GB2547473A - Flute keywork variant - Google Patents

Abstract

An additional key 2 with associated tonehole and a finger rest 1 for a flute, where the finger rest provides an alternative pressing point for the right little finger of a player without actuating any keys or affecting the sound of any note. The additional venting key is installed on the flute at a position close to that of the existing D sharp key 3. The new key can be closed by pressing the D natural key 4 or the C sharp key. The additional key and the pinky finger touchpiece allow the required operations of the D sharp key to be reduced, and provide greater stability of the flute during playing as the movement of the right hand little finger is reduced. An alternative embodiment has the D sharp key and neutral finger rest key in a single seesaw touchpiece (20, figure 5) on a pivot (21, figure 5), where the seesaw has a stop under one site to prevent downward motion, such that it is a neutral touch point, but can be pressed down on the other side to act on a lever (22, figure 5) of the D sharp key.

Description

Flute keywork variant Background

Very often, and sometimes all but indispensably, the right fourth finger -the right pinky - is pressed down to help maintain a secure right hand grip during flute-playing. Its downward press is almost always via the D sharp key’s touchpiece, and acts in opposition to the upward press of the right thumb.

So far, the D sharp key has been the best option overall for this purpose, as it adversely affects fewest notes; but even it can only be used until a note appears that cannot include it - either of the two lowest D naturals, or any of several other notes, probably including Top C.

As it happens, fewest is consistently many. Passages of notes abounding in D naturals 1 and 2 are common throughout the general repertoire, and not least in music specifically for the flute, whose basic structure is founded on the D major scale. So the D sharp key’s inclusion in notes melodically adjacent to D1 and D2 results in numerous right pinky moves, mostly entailing its criss-cross with the right third finger. Fingering is therefore far more complex and awkward than it might otherwise be, and the grip on the flute constantly shifts among the right hand fingers. In general this can be coped with fairly easily after sufficient practice, and fingerings can occasionally be simplified, but by no means always. Sometimes split-second grip transferences combined with complicated finger movements present extreme challenges to coordination and balance. The flute can then become unstable in the player’s grasp, and technique can go awry. A Catch-22 situation tends to arise - if only you could get the fingering right, you could get the flute secure and comfortable - and vice versa. A sense of constantly battling against unfair odds would be well justified.

This invention will cancel out much of that, by simultaneously reducing fingering difficulty and increasing the stabilising action of the right pinky. You more easily get the fingering right because you more easily get the flute secure and comfortable. And vice versa.

For as long as it will have to move on and off note-producing keys (probably for ever) the tip of the pinky can never be a completely full time flute-balancer, but this invention brings it much nearer that ideal.

Flute keywork variant Advantages

The advantages offered by this invention are a reduction in movement of the flute player’s right little finger - the pinky, and an increase in stabilisation of the flute via that finger, throughout performance overall. A basic illustration can be seen in the required fingering changes between the flute’s lowest two D naturals and E naturals.

Without this invention, moving one way or the other between either D and either E requires a D sharp key operation That means a pinky shift in each of the eight permutations.

With this invention, all eight permit the pinky finger to remain on or off the flute throughout, because no D sharp key operation is required and because the neutral key can be used instead.

Put another way, whereas before, changing from either D to either E necessitated a criss-cross right third and fourth finger move, now the third is the only right hand finger that has to move. The pinky may still press open the D sharp key for El and E2 when preferred; but now for those notes it may instead do nothing, or press down on the neutral key, or make any sequence of the three options. In simple terms, the pinky finger can now, at the player’s will, and with tone quality undiminished, be off the flute for El and E2, and on it for D1 and D2, which will be a cause of astonishment as well as immense relief to flute players.

The extra venting requirement via the D sharp key for the flute’s two lowest E naturals has long been established as an essential in fluteplaying practice and education worldwide. Those notes played without that venting are flat in pitch, dull in tone, and lacking in response to tonguing and volume variation. Hence reputable flute fingering charts, including that of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, list E naturals 1 and 2 as including the D sharp key.

The automatic venting provided by the E-assist key in this invention makes that use of the D sharp key unnecessary, thereby greatly reducing the overall need for the criss-cross action of right hand fingers 3 and 4, and entirely eliminating the cumbersome pinky slide between the lowest two E naturals and low C sharp, low C, and low B.

