I am a beginning flute player with a background in harmonica playing. For those unfamiliar, it is possible to play a diatonic harmonica chromatically by adjusting the shape of your mouth and throat. It's not at all easy, but it is masterable.
I am exploring the best way of controlling octave changes on the flute, and I find that I can do it purely by constricting or relaxing my throat in the right places, similarly to overblowing.
Is this a known technique on flute? I've seen many sources online promoting you to totally relax your throat to improve tone, but I haven't found anything yet discussing the possibility of using the throat for octave control.
I can't do it quickly, but it seems like it could have advantages over the other options.
- Narrowing the windway the lips changes increases the airspeed, which helps the octave change (for reasons I don't understand), but it simultaneously affects timber and volume.
- Blowing harder using the lungs increases volume and pitch.
- Changing the angle you blow at also changes timber, and seems to also have a strong affect on pitch.
Tuning the throat doesn't affect airspeed (the flow rate from your lungs is the same, as is the airway between your lips), and doesn't seem to affect pitch as mutch as embouchure changes, though it seems like it should. I can't do it quickly, but it's a larger motion than with your lips, so it seems like it might be easier to control once mastered.