 The Flute BBoard
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Author: Jaysne
Date: 2015-01-15 16:38
I've played a C-foot horn all my life. I'm just curious as to the opinions out there about differences in the playing experience of C-foot vs. B-foot.
Outside of being able to play an extra note, do you notice any other differences in the way a B-foot plays vs. C-foot? For example, is the extra weight noticeable? And do the notes in the normal register sound any different? Thanks.
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Author: CocoboloKid
Date: 2015-01-29 09:46
Yes, a B foot flute is noticeably heavier than a C foot. It also affects the balance of the instrument a bit...it is very easy to get used to.
Finally, the additional inch and a half or so of tube definitely affects the rest of the instrument. It adds a bit of resistance to the upper register, and noticeably "darkens" the sound. (This additional resistance is why B foot flutes have the gizmo key, so that you can easily close the low B key for playing high C, which responds very poorly on B footed instruments because of the additional tonehole, which creates an additional nodal point. Closing the B key helps tremendously with this)
It's also exceedingly useful should you happen to find yourself playing any of the orchestral or solo literature that calls for the low B. (There's a pretty comprehensive list here, though it omits one or two things, such as the standard cadenzas from mvts. 1 and 3 of the Mercadante E minor concerto: http://www.larrykrantz.com/lowb.htm )
It pops up in shows, too! An anecdote: As you may know, I was the Reed 2 player of the North American tour of the Broadway revival of West Side Story last year. There is a flute solo in the reed 1 book (revival orchestration) in the Balcony Scene that is entirely exposed and begins on a low B. Our reed 1 player preferred to play his vintage C foot thinwall Haynes, but brought along a Yamaha flute with a low B just for this phrase, then switched back to his Haynes after it. There were a couple of instances where he totally forgot to switch flutes, so I was at the ready to play the low B and then immediately switch back to bass clarinet. Fun times in pit-land! :-P
I like having both footjoints, but generally just use the B foot. I like the resistance and the extra weight
Post Edited (2015-01-29 10:00)
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