I have decided to learn the "high" high notes on flute. There is no particular reason for this - I do not have to play pieces that require being able to play them, I'm simply interested in learning new things.
I have memorized the fingerings for C# and D and am able to play them without much effort... as long as the notes are tongued and short; I have yet to manage a smooth transition from a third octave note to the fourth octave notes. As for the other notes in the fourth octave... well, it seems that I just have to keep on trying. I remember that some time ago when I tried to play them I managed to play above the D, but that was after many failed efforts. Any suggestions?
It will be like learning to play third octave notes, it take time to even be able to get the notes out, so try just persisting at it, try different embrochures, and try maintain the note but as i can only just get 3rd octave A i am not much help it actually getting them out.
Go you- I've always hated high octaves.... Now granted- we're flute players- and high notes and sixteenth and thirty second notes at ungodly tempos are a part of life for us. Yeah it just takes practice- make sure your lips are nice and relaxed in the middle.
yeah, fast tempo playing and high notes(sometimes upto D4) is part of the normal life of flute playing especially in orchestra life. Mendelssohn's are just crazy fast, smooth 3rd 3rd octave fingering is a must, but it will take 10 years or more of practice to be real smooth many teachers said. practice scales rules, I followed Galway's advice and practice scales daily. Also Trevor Wye's 4th octave practice is very very good, I teacher asked me to practice Trevor Wye's exercise books, this week I am practicing his 4th octave scales, what a coincidence you asked, this exercise is very good for focusing your embouchure for high notes, I am get upto F4, it's like playing piccolo I guess,
....forget what I said on last post, I searched the web and found a whole new set of fingerings for 4th octave scales: http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/flute/fl_alt_4.html and now I can get F#4 out easily, and then I can go upto G4! with 211, Yay!!
If you think you're having more trouble than you should you may want to take it to get it re-aligned. Right now I'm playing on a Gemeinhardt (which I am not too found of....) and every six months or so I take it in to get re-aligned and afterwards it has a much cleaner sound- and high notes sound much better.
<Added>
As far as the flute goes- it's really all about the player. Although a better flute is usually going to feel easier when playing in the higher range.
I give kudos to Pyrioni for posting that link; it has some great fingerings that make the notes come out a tad easier. What I did when trying those notes before, was to do a chromatic scale starting in the 3rd octave (kind of a slow chromatic scale), working my way up into the 4th octave notes. You'll have to experiment with the different fingerings...usually I find that the first fingerings for every note on that chart works best.
Remember to use a fast air stream, but don't pinch up and tighten your embouchure too much. The embouchure certainly should be firm though. And the 4th octave notes vs. piccolo aren't that similar because they're two different beasts!
Oh and I believe that F# is the highest practical 4th octave note, if you want to do a G then the headjoint crown has to be removed, as I've heard from previous forum posts
Thank you I will keep on practicing; today I was able to hold a D longer without the sound cracking. Yes, the fingering chart on http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/flute/fl_alt_4.html is very useful; these are the fingerings I use. The first fingerings given for the notes seem to work best for me.
Thank you so much Theflutist94 for your advice! Trevor Wye asked us to go up to F#4, but I was able to play G4 not with professor.Wye's fingering, but with the finger of that link, those fingerings are great and easier - gathered fingerings of people all over the world. But I think no more than G4 I can play, becoz G# and up required B-foot flute, my 211 is only C-foot.
Maybe you are right, maybe student flute is easier to go up to 4th octave.
Be sure to use earplugs, or yr ear drums will be damaged on 4th octave.
I came yesterday to provide am useful link of 4th octave fingering, and ask for advice. What have said to deserve an all -6 vote and a close down?????????
You miserable troll!!! this troll is full of hate, retaliator, and most of all had no life!
You trolls have no life!! Just think of that for sometime, you are here 24 hrs/7 preying for victims becoz there is no moderators here to do any job, what an opportunity for you to bring your dark side out, and vent your hate in your everyday miserable life!
Everybody just think of that - they have to login, find the post, vote -1, then it auto refreshes, then they find another post, vote -1, the it auto refreshes, then they...., then they log out, and log in with another account name, then they do it over and over again for at least 6 times, it's a stupid painful process! This proves they had no profer healthy life!! or even mental!!
If you really play the flute, you know time just flies, after you played all the scales, 2 hours are just gone!! and there are long tones, etudes, Trevor Wye exercises, home work, and pieces..... these trolls had too much time, they're losers with too much time and no life.
Just vote me down again, and I will continue to repeat my post, and making you trolls do the painful process over and over again. Now I know why Micron kept repeating his closed posts, becoz me post 1 post is much much easier than they close a post, L O L ....losers