Octave Trilling

[Zam]

Hi,

I'm a non flute player but I'm writing a piece for flute and have a question. How difficult is it for a player to trill between a note and the note an octave above & how quickly can it be done? For example, is it possible to trill very quickly from the lowest G to the G above that or between the top two G notes?

Thanks for any help.

Zam.

[m3the01]

Im actually pretty good at this, however i would say it sounds the greatest musically. I used it for warming up, but i cant do it as fast as i normally trill.

Others?

[fluteguy18]

In terms of a genuine tremolo, it is not possible.

[stewyflute13]

I don't think this would even be called a trill anymore, it would simply be very quick octave slurring. Octave slurs are easy for any flutist at an intermediate or above level, but to play it at the same speed as a real trill? Yeah, probably not even possible.

stewyflute13

[Bo]

No, it would not be a trill...

[sidekicker]

I know this doesn't really answer your question directly, but I think writing something like that for the flute is, for lack of a better term, somewhat stupid. No matter how good one may be able to do it, the effect I think you may be looking for is not going to be very successful. Not all instruments can produce the effect you want; you will always be limited as a composer to what the flute can do successfully. Rather, it's going to sound somewhat sophomoric, in my opinion.

However, I will admit that I am not at all in favor of using the flute for "extended techniques" simply because someone else may not have ever used it, so I am biased to begin with. One does not "trill" between octaves. As someone already alluded to here, that would -- at best -- be a tremolo. And as I've already said, it will probably sound rather dumb; like the flutist is making a mistake. If you are thinking of other ways to use the flute, I would look elsewhere; perhaps using some harmonic fingerings. Anything but key clicks and singing through the flute -- that's been done a zillion times and, in my opinion, not only sounds bad but is hard on the instrument and certainly an effect I would never put my flute through.

Just my opinion, so please at least respect that fact. I know others will differ

SK

[etc-etc]

If you need really fast octave jumps, you could write the arrangement for two flutes, or a flute and a piccolo. First flute plays the top note, second flute the bottom note, in quick succession, and repeat.

[wkzh]

If you need really fast octave jumps, you could write the arrangement for two flutes, or a flute and a piccolo. First flute plays the top note, second flute the bottom note, in quick succession, and repeat.

I agree. Based on a theory I worked out recently, a true "octave trill," or "octave tremolo" to be more precise, at really high speeds will be extremely similar to two voices alternating, rather than one percieving the interval of the octave as one would describe a "trill."

However, a single player cannot execute a fast octave tremolo because the time taken to set up the standing wave is too long, so don't even dream of it. It's not particularly fun to alternate between being a node and an antinode, if you get what I mean.