JAF Workout: Everytime FLUTE is said: 2 pushups Everytime she says PLAY: 5 situps Everytime harmonic is said: 30-second plank Everytime METAL is said: 10 mountain climbers You'll be fit in no time!! Lol (No hate)
Kaitlyn Logan Okay, I know this was a joke, but I decided to count each time she said each word 😂 Flute: 35 times Play: 10 times Harmonic: 9 times Metal: 2 times
There's part of me that just balks at the idea of getting a $2,800 piece of engineering and then attach it to a $10,000 flute with a $3 glorified hair tie.
John Price I’m a total skeptic when it comes to this kind of stuff, but I tried one myself and it actually does make a difference. The pseudo-science explanations actually hold up in this case.
I just bought the Solid Silver, Yellow Gold plated leFreque at the Florida Flute Association Convention a couple of days ago for my Yamaha 481H and the same material combination for my Yamaha 35 piccolo. I was sooo impressed with how much easier it made playing!
For me on my low brass instruments it is not only the changes in sound that I notice that I like, but it is also how it changes the way playing feels. It makes playing so much easier so I can concentrate on what I am doing more and trying to sound good less. It also REALLY helps my endurance. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you for this review! I had heard of these and seen some other videos where I couldn't really tell the difference with and without. But with your review, the evidence was clear. So much so that I trundled off to Long and McQuade and tried some out for myself and came home with the silver plated red brass one. I honestly love it. It gives me a warmer tone but also makes the high register almost effortless. Thank you again for pointing me (and the other viewers) in this direction. Like you said, these are much cheaper than a new headjoint! Marie
Lol because I’m cheap and broke but wanted to improve my sound, I took the smooshed down pennies you get from the machines, and put it in the same places as the Le Freque. I’ve also used quarters, but they don’t work as well. With the penny, I used to only place it on the bridge between the headjoint and body. With the Quarters, I would put them on the bridge between the head and body, and the top of the headjoint. I also put it on the footjoint for a while, but I noticed it didn’t let my sound resonate. So if you’re in a budget, try what I said above. I used to do this everyday, but I couldn’t be bothered to keep track of quarters, and I didn’t want to lose those pennies lol. It also can scratch your flute, but I manage to do that no matter what. (I got the idea from a forum and they were joking about doing this, I just took it literal for fun lol).
sassylassycassy that’s really funny & ironic but actually really innovative, interesting, & kind of clever! I wonder if this works with jewelry too, I have a stainless steel ring so I wonder if that would do anything
Isaac Navarro if the ring is wide enough you could try to put it over the head and body joint gap. If it’s too lose, then you could tie it with a rubber band. With the rubber band, try to make a x like shape over the ring on both sides. That’s how I would keep the pennies and quarters on lol
Went to a flute festival v skeptical of the lefreque. Decided to try it on my flute and instantly felt a difference. Tried it twice more over the next two days to make sure it was a good difference rather than a bad difference. Ended up buying the solid silver lefreque and use it most of the time now! Breathed new life into my Miyazawa :)
I'd be interested to see (hear) what it sounds on a more bog-standard instrument. I might have to try it as a nice pick me up for my hobby level playing.
I'm one of those who can't hear the difference...then again I have trouble hearing slight differences in sounds anyway (which is why I have to use a Korg tuner...I cannot tell if I'm out of tune) . I'm curious...do these have some sort of padding or something to keep them fro scratching the flute? Thinking it's metal against metal worries me
No padding. That would defeat the purpose of the bridge and absorb the vibrations that it's supposed to be transferring between the head and body of the flute
I have a silver one on my silver flute and it helps with articulation, fast passages, and tuning really high notes. I bought it over the summer last year to try it. I liked it and kept it.
I have a rose gold LefeQue for my HAYNES handmade silver flute. The reason I purchased it is because my head joint has a rose gold lining, I have three different head joints. I did; however, love your demonstration and I may purchase the silver and a red brass LefreQue. I can always change head joints to accommodate the different LefreQues.
This is fascinating! As a brand new player (less than a month, at age 49!), I'm on a very cheap beginner flute, because I wanted to start right away instead of waiting till I saved up for The Right Beginner Instrument. But in a year or two, I know I'm going to want to step up to a bit more flute, and I've already got my eyes on several; but this one video just changed my entire mindset about what I want. I'm definitely going to get the best flute I can afford, but now I know I don't need to aim for a gold or aurumite or whatever. I can aim for the best silver flute I want, and then when I reach the point at which I want 'more flute' again, if I get there, maybe I can just LeFreque it up instead of get a whole new flute or new head joint. I love your reviews, always, but this one just altered the trajectory of where I'll go with this. Thank you so much!
I immediately heard the difference when applied to the rose gold flute. Struggled to hear difference in the silver, but started noticing after a while.
As a freshman in high school (I know I'm a bit late in this, but), I bought myself the 41mm brass from FCNY and I absolutely love it!! I have actually been given compliments from people about my tone. I might've actually gotten a professional convinced to get one (with a little help with my private teacher)!!
I hadn't heard a lot about these, but I went to my local music store today and tried them, and I definitely could tell a difference in the warmth and resonance of my flute. I play an Altus Azumi, which I feel already has a lot of warmth, but these just enhanced and I'm in love.
Thank you for this video! I did hear the difference and will have to do more research on this product. I thought about getting a new head joint for my current flute, but this might be a good alternative to that especially for my pocket.
