2.1. Description

2.2. Compositions

2.3. Factors influencing the Technique

2.4. Special Features

2.5. Flageolet-tones with a multiphonic character

2.6. Flageoletsound by inhaling

2.7. Flageolet-like tones produced while covering the labium

also underblow¹Fröhlich, Susanne “The Techniques of Recorder Playing – Teaser.” Susanne Froehlich Recorder. March 2018. Web. 26 January 2020. https://susannefroehlichrecorder.wordpress.com/2018/03/29/the-techniques-of-recorder-playing-teaser/
underblown harmonic²Hans-Jürg Meier, presso il passo di cristallina, 1993
subtone³Nadir Vassena, 11 fragili giochi della notte, 2000

Description

On the recorder there is some confusion about what is technically and acoustically meant by a flageolet-tone (see also Small excursion below). In accordance with van Hauwe⁴van Hauwe 1992, p.57, only those sounds that ‘tilt back’ to the (almost) original pitch in the ppp during extreme diminuendo, quasi out of nowhere, will be called blown harmonics in the following. They are achieved by extreme under blowing of a fingering: starting from the main tone, the breathing pressure is continuously reduced further and further, whereby the pitch first drops. When one has almost reached the auditory zero point, the flageolet-tone suddenly appears. 

Compared to the reference pitch, harmonics are often somewhat higher. They are extremely quiet and fragile. With very gentle articulation, harmonics can also be blown directly. 

Examples for basset recorder in f (a = 440 Hz, Yamaha B 61)

This flageolet-tone is

(Hans-Christof Maier, personal correspondence, June 2006, transl.).

Based on this definition, flageolet-tones on recorders exist only in limited sections of the 1st and 2nd register. It can generally be assumed that on all types of instruments they only respond relatively reliably in the 1st register between scale degree V and II’ and in the 2nd register between #II’ and bIV’⁶to improve the response, scale degree III’ is then best played with 23456, bIV’ with 2346.. For more exact instrument specific ranges I refer to the information under Special Features below.

Small excursion 1: Flageolet-tones on the recorder, a short imitation story

Flageolet-tones got their name from the instrument flageolet (German: Flageolett, French: flûte à sifflet, flageolet), a fipple flute related to the recorder. The flageolet was widespread in Europe in the 17th and 18th century. Because of its high sound, the flageolet was used to teach birds to sing, among other things. Rarely the flageolet found its way into art music for imitating birds’ voices or in pastoral settings⁷see a.o. Kenyon De Pascual, Waterhouse, ‘Flageolet’, Grove Music Online, rev. 2020-11-16. ⁸Handel used the flageolet in Rinaldo (1711) to imitate birdsong. Rameau scored the flageolet in Platée (1749) to emphasize humoristic elements. It is discussed if Mozart’s flauto piccolo in for example Die Entführung aus dem Serail (1782) should actually be a flageolet. (see Meierott (1974, pp.247–9) after Kenyon De Pascual, Waterhouse, ‘Flageolet’, Grove Music Online, rev. 2020-11-16).

Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville⁹France, 1711-1772 was the first composer to imitate the sound of this instrument on the violin in his violin sonatas opus 4 (1738)¹⁰Kenyon De Pascual, Waterhouse, ‘Flageolet’, Grove Music Online, rev. 2020-11-16. On string instruments there are natural and artificial harmonics, which are typically called flautato or flautando¹¹see a.o. Strange 2001, p.113-126.. These string harmonics are in turn imitated on the transverse flute (called harmonic, natural or simple harmonic overtone, in German Flageolettton or harmonischer Oberton). This is done by deliberately overblowing a certain fingering to activate individual overtones of its harmonic series¹²see a.o.. Dick 1975, p.12-15; Levine 2002, p.14-15.. The circle is complete when, as an analogy of the sound of the transverse flute and string instruments, we speak of the flageolet-note on recorders as well. After all, we are dealing here with the imitation of a fipple flute  – via a circuitous route – by an instrument of the same family.

