somewhere between the cited limits and is difficult to determine clearly,
since it also depends on the temperature and playability of the instru-
ment,which,judging from the experiments,could change intonation by
around half a tone.Not least,the experience and practice of the exper-
imenter are also important.
We obtained interesting results from testing and comparing almost
identical plaster and metal reconstructions (casts).Five flutes were made
of plaster from the same mold.Their distal and proximal ends were
processed by hand and kept as uniform as possible.The deviation of basic
intonation of individual flutes was surprising,assessed at more than a
whole tone.Exact measurement was difficult to perform because of the
change in pitch due to the embouchure and strength of blowing.With
cast metal flutes,which had no hand molding,no such deviation
occurred—they were almost indistinguishable.The deviation can be
explained by the different internal profiles of flutes from plaster and dif-
ferent positions against the mouth of the experimenter.Thus even small
deviations can create considerable changes in the basic tone of similar
instruments.
Even greater deviation among flutes of the same length and played in
the same way can be noticed in comparing various reconstructions
having similar mouthpieces (figures 15.6 and 15.7).Limits of the range258 Drago Kunej and Ivan Turk
Figure 15.10
Comparison of the basic tones of notched flute reconstructions of the bone flute from (1)
fossil bone,(2) fresh bone,and (3) metal.A range of basic tones is shown for each flute
because of changes to the embouchure and strength of blowing.Legend for signs used in
figures 15.10–15.16:The first note system (a) represents open flutes in which the first line
shows obtained tones without overblowing,and the second line (where applicable),
possible overblowing.The second note system (b) shows closed flutes in the same way.The
third system (c) describes the obtained tones by tonal sequence.Empty notes represent
boundary values of a specific tone due to changes in the embouchure and strength of
blowing,and filled notes represent our estimate of tones that appeared most often with
specific combinations of holes.An arrow above a note marks the direction of deviation of
the marked intonation by around twenty cents,and a double arrow by around forty cents.
Filled arrows (triangles) replace notes of a high penetrating whistle,which were difficult
to measure and notate.The effect of partial closing and stopping of the lower end of
the instrument is marked with a vertical line under the basic note.The light fields
represent combinations,which we obtained with the two holes completely preserved on
the original.Fig.15.10