Excellent video! The changes to your sound are immediately apparent. Shortly after I purchased my Powell 9k rose gold flute about 3 years ago, I decided to give these a try. I chose the Rose Gold Plated Sterling Silver 41mm and I'm very pleased with it. I don't use it regularly, but in performance situations where my already big sound needs to compete with a full brass ensemble, it certainly comes in handy. You're right, it does lock the player into a certain tone color, but it also lessens the fatigue in "it's me against the world" ensemble settings. Also, the high G and above become progressively harder to "float." I've tried these on my Pearl rose gold plated sterling flute (with a silver, custom hand cut Muramatsu head). I don't care for them on this flute. For me, the settings in which I'd use this flute don't benefit from a lefreQue. My biggest hurdle was the use of a "device" at all. Is it cheating? Am I getting lazy? Ultimately, I got over that challenge - it's not so very different to other instrumentalists using mutes. In the end, all that matters is if I'm producing the most appropriate sound for the piece.
Tip that I got from one of the lefreque reps: buy the 30 mm and it will work for both your flute and your piccolo (yes it works on piccolo even if you have a wood picc. And let me tell you that it works absolutely marvelous)
Got my lefreQue yesterday and I can already say it is one of the best investments I have ever done. I have a professional flute that requires a lot of attention to work well for me. In my country art-music is on the border of extinction so it is more or less impossible to live as a musician. So my days are spent mostly on a grumpy authority as an official and I get maybe one or two hours to play when I get home (in case I am not completely exhausted from fighting the demons of bureaucracy). The part of practice that always gets less attention is sonority and flexibility in embouchure. I bought the same lefreQue that is shown in this video, the red brass and it has made my playing so much easier just after one day. My sound is more rounded and warmer an for some reason my articulation is way more clear. I notice it is easier to jump from high to low and middle register is also easier to play forte (c2-a2 my "Achilles heel"). The flute response at once when I blow air in to it and you can play piano pianissimo with no effort at all all over the octaves and still keep a good tuning without bending or pressing your lips not get too low or too high depending on what register you play in. Maybe some of you think a lefreQue is cheating and yes maybe it is but for me it has made my music life so much better and ignite a new flame of interest in practicing. A lot of BANG for very few bucks.
Le freQue = Le "Freak" - from "Frequency". And differences have nothing to do with color, but the interaction between the "sound bridge" and the instrument. I use it myself on one of my saxophones.
I just got mine a week or so ago. My thoughts match yours. It definitely depends on the player whether they think it helps them or not. I personally love it. I got the 41mm solid silver gold plated. Plan to get a 33mm to connect to the crown next and play with both.
Few years old video totally turns everything I thought I knew about flutes on head. Why my "good" flute never sounded good to me, what on earth this little gadget could possibly do to change the function of a flute. I would believe the head socket would be perfectly functional for transmitting the vibration through the instrument and can't see how this would do anything at all.
I've been thinkin about a new headjoint for a long while, this maybe an affordable solution! (I play on a solid silver Gemeinhardt) This addition seems too good to be true, I gotta try one! ^_^. Just ordered one through the FCNY thank you for sharing the perks with your code much appreciated. Can't wait to get it.
Got mine a week or so ago! (41mm red brass). I was totally skeptical but it totally works (for me). Rounds the sound out nicely, seems to make the high notes come out a little easier, and the response time is so quick! Thanks for the recommendation. :)
I hope I'm not the first to point out that your head joint is already attached to the body of your flute and a way that is much more complete than what this little gizmo can do.
You may have heard of the mathematician name Fourier, he made it clear mathematically that all sound is composed of a series of harmonics which are integer multiples of a fundamental. There is no place in the math to allow for harmonics to be out of tune with each other therefore anybody claiming that they can be has no idea of acoustics. Looking at the website I'm not sure exactly what he claims is the science behind this. I think it's fairly well established that the metal of a flute does not vibrate in any way because of it's rigidity compared to the air inside it therefore nothing on the outside of the instrument can possibly have any effect on the air within which is what is actually making the sound. I think that any perceived differences with it are either imaginary or can be put down to small inconsistencies in individual performances.
JustAnotherFlutist if I were you, I would have bought both the solid silver and red brass versions. I bought a red brass for my Yamaha 684 it's fanatastic(FWIW I was told that while the body of the 684 is silver, the barrel is plated. Perhaps the higher copper-content barrel and the red brass lefreque work really well together?)
I just heard of these and ran to yt and I audibly gasped when I heard the silver on silver, I am most definitely going to consider buying one for myself rather than buy a whole other head joint for the gold sound
Great invention. I recently got a silver gold plated one and I love it. It’s almost like I have a new instrument (flute). Inwent to try it out because of your review. Thanks!
Really interesting video and an intriguing piece of metal. I’m a saxophonist and we have our own equivalent gadgets that change the way the sax plays and sounds. Tiny pieces of metal that are supposed to work. A lot of the change experienced for myself is more to do with how it “feels” more so than how it “sounds”, but for sure there is a difference. Whether that difference is audible or perceptible from an audience’s pov is debatable BUT if it makes the musician feel a whole lot more comfortable/confident in playing then it’s worth a go for sure. It might be psychological, it might be tangible, but hey if it does something for you why not? :) At the end of the day, I wouldn’t care what instrument a musician is using as much as whether he or she can produce music that moves my soul :) If a lefreque can help you do that then it’s worth its weight in gold, and if it can’t then it can’t. That’s not a problem either :)
You were playing with the recommended position wrong. The Lefreque should be placed on the side where the keys don't run along, but yours is in line with the keys.
Hi! Wondering if removing your ergonomic accessories might interfere at all with the lefreque on your gold flute? I read that you should place it on the flute where there’s an unobstructed line towards the foot joint…e.g. no tone holes in the way. So wondered if the accessories could dampen it as well. I was using the thumb rests as well and I removed them but didn’t do a lot of comparing with or without. What do you think?
