2008 by oxcart
Re: Flutini
Very sobering results come from the RTTA version from Misters McGee and Roxburgh. Almost as shocking as the first time I listened to myself recorded.
However, it can help one a lot. I seriously recommend reading the section on Terry's web site about interpreting the results. You can look at this two ways, either for information about how you play, or about how your flute plays. Best is to sort out the flute first - i.e. play something slow that you can play - don't look at the screen while doing so and try not to consciously "correct" the tuning of any notes that you play. Also be careful that you aren't letting specific notes in the tune systematically be wrong by e.g. dropping your breath support on the single high G that comes into the tune.
If you have several flutes, repeat this with the same tune played as nearly in the same way as you can.
I used the programme to get the stopper position on my flutes set better and I also stumbled across a tendency of mine to let certain notes fall in pitch by relaxing my diaphgram at the inappropriate moments in the tune. Interestingly, always the same points in any given tune!
I have also realised that A is not the best note for me to tune to since it is not smack in the middle of the pitch spread on any of my flutes. Better to tune to B or D for me - seond octave D is better still. D might actually be convenient for the fiddlers too. tuning to D on some historical flutes would be a disaster though!
I also learnt that playing a tune as if I am starting it in a session automatically shifts me 10 cents sharper than if I am playing along to someone elses tune. Now that I am better aware of this (I knew something often went wrong, but couldn't quite identify how to fix it - since it only happens with the combination of nerves, pressure,etc.) I can work on correcting it.
I have also got a lot closer to improving my gut feeling about the difference between equal and just temperament and what it means to me in a session. (Boxes versus fiddles tuned in perfect fifths versus flutes tuned to just temperament (all my wooden flutes) to flutes tuned to equal temperament (Boehm)).
Also note, the end result is not that you can forget about listening when playing with others. All you achieve with this exercise is making sure that your flute is already fairly close to where you have to play to be in tune and that the lipped corrections you have to make on the fly are as small as possible. And you also learn which notes will probably need correcting in which direction - helpful if you don't alredy know your flute that well - working this out in the heat of a larger session is not always easy.
Chris
# Posted on July 10th 2008 by Crackpot