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"Flute Headjoints & Selection"
Joseph Butkevicius
Understanding the flute headjoint is key to understanding aspects of flute playing in regard to tone, dynamics, articulation, and response. Flute headjoints all play very differently by virtue of the various metals used in their construction as well as the tapers, risers, and embouchure hole cuts. While these differences many times cannot be seen, they do have profound effects on performance. Good measuring devices are essential for distinguishing the differences, yet players can tell differences just by playing them. Why these performance differences exist is answered in the measurements. The following is a general guide to understanding how these parts affect tone production. There are 4 basic components to the headjoint: the tube, riser, lip plate, and stopper/crown assembly.
There is much debate over whether the type of metal used actually affects the sound. Given the different densities and hardness of the metals used, it stands to reason that the actual material does have an impact on the sound. Typically, flute heads are made from silver, various silver alloys, various woods, gold (in various karats), auremite, platinum, carbon fiber and, most recently, titanium (available only from Landell Flutes). Headjoint wall thickness ranges from as thin as .012" to as heavy as .018". Thin walls are .012"-.014", standard .015"-.016", and heavy .017"-.018". Thin walls are generally more responsive than thicker walls and offer less resistance. Thicker walls tend to be "darker" and thinner walls tend to be "brighter".
The taper of the headjoint tube affects the response among the registers. Its very existaence makes the third register playable with acceptable intonation. Boehm experimented with body tubing diameters and found that a body tube diameter of 20mm produced beautiful low notes but the 3rd register was not at all acceptable. Boehm settled for a slightly smaller flute tube, 19mm (or .750"), to provide for a balance of acceptable 1st register and a playable 3rd register. This effect also holds true for the headjoint alone. Plotting headjoint tapers on graph paper demonstrate the nature of the taper. It is often not straight but curved, and has been referred to as a "parabolic curve". The differences among headjoints in this curve affect the balance of response and intonation through the registers.
The riser is the extension to the tube that is attached to the lip plate. The height of the riser and its shape are crucial to a flute's performance. High risers offer more resistance then low risers. A typical riser measurement averages .200". and range +or- .010". (e.g. A low riser would be measured at .190" and high riser at .210") Low risers are more responsive as there is less inertia of the air to be overcome in the riser. High risers require more aggressive playing to overcome this inertia. These tend to be a bit louder because of this and more difficult to play softly. High risers sound darker than low risers. Riser material can be different than the tube material. Since the sound begins in the riser, its material also contributes to the "color" of the tones produced. Headjoints are now available with different risers materials. (i.e. Silver headjoints with gold risers can give you a more "golden" tone color without the expense of an all gold headjoint). Riser shape, undercutting and over cutting, is described in the section on embouchure hole shapes.
The lip plate most importantly functions as a place where the headjoint meets the embouchure. It must be comfortable as well as provide the proper embouchure placement for the direction of the air stream. The radius of the plate helps determine the direction of the air stream against the riser by positioning the chin and lips for comfortable tone production. Plates can be a single radius or double radii, and can have single or double concave shapes for purposes of comfort. A comfortable lip plate can greatly add to endurance and allow the ability to more easily change tone colors.
The shape of the embouchure hole and the amount and type of overcutting and undercutting of the riser also greatly affect the performance of a flute. French style holes are more oval and allow more variation in tone color due to the more varied blowing wall. This also makes the tone softer but allows for greater dynamic range within its dynamic limits. They are very flexible in this regard but are less aggressive than many people prefer. Square holes by virtue of their relatively long and straight blowing edges are much louder since more of the air stream consistently interacts with the blowing edge creating more edge tones. The blowing edge angle is 7 degrees from the center axis of the tube. A sharp edge is more responsive but can sometimes become too "hissy" (sometimes related to other variables of sharp angles elsewhere in the riser.) Too dull an edge or unevenness in the blowing wall will create a very unresponsive headjoint. These are critical areas for flute performance and must be adjusted properly for the desired performance. Undercutting and overcutting are found on the sides of the riser. These operations are performed to reduce turbulent airflow at the sharp edges resulting in a free blowing headjoint. The sides of the risers can themselves be somewhat angled or curved. Too much undercutting or overcutting can cause the 3rd register to play out of tune, so care must be taken to keep the hole proportions in order. A typical traditional cut consists of a .400" width X .478" L, with a diagonal measurment .499" This is a very square cut shape with a modest undercut and overcut. The diagonal measurement determines the amount of squareness or ovalness. In this instance, a dimension of .499", given the W x L measurements, provides for a very square hole shape. (The riser height is measured at .202") A good template is essential for matching a riser shape.
This assembly is functional and ornamental. The stopper seals off the end of the headjoint and must be positioned correctly and have a vacuum seal. The distance from the stopper plate to the middle of the embouchure hole is equal to the diameter of the tube at the middle of the embouchure hole. A typically dimension (also used for embouchure hole placement purposes) is 17.3mm (or .681"). Improper placement can affect the tuning of the registers and/or render the 3rd register difficult to play. (This effect is very pronounced on piccolos). Stopper material is traditionally cork, however, there are many new materials that are being substituted for purposes of longevity and resonance. The crown is an ornamental cover for the end of the headjoint and is attached to the stopper assembly. There has been discussion as to how the weight of the crown affects tone. It is my opinion that the combined effect of crown weight and stopper material on flute tone are minimal. These differences are subtle but noticeable and can manifest themselves to the player as a different feel and response. If you do not like the way a particular flute plays, changing the crown weight will not suddenly change your opinion of any flute. But, if need be, varying crowns and stoppers can be added to fine tune the performance of an instrument you already like.
If you have any questions and/or comments, send an e--mail.
Copyright 2003 © Michael Lange Music Company