FROM: http://www.kueng-blockfloeten.ch/ (Click on "Weisenwert")

How do the different wood types sound?  Thought to the subject of wood

Another question: what influence does the background (linen, Paper,...) have on the radiation of a picture?  

That ask about to place the isolated influence of the wood on the block flute sound can be misleading.  Brush (pencil, Spachtel,...) and color (oil, watercolor, Spray,...) determine a picture probably more strongly than its background.  This connection first enables a statement!  

The wood is externally very noticeable and therefore often will be overvalued.  Labium, Mensur and wall characteristics are often underestimated sound factors.  These are very important as regard to an instrument!  

I do not find a good sounding flute that corresponds to my taste and wishes if I concentrate on the wood question alone.  Why can flutes out of Pearwood sound totally different depending on the builder?  Why do instruments of the same model, wood and maker sound so different?  

In a block flute it is the air column that vibrates, the wood vibrates little. The oscillation in the air column formed by the Inner bore is decisively shaped by its form and its surface.  This is different than a Violin or a harpsichord, where the wood is the main vibration!  

Wood is also always processed wood.  It is soaked in oil or impregnated with Parafin.  Sometimes only the surfaces are oiled and varnished.  There are rough and smooth inner bores.  The tube wall thickness and strength can be very different.  The lower windway edge of the block also has an influence.  How well has the wood been stored?  All this (density, mass, surface) plays a role in the sound!  

Moreover, wood quality is very different.  There are pears for different sorts of meals, therefore there are also different trees. Moreover, depending on the soil, location, and other conditions, the same trees grow very differently.  The same applies to maple, palisander, olive, cherry, boxwood, plum .....  

The character of a wood favors a certain natural sound structure, the background of the sound, that we take intuitively as the sound of a wood.  What is made becomes very different (model, processing) and can thereby cover that "wood sound".  

Generally too soft woods are not suited.  (The deeper a flute is, the softer the wood can be.)  Hard woods (Exotic) have natural sound ranges that are perceived as hard.  They are also somewhat louder and have a longer service life.  Switch of woods yield or warmly, but rather not so tips (less natural sound) do not sound for me.  Palisander often causes turbulence with its open pores in the windway, and can sound somewhat rough.  

As a flute maker, I have my predelictions and antipathy to woods, which would be stipulated, for tonal reasons or owing to the processing.  I like pear and European boxwood very much, I like cherry in deep instruments.  Olive looks well.  I like Grenadilla, Palisander, maple and plum, but replacement boxwoods less.

The predelictions for wood type are often connected with past experiences.  He who has a bad flute out of Palisander, will  always be sceptical vis-ˆ-vis this wood.  If someone has a good flute out of cherry, certainly the cherry is tried first as a favored instrument and often also bought, if the instrument is moderately good.  Often the mistakes do not lie in the wood...  

How does the same wood come to sound different in block flute series?  It depends strongly who forms the sound at the end.  The handwriting, the taste of the Intonateurs leave their distinct stamp. Once away from plastic, there are no two flutes exactly the same....  And then the wood plays a role, but that said, how much?  The one model supports the sound characteristics of one wood, another model would be better made of another wood.  

Blind trials with wood types yield confusing end results.  Try it yourself!  

I hope players keep their ears open, develop a good intuition for connections, and that they do not sway in a moment.  

Geri Bollinger,
KŸng Blockflute Building

(see also "sound determination factors in blockflute")

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Sound Determination Factors in Blockflute

Character

Each person has a characteristic character
each block flute also, even one quite unchangeable! 

There are two types of Blockfšten and very many variations:

[This is all mixed up and relates to the pictures. I haven't managed to sort it out. Best to view the original web site.]

Player breath pressure, mouth position and articulation yield yields sound composition strengths breath sound
the natural sound characters


1. extrovertiert

deeper [lower?] block
far [wide?] Innenbohrung
large cutting edge interval

Sound is darker, round Innenbohrung expanse (wide, short bore),  the highest notes don't speak as well.

Deep block (objects erkannbar) darker, somewhat unclear sound
 room large (hall, church)
rustling swallows 

 everything is reinforced, sounds deep 

2. introvertiert

higher block
narrow Innenbohrung
little cutting edge interval

closely (long) [long, narrow bore]

sounds small (living room) 
everything is sounds audibly thinly and brightly
light sound, the highest notes speak easily
High block (only light shimmer is visible ender the edge) light sound, loud and soft playing with only little sound pitch change possible, clogs more easily, needs somewhat more breath pressure 


Labium (refers to picture[s])

up cut (refers to picture[s]; evidently, to the length of the window, beak-end to bell-end. From the pictures, it would seem that for a higher edge (ie lower block), the window is longer.)


Wood
soft              hard
warm, dark   bright, strong

Let's try to re-organize this....

1. extrovertiert  		2. introvertiert

deeper [lower?] block		higher block (only light shimmer is visible ender the edge)
far [wide?] Innenbohrung	narrow Innenbohrung [long, narrow bore]
large cutting edge interval	little cutting edge interval, less pitch change with volume,
				clogs more easily, needs somewhat more breath pressure 

Room

large sound  (hall, church)	sounds small (living room)
rustling swallows:deeper sound	Thin, bright sound
                                light sound, the highest notes speak easily

Playing

breath pressure, mouth position and articulation yield yields sound composition strengths. Overtone richer sound

everything is reinforced, sounds deep 
Deep block (objects erkannbar) darker, somewhat unclear sound

Sound is darker, round Innenbohrung expanse (wide, short bore),  the highest notes don't speak as well.





High block light sound, loud and soft playing with only little sound possible


Labium (refers to picture[s])

up cut (refers to picture[s]; evidently, to the length of the window, beak-end to bell-end. From the pictures, it would seem that for a higher edge (ie lower block), the window is longer.)


Wood
soft              hard
warm, dark   bright, strong