|
|
  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Listen to the flutes
The audio clips below are mp3 format and give a good idea of how the keys sound on SVF flutes. Rather than put clips against each flute in the Gallery pages, it seemed more sensible and convenient to bring the sounds of specific flutes to this page. Having a range of keys and sounds in one place will, I hope, help new players choose the key for a 'first flute', and show experienced players the range of sound that these flutes can produce.
Please note: most of the soundclips are of normal pentatonic tuned flutes; however, I also tune to major scale and more exotic scales like Hitzaz, Hitzazkiar, Arabic/Greek, Celtic, Magein Avot, Indian Raga and others as requested. Sound clips of my Hitzaz flutes are on the Hitzaz Galleries page, click HERE. More importantly, I tune the fundamental of a flute to a digital tuner but from there on I usually tune by ear...why? Because if you tune exactly to the normal Western equal temperament frequencies of a tuner, a Native American flute sounds plain wrong! Many have said my flutes sound 'so much more natural' and this is why, and when I tell them to put a tuner on my flutes, they are often surprised to find that some notes are very slightly flat or sharp, but sound just right. Contact me if you want to know more, and also if you want to explore tuning to A=432Hz instead of 440Hz, the former being seen by many as the 'Rhythm of the Universe'.
The 'dry' version of each clip is recorded in a small room with no signal processing and represents the sound you might expect to hear when playing the flute normally. The 'wet' version is exactly the same recording as the 'dry' version but has added reverb and demonstrates the sound of the flutes in a large resonant space; this gives recording artists a feel for what the flutes will sound like through a recording studio, but please note these are far from professional recordings. Clicking on the wet and dry tabs will open a new window with an mp3 player in it - please be patient for the downloads to start.
|
|
|
|
|
| High C |
English Walnut, Air Spirit series |
  |
| High A |
American Black Walnut, Sacred Spirit |
|
| Mid G |
English Ash, Air Spirit series |
|
| Mid F# |
Eastern Red Cedar, Buzzard Series |
|
| Mid F# |
English Lime, Air Spirit Series |
|
| Mid F |
English Cherry, Air Spirit Series |
|
| Mid E |
Eastern Red Cedar, Sacred Spirit series |
|
| Low D |
Eastern Red Cedar, Earth Spirit series |
|
| Low B |
English Walnut, Earth Spirit series |
|
| Low C |
Sitka Spruce Bass Healing drone |
|
| Low C# |
Eastern Red Cedar, Bass Healing drone 432Hz |
|
| Mid G |
Yellow Cedar, Toucan series drone |
|
| Low D |
English Cherry, Toucan series drone |
|
| Mid E |
Mahogany, Toucan series drone |
|
| Mid G |
W.Red Cedar Gathering traditional breathy |
|
I am also starting to find that some of the professional and experienced players I make for are putting up web pages with soundclips of them playing SVF flutes. Try some of these for examples:
Dario Ristic: http://soundcloud.com/super-d-2/tracks?page=1 (Easy Ease)
http://youtu.be/z8SB52_odFY (Ancient Magic - Hitzaz flute)
http://youtu.be/ZCq4oI9zYho (Play of the Circle's)
http://youtu.be/GRTSGYtKC64 (Raven's Song - Yew drone)
http://youtu.be/GmMU0mesAuM (Otter's Song - Alder Earth Spirit)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRTSGYtKC64 (Trickster Yew drone)
Robin Proctor: http://www.myspace.com/redrobinmusic/music/songs/eye-of-the-storm-30040083
Paula Tait: https://soundcloud.com/paula-tait-5/blue-clouds-love-song
Peter Treichler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv1uZeKzXSc
Stephen Muires: http://muires.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/snake-flute/
|
|
|
 |
|
Please remember that flutes can be designed to give a variety of voices, from clear to breathy, bright to mellow, soft to loud, edgy to relaxed, and combinations too numerous to mention. For a simple comparison of clear versus breathy, listen to the English Ash mid G and the Western Red Cedar Gathering G. And while it is possible (within reason) to voice a softwood flute to sound like a hardwood one, and vice versa, it is best to let the wood speak for itself and show its own resonance and character. I do get requests from some, particularly from pro players and performers, who want the characteristic cedar flute sound but from a more resilient hardwood that will take the knocks of stage and transport a bit more readily; in these instances I am happy to oblige.
|
|
 |
Please note, for best results the audio clips should be listened to either through a dedicated PC speaker system or through headphones; monitors that have inclusive speakers rarely give anything like a representative sound or audio spectrum!
|
 |
The Owlhouse • Milford • Surrey • UK • dc@secondvoiceflutes.co.uk
|
© Second Voice Flutes 2018 |
|
