375. FULLY CHROMATIC OVERTONES FLUTES :REDESIGNING THE NEY TOWARDS THE NOTES LAYOUT IDEA OF TROMBONES AND VALVED TRUMPETS

FULLY CHROMATIC OVERTONES FLUTES  :REDESIGNING  THE NEY TOWARDS THE NOTES LAYOUT  IDEA OF  TROMBONES AND VALVED TRUMPETS

Normally an overtone flute plays a major chord with 7nth with the overtones

The overtones 2-3-4-5-6-7-8 are as steps in diatonic scale the

1-5-1'-3'-5'-7'-1''

Now by closing half the only end hole ofthe overtone flute we may get the 7 major chord 

7-4#-7'-2'#-4'#-7'b-7'' 

When closing fully the only one end hole we get the same notes of the initial major chord but with one octave lower. 

From a simple point of view the 1 major chord together with  and 7 major chord givea  hexatonic scale which is a subscale ofthe 7-notrs double harmonic minor scale! 

But there is also another insteresting complication. 

For some reason which is that the overones in the various octaves do not fall exactly upon the notes of the piano or bach scale, instead of 3 note with a close hole weget a 2 note . This in total

we get an 8-notes scale  the 

1-2-2#-3-4#-5-7b-7-1'  which isnothong else than the INVERSE SAMBA SCALE (8 notes scale) .

In semitones the Shambach scale is 2 1 1 3 1 2 1 1

Sabach (Sambah): Greece

See post 227

We may notice also some nice other scales the are derived by playing obnly one hole of this flute.

We may alsonotice that the 2nd 4th 5th holes are the holes of a corresponding Fujura flute whenthe other do not exist

Then if we play the tube hole with the 1st fujara hole which here is the 2nd front hole we can easilty calculate that the resulting scale is a 8-notes scale and no other than a Bebop scale ! E.g. if the flute is with roor C it is the  G/D Bebop dominant  8 notes scale.  (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebop_scale)

If we play the tube hole with the 2nd Fujara hole or 4th hole in the chromatic overtones flute we get the augmented 6-tonic scale 

And if we play the tube hole with the 3rd Fujara hole or 5th chromatic overtones hole we get the Genus Secundum 6-tonic scale which is also called enharmonic 6-scale in the hexatonic harmonicas  in post 367.

Below we discuss how by opening 6+1 new holes we get all the 12-notes chrmatic scale! 

The Ney flute is very famous and loved my many, but also as it is rim-blowing and in a way different from the quena flutes or Chinese Xiao, or japanese Shakuhachi is considered quite difficult.

While an ordinary flute utilizes mainly only 2 overtones the first and 2nd, and it is diatonic, the idea of Ney isto utlize 5,6 overtones as the natural trumpet, and instead of having holes per note of diatonic scale to have notes per semitone. But at the time that the traditional Ney was designed the 12-semitones scale of the piano and Bach did not exist. 

So we need to redesign the ney as a flute with an ordinary fipple and as a chromatic overtones flute! 

Such a modern  version of the Ney or or chromatic overtone flute or chromatic fujara, or aerophone valved-like trumpet is the next in the picture at Eb4 root note, from PVC of 12mm external diameter, and mouthpiece from ordinary soprano whistles.

It has a  chromatic 6+1 fingering system as if of an ordinary whistle except  it is not in diatonic steps but steps of one semitone. The open hole of the tume gives  Eb when all else are closed , and the rest 6 front holes give correspondingly E4, F4, F#4 G4 G#4 A4 . There is also a 7nth hole and thump hole as in the 2nd photo, which is not really necessary but as in quenas it helps also by partial opening as registry key that helps triggering easier the 3rd overtone. It gives the note A4 (which also can be give if all front and thump hole are closed and we pass from the 2nd to the 3rd overtone). These holes when used for higher overtones are as correct as the valved in a trumpet or brass instrument.

No more not less correct.

The idea to derive a full chromatic scale with this 6+1 fingering system is excatly as the idea to derive all the chromatic scale with the 7 positions valves in a trumpet. Except that in the trumpet by each valve-step the pitch lowers by a semitone while here with each additional hole the pitch increases by one semitone. As with a  trombone or valved trumpet a fully chromatic non-repeating sequence of notes with the 1st 5 harmonics would require

2ND OVER TONE: ALL HOLES FROM TUBE BOTTOM HOLE   TILL  THE 6TH HIGHEST FRONT HOLE 

notes Eb4 E4 F4 Gb4 G4 Ab4 A4 . 

3RD OVERTONE: ALL HOLES FROM TUBE BOTTOM HOLE   TILL THE  5TH HIGHEST FRONT HOLE

notes Bb4 B4 C5 Db5 D5,

4TH OVERTONE: ALL HOLES FROM TUBE BOTTOM HOLE   TILL  THE  4TH HIGHEST FRONT HOLE

notes Eb5 E5 F5 Gb5 . 

5TH OVERTONE: ALL HOLES FROM TUBE BOTTOM HOLE   TILL  THE  3RD HIGHEST FRONT HOLE

notes G5 Ab5 A5 

As with a valved  trumpet or with the slided trombone, as we move from the 1st hole to the higher holes the required speed and pressure of  blowing increases, but when we reach at the  an appropriate higher  hole it is the same as with that of the next overtone at the bottom tube  hole of the fingering as above. If we layout the notes per overtone and hole it will be a triangular matrix over the 2 dimensions (overtones)x(holes)

At the end of the post is for comparison the essential rage of a valved trumpet

 I  have crafted one more such chromatic overtone flute at Bb4 with the 6+1 chromatic fingering system. It is in the range of the standard piccolo trumpet although it is about 7 cm long .

The difference with the fingering chart of such a chromatic  overtone flute from that of a trombone with its 7 positions or a valved trumpet is slight and is that while at the trombone and trumpet the slide and the valves create a chromatic extension lower  than the root note, in the above chromatic overtones flute the holes create a chromatic 5-notes scale higher than the root note. 

Besides this difference, the idea of the fingering is essentially the same. 

Such chromatic overtones flutes are perfect to improvise in jazz and folk music with chromatic tonality with similar advantages to that of a valved brass wind.

All diatonic scales are more or less fair in mutual favoring and by shifting in the overtones when playing and correcting chromatically as part of the improvisation melody itself, makes improvisation easier and charming!