I've actually removed everything lately! Been trying it out with my newly improved posture, so I think I might stick my LeFreque or ergonomics on (currently using Woodify, which actually adds *more* woodiness to the sound) whenever I want a change in tone colour! So yeah, I think I'm on the same page as you. :D
I asked my teacher if she would recommend LefreQue and she said she was actually thinking about buying them herself, then at before my all state audition my friend let me put them on mine, they made the pitch more steady and my high notes clearer but it seemed harder to do vibrato.
Wow, what an interesting piece of engineering. Love it! These freques do indeed make the flutes sound different. The silver on silver sounded amazing! That difference was very audible to me. Also the red brass on silver sounded a lot different. Defo a cool little device for changing your flute's sound.... Says a non flutist haha :D
Thanks so much for a really helpful video! Just bought the red brass for my sterling silver flute to experiment with. If all goes well, think I’ll try the silver next!
Very thorough and in-depth review. There was another 'lefreQue' that was made out of wood, but I don't hear or see very much about it anymore. Maybe you can test the metal ones against the wooden ones that, as I remember, was a whole lot less expensive than those metal ones. Interesting if all it would take is connecting the head joint to the body of the flute using some kind of bridge, would it have the same effect?
I naturally play super brightly on my silver Powell conservatory, so based on what happened with you maybe I should think about buying the red brass to mellow that out?
I play on a silver flute as well (gemeinhardt), and I went with the red brass one's. Defiantly helped mellow out the sound, but I can still get that brightness when I want to with it on.
I'm really excited to try the red brass with silver plating on my Silver Gemeinhardt flute! I'm hoping that it will help me get that warm sound and somewhat effortless tension to get my upper register to be more smooth especially for that high C. I'm also hoping that it will mask the shakiness of my sound for when I need to perform. And audition for college soon! I wont be able to play it though cuz i just got my wisdom teeth removed, I haven't played my flute in days and IM DYING!!!! I hope I heal soon 😊🤞❤
I have my tonsils removed on the 18th and I am dreading it bc I have already been told I cant play for 2-3 weeks 😭 not looking forward to that considering the community band I am a part of starts our next session on the 20th and I have 2 sets of music to learn (flute/clarinet). Hope you heal soon! I had my wisdoms out last year and was only down about 10 days for that on the clarinet but I hadnt started playing the flute yet
Even though I have been playing flute for some decades, I must not have flute ears because I do not hear any noticeable difference between any of them. Maybe with the flute 6 inches from your ear you can hear some minut difference but an audience will not, IMO, notice a difference. However, only the player can say if it makes it easier to hit a note that was more difficult before.
I have one but have not been using it until I put it back on tonight (Nov 20,2019) after about 3 months , I notice the tone on my silver Yamaha flute is a lot richer and my high notes are easier to hit . Hummm
Hey Joanna, it's been a while since I seen your vids. I just wanted to say I got a new flute, my very OWN first flute. Now, I wanted to ask: "How do you break in a new flute? Or like, get used to it? Edit: Also, you might probably wondering what flute is it. It's a Gemaindhardt 3BO, that I got from Fluteworld. It comes with a french case, open hole and B foot. (No E split uwu)
No One Shall Know My Name I would like to know this too i just got my new Sonare 501 yesterday and although it already feels better than my old gemeinhardt 3 i still have yet to break into it.
No One Shall Know My Name have you played a open hole before? If not, use all the plugs on the keys and gradually take them out one by one, good luck! The left ring finger and right ring finger are the hardest
For lack of a definitive answer, you just play it. It took me about 4-5 months to get used to my professional flute when I jumped from my step up model 😭😭😭
I just got my LefreQue today! I have been struggling with my Nagahara for a year now since I had a repadding done by someone here in my area (and I had a pulmonary embolism last year that affected my breathing, although my oxygen sat. number was normal). I took it back to him twice, but it was never right -- hard to play with focused sound and harmonics were a mess. Now I can play real music again! Harmonics are great with this, except the B flat one 3 up still sucks. I can play simple legato tunes again. Guess I am due for a COA. Thank you for posting this review. I'd been thinking of getting this for over a year. I bought the solid silver for my 950 silver Nagahara (gold riser). I am looking forward to trying it on my silver lightweight Haynes (1982 Deveau scale). BTW, this is the first youtube video of yours that I have watched (last week). I was searching for a video that shows how to put the LefreQue on the flute and found you.
If you recorded this with a good microphone and did a spectrum analysis, you could actually see the difference, including which harmonics are being affected. Is it accenting all harmonics or just the odd or even harmonics? I was surprised that there is a difference, when the headjoint to the body has a metal to metal connection.
Hello, Lefreque is too soft, does it easily lose its shape? I read that pure silver is very soft. Is it worth buying 925 silver? Tell me do you have a problem with this? Thanks.
You can put the smallest size on the piccolo and it does work really well with wood. I have a grenadilla piccolo and I use the solid silver with rose gold plating, 33mm size. I love it.
I have question how do you know the LefreQue would suit for my flute... I can hear the different with and without... so you must buy LefreQue.. I have strong tone quality and projection.. what is the purpose to get one ... I’m not sure if I should get one for mine I have natural vibrato itself naturally.. I’m not sure which one I could get... would they will offer trials.
Also, try a flute bagpipe attachment you can buy on EBay from AltoFlute2013. The cost is reasonable. I like the sound for Christmas music ..we three king's....and may other types of genres.