The benefits of the invention consist not merely in widening scope for the pinky simply to hover above the flute, although that will be a novel freedom for the player to relish especially on the two lowest E naturals, but more significantly in enabling it to remain pressed down, helping to secure the balance of the flute. The D to E examples form only a fraction of the application of this enhancing mechanism: a pinky move will also frequently be saved in either direction between D natural 1 or 2 and at least twenty-four other notes - from F chromatically to C sharp in octaves one and two, plus D, F, F sharp (using right middle finger), G, G sharp, and A in the third octave. That makes ninety-six further permutations.

Particularly when playing in C, F, Q D, and A majors, and A, B, and D minors, the neutral key gives the pinky something far more sensible to press, and the E-assist venting gives it considerably expanded opportunity to press it. If eight seems a low percentage of twenty-four possible majors and minors, it should be borne in mind what huge expanses of music those eight cover. Similarly it might at first seem an extravagance to install a whole new key and tone hole, let alone a rarely encountered bridge-across-the-flute-joints linkage, just to improve two notes, as well as an apparently banal touch-key that affects the sound of no notes at all. However, versus any stance of Oh-we-don’t-need-to-bother-with-some-sticking-on-extra-keys-and-lumps-and-twigs-of-metal-malarkey, in practice an investment in this invention will not only avert a never-ending extravagance of right pinky shifts, but will also provide a saving aid in some of the tightest situations flute-playing ever delivers.

Flute players of all standards, from the absolute beginner to die venerable veteran, will find their fingering techniques much disburdened by this invention. In less demanding pieces and exercises the most obvious benefit will be the sheer reduction in right pinky finger movements, including sometimes their complete elimination. This will be evident in the first attempt at moving between C2 and D2 - using the neutral key in both notes; and not much later it will be very well illustrated by one particular requirement of the ABRSM Grade 2 exam, invariably tested on the day: the two octave D Major scale. This will now be playable with zero pinky shifts instead of six, as the pinky will have the option of remaining pressed down throughout.

At a more advanced level, while no other finger’s movements will differ in number, the pinky’s will often be vastly reduced - sometimes by hundreds within a single short piece, eg the first movement of Bach’s Unaccompanied A minor Partita (over 200 moves saved in under four minutes). Sometimes, pinky moves will again be reduced to zero, eg in Gossec’s famous and tricky Tambourin, in which once more the pinky will be able to stay pressed down, and help maintain flute stability, throughout the entire piece - an extraordinary transformation.

As closed keys, both the G sharp and D sharp have strong springs to ensure airtight closing. As members of the general population, most flute players are right handed. Even so, a G to G sharp trill with the left pinky is found to be easier than a D to D sharp trill with the right pinky, because the G sharp lever is longer and therefore easier to press down than the much stubbier D sharp. Within this invention, whether combined or separate neutral and D sharp keys are fitted, the longer, more easily pressed D sharp lever will be an additional bonus.

It is not yet conclusive that this invention will always indisputably provide net advantage in passages of notes including Top C and above, although a G sharp to E-assist link might well assure this. Many of the most demanding high passages, even including Top C, certainly will be more easily playable with this invention, minus that link, again because the right pinky will be able to act as a fixed stabiliser throughout, sometimes by means of the E-assist key’s own touchpiece. Others may well require greater embouchure determination in order to produce Top C if with no right pinky, because the flute will then be in open D sharp mode, in which Top C can be reluctant to speak. In any case, some third octave fingering strategies will have to differ slightly. For instance, it is probable that F sharp 3 played with the neutral key will be sharp and under-responsive if the right third finger is included, but will respond as usual if the right second is used instead, which is often preferred anyhow.

Trial and error, the responses of individual instruments, varied player capability, context, habit, and taste, may lead to differing opinions regarding third and fourth octave work.

Elsewhere however, extensive fingering facilitation via this invention is beyond question.

Flute keywork variant Statistics Selection from 2016 A table of right pinky finger (R4) movements saved by means of this invention, for one current or recent test piece in each of the ABRSM Grade exams.

