Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Flute / Staff?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="woodelph" data-source="post: 2834047" data-attributes="member: 12212"><p>Actually, length <strong>is</strong> the primary determiner of pitch for an instrument. Or, more specifically, so long as the instrument is much greater (i don't know the exact figure for 'much greater') in length than diameter, the diameter becomes relatively unimportant in figuring the fundamental pitch of the instrument when sounded. Diameter and shape (flutes have a straight bore, most woodwinds have a linearly conical bore, most brass instruments have a geometrically conical bore, recorders have a reverse-conical bore) have a huge impact in where the fingering holes need to be, what overtones and higher pitches can be produced, and so on. So there are optimal ratios of diameter to length. Which is why pretty much all wind instruments seem to scale diameter proportionately to length. </p><p></p><p>Now, the bigger the volume of the instrument, the more air you have to get moving to make sound. Problem is that flutes are particularly inefficient at using air--much of the air you're using to blow the flute isn't even entering the flute, so it's hard to get, say, a bass flute really resounding, because you just don't have the lung capacity. But provide another means (pipe organ, spinning around over your head) and you potentially have a very loud, as well as low, instrument.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="woodelph, post: 2834047, member: 12212"] Actually, length [b]is[/b] the primary determiner of pitch for an instrument. Or, more specifically, so long as the instrument is much greater (i don't know the exact figure for 'much greater') in length than diameter, the diameter becomes relatively unimportant in figuring the fundamental pitch of the instrument when sounded. Diameter and shape (flutes have a straight bore, most woodwinds have a linearly conical bore, most brass instruments have a geometrically conical bore, recorders have a reverse-conical bore) have a huge impact in where the fingering holes need to be, what overtones and higher pitches can be produced, and so on. So there are optimal ratios of diameter to length. Which is why pretty much all wind instruments seem to scale diameter proportionately to length. Now, the bigger the volume of the instrument, the more air you have to get moving to make sound. Problem is that flutes are particularly inefficient at using air--much of the air you're using to blow the flute isn't even entering the flute, so it's hard to get, say, a bass flute really resounding, because you just don't have the lung capacity. But provide another means (pipe organ, spinning around over your head) and you potentially have a very loud, as well as low, instrument. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Flute / Staff?
Top