That brannen just sounds good... damn... I’m an adult that’s playing flute again after a .very. Long . Time. .....I bought a Sonaré Powell a few years back when i started back playing . I didn’t get to play long. Had spinal surgery. Now I’m getting back to it again, again. 😂and I hate my flute. It’s so hard to play. I’m used to student flutes. I dunno if that is normal for an intermediate flute. 😢my flute is the Sonaré Powell 709. It’s solid silver with rose gold plating/ coating. It just sounds weak. I wonder which would help. I’m wondering about the red brass....give my sound more power.. I’m a weak player but my little gemeinhardt student flute just feels much better than my almost 6,000$ flute. 😭😭😭😭they don’t make the 709 anymore. And it’s freaking beautiful. I’m scared to sell it and regret it
Hey Joanna I would appreciate during your tests if you could do only harmonics with a good pleasant sound not extremely high ones that are shrill and break apart. Thanks.
Cute. What you should have done is to test the plates BEFORE you know what they suppose to give you (e.i. more core, more harmonics, more this, less that...). That’s when you would have a more honest (placebo free) perception of your own playing. The amount of improvements the plates give does not equal the high price tag. I agree with Sir James Galway: practice more and you’ll achieve same benefits. Amen to that 🎶
Does your code work for Lefreqs? I’m contemplating trying it out. Also, any idea if there are any that work on contrabass flute? Or...what that would even do for a contrabass lol
i know this is obviously late, but if anyone else is in the comments and has the answer... what if you have a different headjoint material? i have a solid silver powell signature with an aurumite (silver and gold together) headjoint
How do you do the last harmonic? I've tried for so long but couldn't seem to find it until I tried to imitate your mouth haha, sadly I got exited and immediatly forgot what I did and couldn't repeat it. If its possible, could you tell me how does the air like feel inside your mouth, or what movements do you make when you nail it? It would be great help. (I'm self taught btw) Thankk you.
Honestly it's all support. Your abs should be solid. Also make sure you're not too rolled in or it's never going to come out. Squeezing your lips and mouth is also not going to help so keep those relaxed, but think more "forward" (think 'oo' not 'ah') and faster air rather than close the aperture too much.
this work as an additive resonance piece and you can hear yourself better like this it's why you manage to get easier the harmonics. But it's not efficient on a gold flute because gold will tend to sounds better than silver or metal with silver plated. I think it's not for a massive gold flute but for a cheapest one that need the sound to be improve.It give more power to the sound by simply adding matter and the curve form is just amplify your sound, give you more response and so a better handling of your instrument and body. Nothing really big. Just a tool! Looks like to need to blow too strong to get the harmonics, a lot of wasted air!
![Haynes Q3 + 14K Rose Gold Riser [Flute Center]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Kr6I1PUfMhQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![Haynes Q3 + 14K Rose Gold Riser [Flute Center]](/img/tr.png)
![I accidentally found my dream headjoint. [Flute Center]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Im50uEn5oBw/mqdefault.jpg)
JAF Workout:
Everytime FLUTE is said: 2 pushups
Everytime she says PLAY: 5 situps
Everytime harmonic is said: 30-second plank
Everytime METAL is said: 10 mountain climbers
You'll be fit in no time!! Lol
(No hate)
Haha best of 2 wolds😅
Kaitlyn Logan Okay, I know this was a joke, but I decided to count each time she said each word 😂
Flute: 35 times
Play: 10 times
Harmonic: 9 times
Metal: 2 times
@@kaileyqueenflute thats actually not a bad 30 minute workout
There's part of me that just balks at the idea of getting a $2,800 piece of engineering and then attach it to a $10,000 flute with a $3 glorified hair tie.
This is insane. How does it work? Who came up with this?! IT ACTUALLY AFFECTS IT IN A WAY YOU CAN HEAR!!!!! . . .
Consider me officially shooketh.
Brianna PalOro it doesn’t. It does nothing at all.
John Price I’m a total skeptic when it comes to this kind of stuff, but I tried one myself and it actually does make a difference. The pseudo-science explanations actually hold up in this case.
"WOO"
"WOO"
"THOSE HARMONICS"
Same, honestly same
I just bought the Solid Silver, Yellow Gold plated leFreque at the Florida Flute Association Convention a couple of days ago for my Yamaha 481H and the same material combination for my Yamaha 35 piccolo. I was sooo impressed with how much easier it made playing!
Omg you were so shook when you heard the silver on silver!! I love your reactions so much!!
As soon as you put on the Solid Silver I picked up and heard it IMMEDIATELY. I think I'll buy one. Thanks a million. Great video. 🎶
I wonder what happens (if anything) when you put this on a wooden flute
I was just wondering if they make a wooden one to put onto a silver flute.
For me on my low brass instruments it is not only the changes in sound that I notice that I like, but it is also how it changes the way playing feels. It makes playing so much easier so I can concentrate on what I am doing more and trying to sound good less. It also REALLY helps my endurance. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Thank you for this review! I had heard of these and seen some other videos where I couldn't really tell the difference with and without. But with your review, the evidence was clear. So much so that I trundled off to Long and McQuade and tried some out for myself and came home with the silver plated red brass one. I honestly love it. It gives me a warmer tone but also makes the high register almost effortless. Thank you again for pointing me (and the other viewers) in this direction. Like you said, these are much cheaper than a new headjoint! Marie
Lol because I’m cheap and broke but wanted to improve my sound, I took the smooshed down pennies you get from the machines, and put it in the same places as the Le Freque. I’ve also used quarters, but they don’t work as well.
With the penny, I used to only place it on the bridge between the headjoint and body. With the Quarters, I would put them on the bridge between the head and body, and the top of the headjoint. I also put it on the footjoint for a while, but I noticed it didn’t let my sound resonate.
So if you’re in a budget, try what I said above. I used to do this everyday, but I couldn’t be bothered to keep track of quarters, and I didn’t want to lose those pennies lol. It also can scratch your flute, but I manage to do that no matter what.
