[Aztlan] Ocarina Wind Instrument

[Arnd Adje Both]

Dear Ed and Kim,
again, this is a terminological problem, which is too important to discuss off-list. From the point of organology, you have the large group of flutes, which can be globular or tubular, and with or without finger holes. Only the flutes without finger holes (globular or tubular) can be called a "whistle". Thus, a whistle is allways a flute, but a flute must not neccessary be a whistle. You got me?
On single glubular whistles, which are among the frequent finds in Mesoamerica, a skilled player usually can produce three to four different tones, and all kind of microtones in between, just by changing the air pressure while playing. It's a myth that a globular flute without fingerholes can produce only one tone.
A pan flute consists of a series of tubular whistles, attached to each other.
Best regards, Adje



-------- Original-Nachricht --------
> Datum: Sun, 8 Mar 2009 06:54:22 -0500
> Von: "Lalo" <lalo60 at tx.rr.com>
> An: "Arnd Adje Both" <adje at gmx.net>
> CC: "kim Goldsmith" <kiminmexico at yahoo.com>
> Betreff: Re: [Aztlan] Ocarina Wind Instrument

> Dear Sir,
> 
> You lost me when you referred to "a flute showing the same fantastic
> being, 
> which has no stops."  In your previous message, you said, "If it presents 
> stops it's a "flute".  So why is the Freudenberg instrument a flute?  You 
> are interchanging "flute" as a category with "flute" as a specific member
> of 
> that category.
> 
> I would define "flute" by the ability to produce more than one pitch from
> a 
> single column of air (using stops to play a succession of pitches -
> melody). 
> A whistle cannot play a tune, although some can activate more than one air
> column to produce multiple pitches at the same time.  For his so-called 
> flute, Pan used a series of whistles, just like a pipe organ.
> 
> I agree that classification and terminology are valuable.  I disagree that
> a 
> whistle is a flute, and I think describing it as such muddies the water.
> 
> I am copying my two-cents to Kim.
> 
> Saludos,
> Ed Dawson
> 

-- 
AntaMaunA

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