Everytime i have band practice and we are tuning up my flute is always out of tune. I have to pull the headjoint out really far and it still sounds off. I cant play with the other flautists because i sound out of tune! help!
The tuning of any given note can easily be altered by 1/4 - 1/2 semitone by the angle of your airstream, the amount your lip overs the embouchure hole, how loud you are playing, the speed of your airstream, the temperature of the air inside the flute, and several other factors.
Part of learning to become a good flute player is learning to control all these factors, so you can use one to compensate for others.
It is rather difficult to learn all this stuff without a really good,and experienced flute teacher.
And as somebody has suggested, if you pay peanuts for a flute, then it is likely that many, many things about the flute are badly made, including the tuning.
You would do well to check the position of the cork in the head of the flute. If you don't know how to do this by using your cleaning rod, then the best way to find out is to ask other, more experienced players to show you. You will also be making communication and giving them a message that you care about the issue; they may be able to help you in other ways too; how about you break the ice and ask them if they know what you may be doing wrong. If correcting the position makes the cork fairly loose, then you definitely need a new cork; see a technician.
While it could be the flute - this can easily be checked either by a technician or just having another flute play try your flute (and vice-versa) eg with a tuner.
With most beginners joining a band the problem is often the angle of the flute (too far from horizontal) or trying to play with the flute over your right shoulder. In many cases, this is encouraged as a result of sharing a music stand and poor positioning of chairs etc.
Once beginners have developed a sense of intonation, then they are ready to learn how to change the pitch and do so intuitively.
It may be that your TONE is off. Maybe you were in tune but since your tone wasn't centered, you couldn't compare the sound of your instrument to the others. Uncentered tone can also throw off electronic tuners-the needle won't stay either sharp or flat, instead it moves back and forth. Or it could even be that the people around you aren't in tune with each other and so no matter who you tune to, you will be out of tune with someone else. Hope this helps!
"Or it could even be that the people around you aren't in tune with each other and so no matter who you tune to, you will be out of tune with someone else..."
Nasty situation! Especially when you are the only one aware that everything is out of tune, or nobody attempts to do anything about it.
No one mentioned that First Chair is the only person who anyone should be tuning to, even if the FC is out of tune.
Here's another issue not mentioned. Sometimes, even when we do understand how to check that the rod is centered in the hole, sometimes the ROD is off. It should be 17.3mm exactly, no less and no more. No one told her about possibly NEEDING a new cork, maybe it has shrunk. If you can't get your crown to hand tighten and hand tighten only ever(meaning only until you feel resistance) at the 17.3mm rod position, then you need a new cork, if you can't get one right now, Cello-tape, or ScotchTape depending on your country, around the cork, then lightly greasing the cork when you put it back in, will work in a pinch. Do NOT pull the cork out of the top of the head piece. push it down with your rod through the bottom. If your headpiece has any dents in it, this could be the problem. if your embrochure riser has a crack in it, problem. There are a ton of reasons why someone would be out of tune.
But, the single most often reason is, everyone is trying to tune to everyone else, and that's just not correct. Again, tune to your First Chair and only your First Chair. If you are first chair, It's THEY who are out of tune, even if your off. That's the rule. Period. End of story. No way around it. Any other way is incorrect.
Again, tune to your First Chair and only your First Chair. If you are first chair, It's THEY who are out of tune, even if your off. That's the rule. Period. End of story. No way around it. Any other way is incorrect.
Sorry, but I disagree with this 100%.
This is obviously someone who is in band as the director is using a tuner to try and tune each individual player. Keep in mind each individual note on the flute can be a different tuning issue. You could play A2 all day long in perfect tune switch to G2 and discover you are flat. The only way to solve that issue is to understand how you play as an individual and work to correct it.
There is no incorrect or 100% completely correct way to tune. Most high school bands use tuners. Most orchestras pick a specific instrument and that is who you tune to, not who is first chair in your section. While you should be tuned within your section, there is more to a band or orchestra than the flute section. First chair is NOT always correct on pitch. Wouldn't you feel pretty silly to tune to your first chair, only to discover the rest of your group tuned to the oboe and you are one of two people out of tune?
Lastly, make sure your flute is not tuned in A=442. A lot of upper end models are these days, so you would have to adjust extra for that in an A=440 music setting.
I also fully disagree with that statement. I am a first chair player and have been for many more years than some people have ever been in band, and I have never heard that statement as being 100% true. Proper band procedure says that first chair must tune first and, once she or he is in tune, the players tune to first chair one by one until the whole section is in tune. Now, not ALL bands do it that way, but it is the most common way to tune a section. A first chair player should NEVER play out of tune and expect their section to match that pitch; never! I really have strong feelings against that statement.
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A first chair player is first chair because they are supposed to play the best (although the whole section should give 100% percent effort) and a good player is not incorrect because someone else is off pitch. Generally, first chair does not budge and no one tries to budge him or her. First chair is responsible for the section, but she or he does NOT take the fall for the section being out of tune.
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