(I got the idea from a forum and they were joking about doing this, I just took it literal for fun lol).
sassylassycassy that’s really funny & ironic but actually really innovative, interesting, & kind of clever! I wonder if this works with jewelry too, I have a stainless steel ring so I wonder if that would do anything
Isaac Navarro if the ring is wide enough you could try to put it over the head and body joint gap. If it’s too lose, then you could tie it with a rubber band. With the rubber band, try to make a x like shape over the ring on both sides. That’s how I would keep the pennies and quarters on lol
Wrench and rubber bands. Guaranteed.
@@brendinho1993 Hey, that was my invention !
@@AndrewEdwardsFlute haha, my bad dude. Gotta admit, it's a brilliant idea. I wonder how much money there is in it...
Went to a flute festival v skeptical of the lefreque. Decided to try it on my flute and instantly felt a difference. Tried it twice more over the next two days to make sure it was a good difference rather than a bad difference. Ended up buying the solid silver lefreque and use it most of the time now! Breathed new life into my Miyazawa :)
I'd be interested to see (hear) what it sounds on a more bog-standard instrument. I might have to try it as a nice pick me up for my hobby level playing.
I happened to chance upon this and am now thinking whether to purchase it. Using a miyazawa flute. :)
@@NatashaEstrada my instrument is fairly bogstandard. Feel like it has less effect on higher end instruments
I'm one of those who can't hear the difference...then again I have trouble hearing slight differences in sounds anyway (which is why I have to use a Korg tuner...I cannot tell if I'm out of tune) .
I'm curious...do these have some sort of padding or something to keep them fro scratching the flute? Thinking it's metal against metal worries me
No padding. That would defeat the purpose of the bridge and absorb the vibrations that it's supposed to be transferring between the head and body of the flute
I’ve been using one of these for about two years now and although I enjoy the sound I get from using it, it has left some scratches on my flute :/
I have a silver one on my silver flute and it helps with articulation, fast passages, and tuning really high notes. I bought it over the summer last year to try it. I liked it and kept it.
I have a rose gold LefeQue for my HAYNES handmade silver flute. The reason I purchased it is because
my head joint has a rose gold lining, I have three different head joints. I did; however, love your demonstration
and I may purchase the silver and a red brass LefreQue. I can always change head joints to accommodate
the different LefreQues.
This is fascinating! As a brand new player (less than a month, at age 49!), I'm on a very cheap beginner flute, because I wanted to start right away instead of waiting till I saved up for The Right Beginner Instrument. But in a year or two, I know I'm going to want to step up to a bit more flute, and I've already got my eyes on several; but this one video just changed my entire mindset about what I want. I'm definitely going to get the best flute I can afford, but now I know I don't need to aim for a gold or aurumite or whatever. I can aim for the best silver flute I want, and then when I reach the point at which I want 'more flute' again, if I get there, maybe I can just LeFreque it up instead of get a whole new flute or new head joint. I love your reviews, always, but this one just altered the trajectory of where I'll go with this. Thank you so much!
Like the way you showed this with different flutes. Wonder what it would to for your old Yamaha
Thanks again. I liked the silver on silver
I immediately heard the difference when applied to the rose gold flute. Struggled to hear difference in the silver, but started noticing after a while.
As a freshman in high school (I know I'm a bit late in this, but), I bought myself the 41mm brass from FCNY and I absolutely love it!! I have actually been given compliments from people about my tone. I might've actually gotten a professional convinced to get one (with a little help with my private teacher)!!
I hadn't heard a lot about these, but I went to my local music store today and tried them, and I definitely could tell a difference in the warmth and resonance of my flute. I play an Altus Azumi, which I feel already has a lot of warmth, but these just enhanced and I'm in love.
Thank you for this video! I did hear the difference and will have to do more research on this product. I thought about getting a new head joint for my current flute, but this might be a good alternative to that especially for my pocket.
Excellent video! The changes to your sound are immediately apparent.
Shortly after I purchased my Powell 9k rose gold flute about 3 years ago, I decided to give these a try. I chose the Rose Gold Plated Sterling Silver 41mm and I'm very pleased with it. I don't use it regularly, but in performance situations where my already big sound needs to compete with a full brass ensemble, it certainly comes in handy. You're right, it does lock the player into a certain tone color, but it also lessens the fatigue in "it's me against the world" ensemble settings. Also, the high G and above become progressively harder to "float."
I've tried these on my Pearl rose gold plated sterling flute (with a silver, custom hand cut Muramatsu head). I don't care for them on this flute. For me, the settings in which I'd use this flute don't benefit from a lefreQue.
My biggest hurdle was the use of a "device" at all. Is it cheating? Am I getting lazy? Ultimately, I got over that challenge - it's not so very different to other instrumentalists using mutes. In the end, all that matters is if I'm producing the most appropriate sound for the piece.
I love these chirpy demos, always make me smile.
Tip that I got from one of the lefreque reps: buy the 30 mm and it will work for both your flute and your piccolo (yes it works on piccolo even if you have a wood picc. And let me tell you that it works absolutely marvelous)
Any diff between the 30mm and 41mm? Apart 30mm work for both flute and picc?
Exactly the information I was looking for. Thank you!