Small excursion 2: Ceci n’est pas un flageolet

Flageolet-tones on recorders are therefore neither particularly piano alternative fingerings nor an activation of the overtone series, as will be explained here:

1) Distinction from alternative fingerings

Misleadingly, the term flageolet is often used for piano alternative fingerings on recorders, as the following examples from reference works and compositions show. For example, Schmidt-Laukamp gives general indications of fingerings for soft alternative fingerings for flageolet notes¹³Schmidt-Laukamp 1981, p.52. Vetter even reports more than seven hundred such fingerings¹⁴Vetter 1969, p.13-15, 28-30, 40-42. O’Kelly also focuses exclusively on the sound character when she describes the harmonics as ‘a very specific type of weak, underblown sound which is sometimes so soft as to be virtually inaudible’¹⁵O’Kelly 1990, p.88. Braun describes quiet alternative fingerings on the one hand as ‘flageolet”-like’¹⁶Braun 1978, p.29, while on the other hand he calls for ‘flageolet’ in compositions where he actually means an alternative fingering¹⁷Gerhard Braun Monologe 1, 1968/70. Other composers such as Rob du Bois, Nikolaus A. Huber, Mario Lavista and Rolf Riehm also use the term in this way¹⁸Rob du Bois Pastorale VII, 1964; Nikolaus A. Huber Epigenesis 1, 1967/68, Mario Lavista Ofrenda, 1986, Rolf Riehm Gebräuchliches, 1972 ¹⁹Mario Lavista uses the flageolet symbol together with ‘pp’ with no further explanation except the indication ‘alternative fingering’ (‘posición auxiliar’). He writes about it: ‘Concerning “Ofrenda”, the “flageolet” symbol, like in the c”, means to use an alternative fingering so as to produce a change of color (timbre) but without changing too much the tuning of the note (a quarter tone up or down would be enough). Mario Lavista, 17.12.2020, personal correspondence.. All these examples are therefore alternative fingerings which, because of their soft character, are merely reminiscent of a harmonic tone. In La leggenda di Sant’ Orsola (1981), Werner Heider calls with quasi armonici for a sound pattern similar to harmonics, but leaves the technical implementation to the performers.

2) Distinction from harmonic overtones

The flageolet-tone on the recorder isn’t a harmonic overtone either, although in some compositions for recorder the harmonics symbol ° appears in this context. John Casken uses it in the spirit of  the symbol for overblowing for the transverse flute. The result on the recorder is a relatively loud multiphonic (which is desired there), but not a flageolet-tone (John Casken, Thymehaze, 1979). In Nervi (1991) Marco Lasagna uses the harmonics symbol to notate a forced flageolet. By this he means an overtone that is activated by overblowing, which is actually a multiphonic with suppressed basenote²⁰‘The circle above a note indicates the harmonic sound obtained by blowing more forcefully over a position of the first register (with the thumb hole closed). (‘Il cerchio sopra una nota indica il suono armonico ottenuto soffrando con più forza sopra una posizione del primo registro (con il foro del pollice chiuso’), Lasagna, Nervi, 1991 ²¹The composer explains: ‘I do not need a normal sound quality here. It means that you don’t need a normal fingering, but an overblown fingering of the low register to obtain a different sound quality. It is possible that there is air in the sound or that the intonation is not perfect. But the quality of the sound is more important for me here’ (‘Ich brauche hier keine normale Klangqualität. Es bedeutet, dass Sie keinen normalen Griff, sondern einen Griff des tiefen Registers nehmen und überblasen müssen, damit die Klangqualität anders ist. Es könnte sein, dass es in dem Klang eine Luftbeimischung gibt oder die Intonation nicht perfekt ist. Aber die Qualität des Klangs ist für mich hier wichtiger’), cited from an interview in 2016 wih the composer by Yan, 2017.. Fausto Romitelli (Seascape, 1994) asks with glissato di armonici for a similar effect. The player performs tremoli in the lower register which are gradually overblown and thus producing forced overtones.

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Compositions

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Factors influencing the Technique

Sound, dynamics, pitch

Flageolet tones are extremely soft and seem to come from far away. Their sound is often described as ethereal. Because of their fragile character, they require controlled and stable breathing. Due to their instability, harmonics do not allow for dynamic development.