These numbers are calculated by counting, except as the piece’s starting note, every appearance of non-repeated D naturals 1 and 2 as causing, and every appearance of non-repeated D sharps 1,2, and 3 as saving, two pinky shifts on the current flute, and subtracting the latter from the former. The reverse calculations then apply to a flute fitted with this invention, hence the listed net savings. “Approximately” is stated, because editions can vary and because absolutely accurate counting is difficult to guarantee. The trend is unmistakable, however. R4 movements saved (approximately) 1 Rakes of Mallow Trad 10 2 Off She Goes Trad 22 3 Whistlin’ Stapeleton 30 4 Sonata in G Cimarosa 40 5 Largo and Vivace D. Purcell 66 6 Polonaise from B minor suite Bach 34 7 Allegro in G Vivaldi 174 8 Flute Concerto in G 3rd Movement Mozart 202

Flute keywork variant Drawings

Figure 1 represents the lower end of the flute viewed from above the keys, showing the likely positioning of the E-assist key in relation to neighbouring keys, and its linkage via tailpieces to the D natural key in bridge mechanism form. The tailpieces are shown flattened out. The neutral key is shown, but the note-activating right little finger touchpieces are omitted, for clearer view of the E-assist key cup.

Figure 2 represents a likely layout for the little finger touchpieces on a flute with lowest note C incorporating this invention, the C sharp touchpiece and C natural roller standing over the E-assist key.

Figure 3 represents a side view of the lower end of the flute, low note key cups, and E-assist to D natural linkage adjacent to the tube of the flute.

Figure 4 represents a side view of the lower end of the flute with the right little finger touchpieces in place.

Figure 5 represents an upper end-on view of the flute’s footjoint with a possible layout for the Neutral and D sharp keys as a combined rocking touchpiece on a pivot stopped at its far end but free to be pressed down at its near end onto an indirectly operated lever for the D sharp key.

Flute keywork variant Key to drawings 1. Neutral key 2. E-assist key cup 3. D sharp key cup 4. D natural key cup 5. E-assist key’s rod and sleeve and posts assembly 6. Foot Joint 7. D sharp, C sharp, and C keys’ rod and sleeve and posts assembly 8. D natural to E-assist tailpiece linkage 9. Divide of body and foot joints 10. Lower end of flute’s body joint 11. E-assist key’s touchpiece 12. Low C sharp touchpiece contact point to E-assist key cup 13. Low C sharp touchpiece 14. Low C sharp lever additional touchpiece 15. Low C sharp key cup 16. Low C natural key cup 17. D sharp key lever 18. D sharp touchpiece 19. Low C natural roller 20. Neutral key and D sharp touchpiece combined 21. Pivot for combined neutral key and D sharp 22. D sharp key’s lever with no direct touchpiece

Flute keywork variant

Detailed description with drawing number references

This invention proposes additions and alterations to the Boehm System flute and similar flutes, of any size, in keywork operated by the player’s finger furthest from the blow-hole - usually the little finger of the right hand.

Installation of this mechanism will cause no change to the acoustic value of any of the flute’s existing keys.

There will be attached to the flute within reach of the right little finger, a non note activating touchpiece (1), called herein the neutral key. The neutral key will provide an alternative resting and pressing point for that finger. Pressing down on it will help maintain stabilisation of the flute. It will not activate nor affect the sound of any notes, so may be entirely static.

An additional, open-standing key (2) will also be added to the flute, at a similar sounding length to that of the existing closed D sharp key (3), and requiring a new tone hole and chimney to be formed in the flute’s tube. This new key will be described here as the E-assist key, because its main function will be to provide automatic venting to bring the flute’s lowest two E naturals up to full tone quality. It cannot fail in this function if its size and sounding length are identical to those of the existing D sharp key; however, both those measurements might vary without detriment to the function.

The E-assist key will probably be aligned with the D natural key (4). On a three-piece flute the E-assist key may be suspended from its own short individual rod-sleeve-spring-and-posts assembly (5) fixed to the footjoint (6), and parallel to the existing, but now probably further rotated away, footjoint rod (7). In the case of a two-piece flute without separable footjoint, if the E-assist key is to be in line with the D natural key it may instead pivot on an extension of the rod and sleeve system on which the D natural key pivots.

The E-assist key will be connected via a one-way linkage (8) across the divide (9) of the body joint (10) and foot joint, to the D natural key. It will be provided with its own touchpiece (11), to close it alone when required, and will also be closed by a one-way connection (12) when either the low C sharp touchpiece (13) or an additional touchpiece (14) installed upon the C sharp lever is pressed; but if not already closed by those means it will always be closed automatically when the D natural key is pressed. The D natural and E-assist tailpieces may be formed into linkage arms, the E-assist’s overlapping the D natural’s, in straightforward application of established mechanics. Such a “bridge” mechanism will not be so called in the case of a two-piece flute, and if the D natural and E-assist keys are aligned it can then be substituted by a clutch connection upon the rotary sleeve and rod, on the extension noted above, in the manner of already similarly interconnected keys on the flute.