Got my lefreQue yesterday and I can already say it is one of the best investments I have ever done. I have a professional flute that requires a lot of attention to work well for me. In my country art-music is on the border of extinction so it is more or less impossible to live as a musician. So my days are spent mostly on a grumpy authority as an official and I get maybe one or two hours to play when I get home (in case I am not completely exhausted from fighting the demons of bureaucracy). The part of practice that always gets less attention is sonority and flexibility in embouchure. I bought the same lefreQue that is shown in this video, the red brass and it has made my playing so much easier just after one day. My sound is more rounded and warmer an for some reason my articulation is way more clear. I notice it is easier to jump from high to low and middle register is also easier to play forte (c2-a2 my "Achilles heel"). The flute response at once when I blow air in to it and you can play piano pianissimo with no effort at all all over the octaves and still keep a good tuning without bending or pressing your lips not get too low or too high depending on what register you play in. Maybe some of you think a lefreQue is cheating and yes maybe it is but for me it has made my music life so much better and ignite a new flame of interest in practicing. A lot of BANG for very few bucks.
I bought the red brass ones after watching this video and I love them! Thanks Joanna :)
Le freQue = Le "Freak" - from "Frequency". And differences have nothing to do with color, but the interaction between the "sound bridge" and the instrument. I use it myself on one of my saxophones.
scratching will be a huge issue,no?
It would be fantastic to see what Sir James thinks about.Would it be possible to get him to play those?
I just got mine a week or so ago. My thoughts match yours. It definitely depends on the player whether they think it helps them or not. I personally love it. I got the 41mm solid silver gold plated. Plan to get a 33mm to connect to the crown next and play with both.
lefreQue, C'est Chic
Few years old video totally turns everything I thought I knew about flutes on head. Why my "good" flute never sounded good to me, what on earth this little gadget could possibly do to change the function of a flute. I would believe the head socket would be perfectly functional for transmitting the vibration through the instrument and can't see how this would do anything at all.
Further to my other posts, I tried my silver LefreQue with my Haynes flute yesterday and it did nothing for my playing. (It is great on my Nagahara.)
Joanna's flute with the red brass+gold plated lefreque on: "look at me, I'm the captain now"
🤣
We now have something to talk about during my next lesson... because now I am interested.
I’ve always been a fan of LeFreque but I can’t afford them lol
Without LefreQue: 5:08
With LefreQue: 5:50
This actually helps! Thank you! :)
im using these too in my baritone
I've been thinkin about a new headjoint for a long while, this maybe an affordable solution! (I play on a solid silver Gemeinhardt) This addition seems too good to be true, I gotta try one! ^_^. Just ordered one through the FCNY thank you for sharing the perks with your code much appreciated. Can't wait to get it.
Got mine a week or so ago! (41mm red brass). I was totally skeptical but it totally works (for me). Rounds the sound out nicely, seems to make the high notes come out a little easier, and the response time is so quick! Thanks for the recommendation. :)
I hope I'm not the first to point out that your head joint is already attached to the body of your flute and a way that is much more complete than what this little gizmo can do.
seems like pure snake oil to me. As you point out the head joint is already an interference fit with the body of the flute.
You are so much fun to watch. Good stuff!
You may have heard of the mathematician name Fourier, he made it clear mathematically that all sound is composed of a series of harmonics which are integer multiples of a fundamental.
There is no place in the math to allow for harmonics to be out of tune with each other therefore anybody claiming that they can be has no idea of acoustics.
Looking at the website I'm not sure exactly what he claims is the science behind this. I think it's fairly well established that the metal of a flute does not vibrate in any way because of it's rigidity compared to the air inside it therefore nothing on the outside of the instrument can possibly have any effect on the air within which is what is actually making the sound.
I think that any perceived differences with it are either imaginary or can be put down to small inconsistencies in individual performances.
I do NOT understand how that shit's supposed to work but... wow what a difference. You can really hear it!! That would save so much money
Thank you! You just answered a ton of questions I had! Now the only one left is do I need it? 😉
So would you recommend a le freque that matches your flute material? And can u use it for concerts
JustAnotherFlutist if I were you, I would have bought both the solid silver and red brass versions. I bought a red brass for my Yamaha 684 it's fanatastic(FWIW I was told that while the body of the 684 is silver, the barrel is plated. Perhaps the higher copper-content barrel and the red brass lefreque work really well together?)
I am considering to buy it and thinking which to purchase for my Miyazawa flute
Will it work with my Irish wooden flute?
Love the Victor Borge CD in the background
I just heard of these and ran to yt and I audibly gasped when I heard the silver on silver, I am most definitely going to consider buying one for myself rather than buy a whole other head joint for the gold sound
Great invention. I recently got a silver gold plated one and I love it. It’s almost like I have a new instrument (flute). Inwent to try it out because of your review. Thanks!
Really interesting video and an intriguing piece of metal. I’m a saxophonist and we have our own equivalent gadgets that change the way the sax plays and sounds. Tiny pieces of metal that are supposed to work.
A lot of the change experienced for myself is more to do with how it “feels” more so than how it “sounds”, but for sure there is a difference. Whether that difference is audible or perceptible from an audience’s pov is debatable BUT if it makes the musician feel a whole lot more comfortable/confident in playing then it’s worth a go for sure.
It might be psychological, it might be tangible, but hey if it does something for you why not? :)
At the end of the day, I wouldn’t care what instrument a musician is using as much as whether he or she can produce music that moves my soul :)
If a lefreque can help you do that then it’s worth its weight in gold, and if it can’t then it can’t. That’s not a problem either :)
It may not instantaneously SOUND immensely differently - although, when you try one, it instantaneously FEELS differently.
You were playing with the recommended position wrong. The Lefreque should be placed on the side where the keys don't run along, but yours is in line with the keys.
You're right
Why would it make a difference?
@@aleccino no idea something to do with the soldering of the tube!
@@aleccino when you position it along the 'tube' not the keys. It has a longer space to 'resonate' on, and creates more effect.