Often harmonics are slightly too high in comparison to the mezzoforte blown pitch of the initial fingering, which can sometimes be compensated for on larger instruments by lowering the blowing pressure even further. If this is not possible, the pitch can be modified by adapting the fingering.

Stability can be improved by increasing the blowing resistance (and thus slowing down the air as it enters the wind tunnel). Among other things, blowing with a ‘v’ embouchure is possible. Preparations, for example with a match in the wind tunnel or with a handkerchief or a sock over the windway opening also provide greater blowing resistance.

Instruments

In my experience flageolet tones tend to be easier to achieve on low instruments than on high ones of the same type (for example, within a renaissance consort). On some recorders the range can be extended downwards to I (see the examples below under Special Features). On Ganassi and Paetzold recorders there may still be flageolet notes up to the upper limit of the 2nd register. There are also harmonics when playing on the headjoint.

Articulation

If flageolet tones are articulated, there may be a considerable delay in response. The safest way to ensure that they respond is to articulate them very gently, even without tonguing (‘h’), or to play them legato. Trills in the flageolet range are therefore possible. Flutter tongues are problematic (see also ;;;;;;).

♪ Flageolet trills

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Special features

In the following, some examples of instruments of different types will demonstrate different ranges of harmonics. They may vary considerably from instrument to instrument and are therefore presented here for illustrative purposes only. It should be noted that harmonics are not limited to the standard chromatic scale, but can also be played in microtonal steps within the given ranges.

Ganassi alto recorder in g’ (a = 466 Hz, Peter van der Poel)

♪ head joint (without manipulations):

All flageolet tones on Ganassi recorders have strong ‘shadow tones’. The highest flageolet tones therefore almost have a multiphonic character.

baroque alto recorder in f’ (a = 443 Hz, von Huene Rippert)

♪ head joint (without manipulations):

alternative fingerings for flageolet tones on the Rippert alto recorder in the 2nd register:

Flageolet tones are produced on all fingerings listed here. Covering the thumb hole generally makes them more difficult to respond. The less the thumbhole is covered, the easier it is for the harmonics to resonate, i.e. all harmonics without thumbhole involvement respond better. The pitch of the resulting harmonics is always the same.

standard fingering	alternative fingerings
0 1      2      3      4      5	1     2     3     4     5	0    2    3    4    5	2 3 4 5

modernized baroque alto recorder in f’ (a = 442 Hz, Moeck/Ehlert 5347)

There are remarkably fewer flageolet tones on instruments with a wide voicing, such as on this modernized baroque alto recorder by Moeck/Ehlert.

♪ head joint (without manipulations):

 tenor recorder (in c’, a = 443 Hz, Yamaha YRT 61M)

♪ head joint (without manipulations):

bass recorder (in f, a = 440 Hz, Yamaha B 61)

♪ head joint (without manipulations):

Paetzold bass recorder (in f, a = 440 Hz)

♪ head joint (without manipulations):

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Flageolet-tones with a multiphonic character

Description

Especially with consort instruments, it is possible to achieve flageolet-tones with a multiphonic character. On consort recorders, the edge of the finger holes is often more sharply undercut than for example on baroque recorder types. As a result, the edge of the hole functions as a second labium, so to speak, and in this way the outgoing air stream is broken a second time. The sharper the undercut, the more noticeable the phenomenon.   

Examples for tenor consort recorder in c’ (a = 466 Hz, after Bassano by Adrian Brown)

Compositions

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Flageolet-like tones produced while inhaling

Description

Flageoletlike tones can also be achieved on certain fingerings with hole no.8 closed by vigorous inhalation²³van Hauwe 1992, p. 22, p. 23-30, namely on scale degrees VI, #VI, VII, I’, VII”, I”, III”, #V”. The sounds produced in this way differ greatly in colour from the blown flageolet tones (see sound example). On some fingerings, these inhaled harmonics can oscillate among themselves, creating an effect similar to the whistletones of the transverse flute. The resulting pitch cannot always be predicted with certainty. With this technique, the air must be sucked in strongly, causing the lungs to fill up quickly. This is why flageolet-like tones obtained by inhalation are considerably shorter than blown flageolet tones.

Compositions

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Flageolet-like tones produced while covering the labium

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