What is an undertone in flute playing and what causes it?
Sometimes when a flutist plays a high note, one hears a faint note at a lower pitch. Normally there is no exact harmonic relation between the two. This is what I call an undertone. (This is not to be confused with Tartini tones or other combination tones, in which two notes, often from different instruments, interact.) The undertone is a special case of a multiphonic, usually produced accidentally. Let’s take a simple example. Play the note D6, but play it with a relatively large opening between the lips. Then, still with large lip opening, reduce the air speed gradually. When the jet is slow enough, the note will drop down to C5 with a rather breathy tone. However, on the way you will pass through the multiphonic C5&D6. By adjusting the jet speed, you can vary the proportions of the two notes: when they are about equally loud, you have a standard multiphonic. (If you have never played multiphonics before, this is an easy one with which to start, although it’s not very interesting. See