Hi! Wondering if removing your ergonomic accessories might interfere at all with the lefreque on your gold flute? I read that you should place it on the flute where there’s an unobstructed line towards the foot joint…e.g. no tone holes in the way. So wondered if the accessories could dampen it as well. I was using the thumb rests as well and I removed them but didn’t do a lot of comparing with or without. What do you think?
I've actually removed everything lately! Been trying it out with my newly improved posture, so I think I might stick my LeFreque or ergonomics on (currently using Woodify, which actually adds *more* woodiness to the sound) whenever I want a change in tone colour! So yeah, I think I'm on the same page as you. :D
I asked my teacher if she would recommend LefreQue and she said she was actually thinking about buying them herself, then at before my all state audition my friend let me put them on mine, they made the pitch more steady and my high notes clearer but it seemed harder to do vibrato.
Wow, what an interesting piece of engineering. Love it! These freques do indeed make the flutes sound different. The silver on silver sounded amazing! That difference was very audible to me. Also the red brass on silver sounded a lot different. Defo a cool little device for changing your flute's sound.... Says a non flutist haha :D
Makes me wonder if silver the lefreque would make a wooden flute like my Yamaha sound more silver.
Thanks so much for a really helpful video! Just bought the red brass for my sterling silver flute to experiment with. If all goes well, think I’ll try the silver next!
Do you think this would work on a wooden flute? I play an Irish Flue (i.e. an 8 key simple system)
Yes, I want one! Thank you!
Very thorough and in-depth review. There was another 'lefreQue' that was made out of wood, but I don't hear or see very much about it anymore. Maybe you can test the metal ones against the wooden ones that, as I remember, was a whole lot less expensive than those metal ones. Interesting if all it would take is connecting the head joint to the body of the flute using some kind of bridge, would it have the same effect?
Now add a pick-up and attach your flute to an amp with reverb and rock out! 🎶 🎸
I naturally play super brightly on my silver Powell conservatory, so based on what happened with you maybe I should think about buying the red brass to mellow that out?
I play on a silver flute as well (gemeinhardt), and I went with the red brass one's. Defiantly helped mellow out the sound, but I can still get that brightness when I want to with it on.
My brother plays bass trombone and he is about to buy his 4th pair. He loves them!
I’ve been playing flute for years...... can someone please explain to me what round sound is
You should ask your teacher so he can show you the different kind of sounds we can have on a transverse flute.
I'm really excited to try the red brass with silver plating on my Silver Gemeinhardt flute! I'm hoping that it will help me get that warm sound and somewhat effortless tension to get my upper register to be more smooth especially for that high C. I'm also hoping that it will mask the shakiness of my sound for when I need to perform. And audition for college soon! I wont be able to play it though cuz i just got my wisdom teeth removed, I haven't played my flute in days and IM DYING!!!! I hope I heal soon 😊🤞❤
I have my tonsils removed on the 18th and I am dreading it bc I have already been told I cant play for 2-3 weeks 😭 not looking forward to that considering the community band I am a part of starts our next session on the 20th and I have 2 sets of music to learn (flute/clarinet). Hope you heal soon! I had my wisdoms out last year and was only down about 10 days for that on the clarinet but I hadnt started playing the flute yet
Thank u! I wish I could play the clarinet, always wanted to learn. You’ll do great with your band, hope you heel soon as well!
It almost all a column of air vibrating. We sax players have similar gizmos. I wish I'd thought of it however!
Can you do trials on the lefreQue
I like the price of the red brass best! 😂 And Just happens to sound the best too 😊
Any chance for a review of the 33m lefeeque's? (for the crown, and foot joints)?
Even though I have been playing flute for some decades, I must not have flute ears because I do not hear any noticeable difference between any of them. Maybe with the flute 6 inches from your ear you can hear some minut difference but an audience will not, IMO, notice a difference. However, only the player can say if it makes it easier to hit a note that was more difficult before.
I have one but have not been using it until I put it back on tonight (Nov 20,2019) after about 3 months , I notice the tone on my silver Yamaha flute is a lot richer and my high notes are easier to hit . Hummm
Hey Joanna, it's been a while since I seen your vids. I just wanted to say I got a new flute, my very OWN first flute. Now, I wanted to ask: "How do you break in a new flute? Or like, get used to it?
Edit: Also, you might probably wondering what flute is it. It's a Gemaindhardt 3BO, that I got from Fluteworld. It comes with a french case, open hole and B foot. (No E split uwu)
No One Shall Know My Name I would like to know this too i just got my new Sonare 501 yesterday and although it already feels better than my old gemeinhardt 3 i still have yet to break into it.
No One Shall Know My Name have you played a open hole before? If not, use all the plugs on the keys and gradually take them out one by one, good luck!
The left ring finger and right ring finger are the hardest
It really takes a lot of practice! I broke my flute in but it took me like a month to get used to everything.
For lack of a definitive answer, you just play it. It took me about 4-5 months to get used to my professional flute when I jumped from my step up model 😭😭😭
60darklord
Damn! Xd
Thank you for posting! ^^
I just got my LefreQue today! I have been struggling with my Nagahara for a year now since I had a repadding done by someone here in my area (and I had a pulmonary embolism last year that affected my breathing, although my oxygen sat. number was normal). I took it back to him twice, but it was never right -- hard to play with focused sound and harmonics were a mess. Now I can play real music again! Harmonics are great with this, except the B flat one 3 up still sucks. I can play simple legato tunes again. Guess I am due for a COA. Thank you for posting this review. I'd been thinking of getting this for over a year. I bought the solid silver for my 950 silver Nagahara (gold riser). I am looking forward to trying it on my silver lightweight Haynes (1982 Deveau scale). BTW, this is the first youtube video of yours that I have watched (last week). I was searching for a video that shows how to put the LefreQue on the flute and found you.
