modern flute C foot

A4

Conventional Fingering

Impedance

Fingering a key depressed a key not depressed a part of the mechanism that is not normally touched Details in fingering legend. Acoustic schematic a closed tone hole an open tone hole Non-specialist introduction to acoustic impedance Non-specialist introduction to flute acoustics

The flutist uses the same fingering for A4 and A5, but changes the speed, length and shape of the jet. The first four minima can be played. These minima support harmonics in A4. In A5, only the second and fourth minima are important.

Impedance

Fingering a key depressed a key not depressed a part of the mechanism that is not normally touched Details in fingering legend. Acoustic schematic a closed tone hole an open tone hole Non-specialist introduction to acoustic impedance Non-specialist introduction to flute acoustics

This alternative fingering was listed only to show that quite subtle effects (closing a hole downstream of six open holes) introduces noticeable effects to the impedance spectrum above 2 kHz. It makes little difference to the sound (the small differences between the spectra are due to other variables introduced by measuring a human player in musically comfortable conditions).

Impedance

Impedance spectrum of a modern flute with a C foot measured at the embouchure hole using diffuse fingering for A4.

This fingering has a reasonably strong impedance minimum for A4, but it is not well supported by minima at harmonics of this fundamental. The result is a soft 'covered' timbre. The fingering may be considered as that for A#4, but with very considerable cross fingering, which both lowers the pitch and detunes the higher resonances.