ABOUT FLOUBLE
FLOUBLE is an application introducing flute double-stops. The title combines two words: flute and double, the later representing the string players’ term double-stop, referring to two simultaneously sounding notes. The technique of two-part playing is more and more developed on the flute, too. This software makes these possibilities of the instrument accessible. The main content of it is a digital Chart of Double-stops including about 500 two-voice multiphonics, describing them by the necessary information such as the fingering, difficulty level, position, dynamic limitations, and deviation in intonation. All of the sounds can be heard on recorded soundfiles. The product came out in 2012 and has been available on a CD-Rom and as a downloadable digital item. The package includes written and video tutorials about multiphonic playing and other extended techniques as well as some sheet music.
FLOUBLE is designed for flutists and composers. The User’s Guide explains not only the exact use of the software and helps to understand all the signs and the two ways of fingering notation but speaks about the nature of multiphonic phenomenon in general and gives technical advice for the flutist as well as practical information for the composer. The supplementary videos try to give all possible information in these subjects, too. Those who purchase the full version can watch more than 2 hours of video talks between Jean-Paul Wright and Gergely Ittzés about multiphonic flute playing and other special effects. Ittzés’s most popular composition can also be watched in his performance.
Recently FLOUBLE moved to a new platform. From now on, it is distributed by Editio Musica Budapest and can be reached and purchased on this website: https://digikotta.emb.hu/book/B6MTD5K
The advantage of this format is that you only have to download the application including the sound files, while the videos and all other additional files can be opened directly in the browser, so they don’t use your storage space.
If you are interested in extended techniques, Flouble is the right resource for you. Please, check it out and encourage your colleagues, students, and composer friends to use this application, which is user friendly, practical, and offers an extensive collection of relevant information about the topic.
Flouble works both on Windows and Mac. The only precondition to open the program FLOUBLE 1.0.jar is to have the Java environment downloaded.
–>(Further important notice for MACINTOSH Users!)
The REVIEW appeared in the winter 2013 issue of THE FLUTIST QUARTERLY, the member magazine of the National Flute Association, can be read here
PRINTABLE VERSION
If you don’t have or don’t want to use computer when becoming familiar with the double-stops included by Flouble, you can just download and print this A3 size Chart and the 7 pages of the explanation which is an extract from the users’s guide for Flouble. The most necessary information can be figured out from this chart.