If you recorded this with a good microphone and did a spectrum analysis, you could actually see the difference, including which harmonics are being affected. Is it accenting all harmonics or just the odd or even harmonics? I was surprised that there is a difference, when the headjoint to the body has a metal to metal connection.
Hello, Lefreque is too soft, does it easily lose its shape? I read that pure silver is very soft. Is it worth buying 925 silver? Tell me do you have a problem with this? Thanks.
I wonder what these will do for a piccolo?!
Art of Flute I think the lefreque is too big, plus I don’t think the metal will work with wood
You can put the smallest size on the piccolo and it does work really well with wood. I have a grenadilla piccolo and I use the solid silver with rose gold plating, 33mm size. I love it.
Natasha Huisen interesting! I’ll take a look at that!
I have question how do you know the LefreQue would suit for my flute... I can hear the different with and without... so you must buy LefreQue.. I have strong tone quality and projection.. what is the purpose to get one ... I’m not sure if I should get one for mine I have natural vibrato itself naturally.. I’m not sure which one I could get... would they will offer trials.
Hi, thank you for this evaluation. May I ask you what do you clip on the flute to support your left hand?
Also, try a flute bagpipe attachment you can buy on EBay from AltoFlute2013. The cost is reasonable. I like the sound for Christmas music ..we three king's....and may other types of genres.
Can you do another practice with me, with a solo like Carmen or Czardas?
I've moved my Practice with Me's to livesteaming on Twitch! www.twitch.tv/justanotherflautist :)
I have only tried the silver lefteque and I didn’t like it. I’m curious to try the other ones.😊❤️🎶
That brannen just sounds good... damn... I’m an adult that’s playing flute again after a .very. Long . Time. .....I bought a Sonaré Powell a few years back when i started back playing . I didn’t get to play long. Had spinal surgery. Now I’m getting back to it again, again. 😂and I hate my flute. It’s so hard to play. I’m used to student flutes. I dunno if that is normal for an intermediate flute. 😢my flute is the Sonaré Powell 709. It’s solid silver with rose gold plating/ coating. It just sounds weak. I wonder which would help. I’m wondering about the red brass....give my sound more power.. I’m a weak player but my little gemeinhardt student flute just feels much better than my almost 6,000$ flute. 😭😭😭😭they don’t make the 709 anymore. And it’s freaking beautiful. I’m scared to sell it and regret it
I have to play in an honors band on Friday and I haven't practiced two of the songs, any ideas? I dont have much time to practice.
What is the rose gold flute you are using? I do love the fulness of the red brass you tested last on both flutes
Jo's flute is a 10K rose gold Brannen flute with silver mechanism, paired with a 14K rose gold Mancke headjoint with a Mopane wood lip plate :)
Hey Joanna I would appreciate during your tests if you could do only harmonics with a good pleasant sound not extremely high ones that are shrill and break apart. Thanks.
Which flute was the first one you put the LefreQue on? I take it that the silver flute was your Mateki and then you put it on the gold Brannen?
Is it possible to try these before you buy them? I have a silver flute with a handmade head joint and I’m not sure if it would fit
Can I play the LefreQue on a silver flute?
Yes :) it's recommended you use at least a solid silver lefreque on your solid silver flute
I use the red brass one's on my solid silver flute and love it!
Wow, the color feel and sound is absolutely amazing
how much does it retail for?
Cute. What you should have done is to test the plates BEFORE you know what they suppose to give you (e.i. more core, more harmonics, more this, less that...). That’s when you would have a more honest (placebo free) perception of your own playing.
The amount of improvements the plates give does not equal the high price tag. I agree with Sir James Galway: practice more and you’ll achieve same benefits. Amen to that 🎶
Does your code work for Lefreqs? I’m contemplating trying it out.
Also, any idea if there are any that work on contrabass flute? Or...what that would even do for a contrabass lol
If anyone else here is wondering the same thing in December of 2021, it does not. :(
i know this is obviously late, but if anyone else is in the comments and has the answer... what if you have a different headjoint material? i have a solid silver powell signature with an aurumite (silver and gold together) headjoint
My flute is a solid silver foot, body, head....and I use the Red Brass on mine, works for me!
How do you do the last harmonic? I've tried for so long but couldn't seem to find it until I tried to imitate your mouth haha, sadly I got exited and immediatly forgot what I did and couldn't repeat it. If its possible, could you tell me how does the air like feel inside your mouth, or what movements do you make when you nail it? It would be great help. (I'm self taught btw) Thankk you.
Honestly it's all support. Your abs should be solid. Also make sure you're not too rolled in or it's never going to come out. Squeezing your lips and mouth is also not going to help so keep those relaxed, but think more "forward" (think 'oo' not 'ah') and faster air rather than close the aperture too much.
“Augh its beautiful ah, oh I can see my reflection on there its so pretty ew”
OH IVE SEEN THOSE BUT I NEVER KNEW HOW THEY WORKED
Jezzz,it work!
this work as an additive resonance piece and you can hear yourself better like this it's why you manage to get easier the harmonics. But it's not efficient on a gold flute because gold will tend to sounds better than silver or metal with silver plated. I think it's not for a massive gold flute but for a cheapest one that need the sound to be improve.It give more power to the sound by simply adding matter and the curve form is just amplify your sound, give you more response and so a better handling of your instrument and body. Nothing really big. Just a tool! Looks like to need to blow too strong to get the harmonics, a lot of wasted air!
Hey! What are those thumb saddles on your flute?
It's a thumbport and a fingerport. Worth every penny IMHO