Last updated: 4-10-01

Directions and explanations
Lesson 1e
(final portion of this lesson)


First, if you have been experiencing any difficulty playing the .wav files within this lesson, go   HERE   for a better understanding of the process required to play these files.

Take a look at the graphic  below and notice that a portion of the image is the same staff as from lesson_1d. Below that staff is another staff containing a couple new symbols. You should know that even though I use different colors in these graphics, it is just to better point out the use of new symbols. That is certainly not required when you write your tablature.

The first new symbol is the blue box hanging from the top line of the staff. This symbol will indicate a "rest". That is a time when no air is blown through the flute. A number is required above it to indicate how long to maintain the silence. This symbol is similar to the one used in normal music notation, except there are various forms of this symbol that both indicate the rest and the duration of the rest. In this type of tablature I think it is easier to use just one symbol and then write the number above it to indicate the duration of the rest.

The second new symbol is used to indicate what could be concidered a "pull-off". This is another technique that is very commonly used with this type of instrument. Note that the symbol is placed over the fingering location that will be effected by the pull-off. Immediately after the dots indicating the covered holes that are to be affected by the pull-off is a series of dashes on the holes that are to remain covered after the pull-off is complete. In this example, only the top hole is to be covered after the rest of the fingers are removed.You should play the sound file associated with the image to actually hear the sound created by the pull-off. There are variations of the pull-off which I'll discuss in other lessons, and the symbols that represent them will be just additions to the symbol for the variation represented in the image below.

This completes the first lesson. Please refer back to the first portion of the lesson, (Lesson_1a)at the complete section of the Largo presented there, and use various techniques to modify it to create a new sound with the same basic melody hidden within. After giving you time to modify it to create your own variation, I'll perhaps include a sound file for the complete variation that I've created in a later lesson.

In the next lesson, I'll examine my variation of "Amazing Grace" as I play it in one of the sound file samples on my "Product Selection" page. If you would like to hear that file now follow one of the links below. The "Real Audio" is much faster to transfer the sound to your computer, but the .wav file is perhaps a bit mroe accurate of the sound as it was recorded, and can also be saved to your hard-disk easier than the other. There is a link on my "Product Selection" page that will take you to a place where you can download a free version of the Real Audio player. When you play the sound file, note the timing used within the piece. There are several places in the piece where I've altered the timing in order to make the file a little smaller for quicker download. Can you find the places where I've done that? When playing freestyle, altering the timing is perfectly acceptable. However, if I were to write the tablature for the piece and play it with others, it's very important to stick with the timing indicated by the tablature, unless all who are playing the piece with you agree on the alterations. There are mechanical devices that can count the beats for you. Such a device is known as a "Metronome". The original style was and still is a little expensive, but in recent years electronic versions of the metronome have been created that are very inexpensive - usually less than $20.

For free tab paper that you can use, go to "http://www.flutespirit.com/Tab/TabPaper.html" once the page is loaded in your browser, you can use your browser's "print" function to print it out. Such tab paper is also available (not free) at most music supply stores.


Real Audio (422k)

Windows .wav (3.5 meg)


















First four measures of Largo (from Symphony No. 9) arrangement

RealAudio version
(102k)
.wav version (865k)

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Playing a .wav file

Please note that whenever you click on the link to play a .wav file within this lesson, that it will take a while for the file to be transferred to your computer. If using certain browsers, a separate little window will open that will just sit there for a while looking like nothing is happening. However the data is actually being transferred to your computer in the background and will eventually start to play. Patience is required, especially for the larger files which could take 5 minutes or longer to transfer. The smaller ones usually do so in a couple of minutes depending on the speed of your modem. Other browsers will ask you if you want to save the file to your computer. If you answer yes, it will be transferred, and then you can click on the file and it will play in your computer's media player.

If your browser displays a little window to play the .wav file, you can still save the file to your computer's hard-disk for playing later. To do that, all you have to do is right-click within the window that has the playing controls. If in Windows, a drop-down menu will appear with an option to save the file. Use the normal file saving process common to this type of Windows menu.

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