The virtual Boehm flute- a Web service that predicts multiphonics, microtones and alternative fingerings

We report a web service for flute players, ‘The Virtual Boehm Flute’, that provides alternative fingerings which may be easier to play, less awkward to finger and/or more in tune for different circumstances. It also provides possible fingerings for multiphonics (chords). It uses an expert system that predicts the playability of notes from features in the input impedance spectra, based on the playability of 957 impedance minima as determined by an expert flutist. Used in conjunction with a theoretical model, developed from detailed experimental measurements, it can predict the acoustic impedance spectrum for 39,744 different acoustic configurations of the flute. The resulting database provides, via a musician-friendly interface, the predicted possible notes and multiphonics for any selected fingering, and all the possible fingerings predicted to play a desired note or multiphonic. The service is at http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/music/flut