Crucially, releasing the D natural key will permit return of the E-assist key to its default open position under its own spring pressure. The two lowest E naturals on the flute will therefore not need to involve the D sharp key, because the E-assist key will provide the requisite venting to achieve the standard acceptable tone quality.

To accommodate these new features, the rod and sleeve assembly on which the customary D sharp, low C sharp (15), low C (16), and (if fitted) low B keys pivot will probably have to be positioned further away from the right fourth fingertip. All those keys’ operating levers will therefore have to be extended, and may be curved, to bring their touchpieces within convenient reach.

The E-assist, D sharp, C sharp, C, and any lower note touchpieces and rollers will be arrayed within close proximity to the neutral key. There will be more than one possible layout, but preservation of the familiar, and general ease of inter-access, will be prime considerations. As the two main little finger touch points, the neutral key and the D sharp touchpiece should probably be immediately adjacent, and essentially sharing the space previously occupied solely by the D sharp touchpiece. The layout shown in Figure 2 may be the most amenable, in which when low D is played with the neutral key included (as it may well be), and D sharp is the following note, the little finger slide from neutral key to D sharp touchpiece will mirror its slide from low C to C sharp, bringing a similar semitone rise in pitch.

The D sharp lever (17) may go around and/or under the neutral key; and the D sharp touchpiece (18) may still abut left of the low C natural roller (19) and low C sharp touchpiece (and B roller if fitted) for access in the traditional manner. Situated next on the curve to the C natural roller, and between it and the neutral key, will be the touchpiece for the E-assist key, probably fixed or integral to its key cup, and standing somewhat above surrounding touchpieces to prevent their inadvertent operation.

When the E-assist key sits on top of the tubing, directly in line with the D natural key, as it probably will, the touchpieces and rollers for low C sharp, C natural, and any still lower notes will probably have to be located above the surface of the E-assist key, as shown in Figures 2 and 4. C natural and lower note touchpieces and rollers will stand clear; C sharp’s touchpiece or lever will contact the E-assist key for closure of it upon closure of itself. The touchpieces and rollers for low C sharp and below may stand slightly higher than on flutes hitherto. The D sharp touchpiece and the neutral key will probably best also be set on the same level. Touchpiece surfaces will be suitably contoured to prevent finger snagging.

If the E-assist key were to be positioned elsewhere than on the top of the flute tube, and therefore not in line with the D natural key, its closure operation from the D natural key could still be achieved by tailpiece linkage, to any of numerous possible positions; however, the other actions upon it described here - its individual closure, and its closure by the low C sharp key - would then have to be achieved by more complex mechanics. This probably confirms the desirability for the E-assist key cup to be fitted in line with the D natural key cup.

The performance applications of the new key layout are: • The neutral key will now provide an alternative regular right fourth finger residence, available to be pressed continuously throughout many passages of notes containing no D sharps and no E fiats. • The existing D sharp key’s touchpiece will still be the best option for the right fourth finger’s sustained press in passages of notes where D sharps and E flats occur frequently. • The E-assist key’s closure touchpiece can be pressed throughout passages where all notes work well with both the E-assist and D sharp keys closed, but not all work well with either open. This will usually involve the third octave and advanced technique, and will preserve optional closed D sharp tone control of E3. • The closure of the E-assist key by the low C sharp key will preserve current fingering for very Top D natural and E natural (D4 and E4) and all current options for substituting the low C sharp key for the D sharp key.

The majority of flutes have closed G sharp keywork. On a number of these the invention would ideally incorporate a link from the G sharp key to the E-assist key, such that every time the G sharp key were pressed, the E-assist key would thereby be closed. This would preserve response to die usual no-right-pinky fingering for Top C, and permit the useful choice, rather than entail any regular necessity, of pressing the E-assist key’s touchpiece during that note. Such a G sharp linkage would be achievable, but would add to complexity and expense. It would not be applicable to a flute with open G sharp keywork.

