Flute overtone intervals

[ouroboros]

anyone know where I can find a brief rundown of the harmonics in a flute? thanks.

[jcivil]

Do you mean the sounds one gets by overblowing? or an analysis of the harmonic spectra generated by each note played on a flute [which might depend on dynamics and attack], or what?

'harmonics in <n>' is a somewhat vague expression.

[XDVarenkor]

Harmonics of open pipes generally run 8ve, +5th, +4th(ish), +3rd(ish) - intervals progessively becoming smaller and often out-of-tune. Closed pipes are similar but missing some harmonics, which is why clarinets for example don't overblow an octave. On a flute, you're doing quite well for control if you can play the 8ve, +5th, and +4th while sustaining embouchure (good exercise, btw...) Why would you want to know this stuff though? Music's always more fun if you don't get wrapped around the axles about the details...

[runagate]

Anyone got Bruno Bartolozzi's woodwind multiphonics oscilloscope data he used in New Sounds For Woodwinds? Thanks.

[jcivil]

Why would you want to know this stuff though? Music's always more fun if you don't get wrapped around the axles about the details...

he or she might wish to know in order to know (you appear to know something about it, what's up with that? ), and in order, to say, synthesize the sound, like building an organ; it's useful as all git-out to have this kinda information as an orchestrator.

[ouroboros]

..an analysis of the harmonic spectra generated by each note played on a flute [which might depend on dynamics and attack], or what?

'harmonics in <n>' is a somewhat vague expression.

this is what I meant, thanks.

Harmonics of open pipes generally run 8ve, +5th, +4th(ish), +3rd(ish) - intervals progessively becoming smaller and often out-of-tune. Closed pipes are similar but missing some harmonics, which is why clarinets for example don't overblow an octave. On a flute, you're doing quite well for control if you can play the 8ve, +5th, and +4th while sustaining embouchure (good exercise, btw...) Why would you want to know this stuff though? Music's always more fun if you don't get wrapped around the axles about the details...

useful info, thanks. I appreciateyour advice not to get wrapped up in the details, too I was trying to synthesize a flute patch. -not for a song, just fun tweaking when I should be working...

Anyone got Bruno Bartolozzi's woodwind multiphonics oscilloscope data he used in New Sounds For Woodwinds? Thanks.

you never cease to amaze! I am now going to go burn out google's servers for this, thanks

[runagate]

Lemme know what you find out, tail-biter. Finding that book (and accompanying vinyl EP!) was quite the watershed in runagate-land when I had only just started playing multiphonics not knowing that other people purposefully had produced those sounds, including artists that I listened to.

I mean John Zorn produced (and played a little on) Mr. Bungle's first album for chrissakes. Thanks for the blasts of atonal noise, Bruno!

[Jafo]

F (fundamental frequency)
2F
3F
4F
5F
6F
7F
8F

and so forth, each successively much weaker. Basically a wussy sawtooth... The harmonics of a sawtooth have a strength in proportion to their order -- 2F is half as loud as F, 3F is one third -- but in a flute, it's much more rapid. (Anybody know the exact formula?)

(Then again, a triangle wave -- only the odd-ordered harmonics -- can nicely emulate a flute.)

Basically, the notes of the major scale are derived this way.

Anyway, because our scale is tempered and harmonics aren't, there's a bit of a clash. The C# harmonic of an A at 440 is 550 Hz, but the (dis)tempered concert pitch is 554.365 Hz; the F# harmonic is 733.333 Hz, contrasted to concert 739.989. Not much, but you can hear it. (Try using the harmonic and tempered notes in a system that can generate exact tones, like CSound -- lots of fun!)

[VicDiesel]

Harmonics of open pipes generally run 8ve, +5th, +4th(ish),

+4-ish? That should be an exact octave. Nothing ish-ish about it. Module problems with your embouchure.

Victor.

[Jafo]

This looks kinda neat... too late tonight to look into it, but it may be of use. Or interest. Or something. lol

http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/fluteacoustics.html

[runagate]

This looks kinda neat... too late tonight to look into it, but it may be of use. Or interest. Or something. lol

http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/fluteacoustics.html

Nice, Jafo!