Any existing flute in three sections should be apt for installation of this mechanism, which as well as the footjoint’s keywork conversion might require a reforming of the D natural key’s tailpiece for best function as one side of the linkage to the E-assist key. However, for greater convenience of assembly and consistency of regulation, the mechanism will probably lend itself better to installation on a two-piece flute, or a three-piece converted into a two-piece, so that the E-assist linkage is permanently aligned on a continuous tube rather than across the movable junction of footjoint and middle joint. Three-piece flutes are currently far more common; however, a change of common practice will be well justified by the advantages this invention offers.

Almost universally the flute is held to the right of the player so that the D sharp operating fourth finger is of the right hand; but leftward-held flutes do exist, in the case of which, mirror image designs and descriptions of those detailed here will apply to the same effect.

Flute keywork variant The Neutral Key

The Neutral Key, a key that makes no difference to the sound of any note on the flute, is the crux of this invention.

Its potential is optimised by the E-assist key. However, although the neutral key’s usefulness without the E-assist key would be much less, it would still exist in part, on an otherwise unamended flute, particularly in high octave passages played more successfully when the D sharp key is closed throughout. The neutral key could then carry out the same function as may the touchpiece of the E-assist key within this invention.

On flutes whose lowest note is D natural, which is almost always the case with the piccolo, and occasionally with other flutes, the shorter bottom end tubing causes far less stifling of the lowest two E naturals. Therefore their need for D sharp key venting is considerably reduced, indeed is arguably non existent. On such instruments a neutral key may be considered fully functional without an E-assist key.

Flute keywork variant The E-assist Key

The E-assist Key, so titled for clarification of its function within this invention, could be given a different title - an Open D Sharp Key -because it will likely be of similar or identical size and sounding length on the flute tube to those of the existing closed D sharp key. If it could be opened independently of the D natural key, it might then be used to play D sharp in the same manner as the continuingly titled D sharp key.

But it can’t. Therefore, at least in this description, there is even less reason to name it a D sharp key.

However, because in acoustic terms it might fairly be described as an open D sharp key, and may well yet come to be so described, the issue of former open D sharp keys should be addressed.

There have been previous, very rare, instances of an open D sharp key on a flute, but the earlier known version has been a replacement of, not a complement to, the usual closed D sharp key, and with distinctly different functions to those of the kind of open D sharp key which is the E-assist key in this invention.

This earlier known version of the open D sharp key was the flute’s only, and not a second, D sharp key. Also it was an unlinked, stand-alone key, and was required to be pressed closed by the right fourth finger in order to play D natural, and released back to open for D sharp. That is the reverse of the usual condition, and by some argument more logical, but it has found much less application even than the still occasionally encountered open G sharp key system, which uses that same logic but between G natural and G sharp, and which Boehm himself favoured.

Within this invention, the E-assist key is an additional, linked key on the flute; it is always held closed if the D natural key is closed, and can therefore never itself be opened to play D sharp. The existing D sharp key must still be included in all of the flute’s fully fingered D sharps.

Flute keywork variant Combination Neutral and D sharp Key

It might sometimes be preferred to combine the Neutral and D sharp keys into a single seesaw touchpiece (20) on a pivot (21), such that one end of the seesaw has a stop underneath for preventing its downward motion, and is therefore a neutral touch point, but the other end can be pressed down to act on a now indirectly operated lever (22) of the D sharp key. Releasing finger pressure on the active end of the seesaw would allow the D sharp key to re-close under its spring pressure.

The seesaw key could sit lengthwise on the flute or - probably more conveniently - transversely, for back and forward finger movement rather than sideways, and for greater compactness of touchpiece layout.

Either end of the seesaw could be the active end, but leverage would be easier at the end further from the D sharp key cup. Moreover, in the transverse layout with the easier leverage option, moving from D natural, with the neutral key included, to D sharp would parallel the pinky move from low C roller to low C sharp key.

Claims (6)

Flute keywork variant Claims

1. Flute keywork variant whereby the required operations of the flute’s D sharp key may be reduced.

2. Flute keywork variant according to claim 1, in which a non note activating touchpiece is made to form part of the flute, and is located within reach of the finger that operates the flute’s D sharp key.

3. Flute keywork variant according to claim 1, in which, at a similar length from the blow-hole as that of the D sharp key, an additional key and its tone hole and suspension system are fitted to the flute.

4. Flute keywork variant according to claim 3, in which the additional key can be closed by closing the D natural key.

5. Flute keywork variant according to claim 3, in which the additional key has a touchpiece for closing it alone.

6. Flute keywork variant according to claim 3, in which the additional key can be closed by closing the C sharp key.