What is Flute? Flute is the highest sounding and the only non-reed woodwind instrument. It is cylindrical in shape. There are several flutes in the flute family:
Piccolo: The smallest flute. o Sounded one octave higher than the regular flute. o Usually made of wood. o The concert flute: The regular flute. o Alto flute in G: Transposing instrument: sounded a Perfect 4 th lower than an o ordinary flute. Bass flute: Rarely used in orchestra. o Pitched an octave below the concert flute. o Contrabass Flute. Subcontrabass Flute
The flute can be divided into three main parts: head joint; body joint and foot joint.
Figure 1: The flute family.
Figure 2: The main parts of the flute.
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Is it difficult to learn? I. Flutes It is important to learn proper breathing techniques and breath support at the beginning stage of playing so that a proper embouchure (lip formation) can be developed. Some dizziness is common during the early stages of playing as the beginners still have not master the proper breath control techniques. Apart from that, the players need to have arms long enough to reach the holes, and strong enough to support the instrument out while playing without straining the neck or hands. It is common for children of seven to nine years old to start learning the flute. However, there are flutes designed specially for even younger beginners who have shorter arms. Thus, it is possible for children as young as four to five years old to start learning the flute now. Generally, it is easy to produce sound out of a flute if the players kept the instrument in a horizontal line. By playing in front of the mirror will helps to ensure the correct position and make the flute learning process at the beginning stage an easy one.
How to choose? I. Flutes There are three categories of instrument in general: student (entry level), intermediate and professional. The major differences between the various levels of flutes are the quality of materials used and the quality of craftsmanship put into the making making of the the flute. For example, example, professional flutes are usually handmade while student flutes are usually machine made.
Materials
As mentioned above, flutes are usually made of metal; the better the metal, the sweeter the sound. Less expensive flutes, which intended for beginners, will be either nickel-plated metal or silver-plated metal. The most popular plating for for flutes is silver, as it has a shinier look if compared to nickel-plated flute. However, it does require regular polishing to maintain its shininess. Nickel is cheaper than silver, but it will become dull eventually and there is nothing one can do about it. Besides, it can become slippery too especially if the player has sweaty hands. More expensive flutes will have more silver content, starting from the head-joint and slowly level up to the rest of the parts, as the head-joint is the heart of a flute’s tone production. Professional flutes have silver content up till 99.7% (Pure Silver), but the more common one is sterling silver (92.5% silver). Generally solid silver flutes can deliver a very pure, sweet s weet tone. The best metal would definitely be gold, as the tone it produces is very warm, dark and rich. However the price of the gold is too expensive to compromise with Flute and Music Academy © 2014
so a solid silver flute will be the next best option to have if one is looking for a professional flute. Another benefit of having a solid silver flute is that it is more durable as scratches and dents are much easier to remove. The following list grades the quality of sound from fine (1) to best (6): 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Coloured flute made of cupro-nickel. Silver-plated head-joint, body-joint, foot-joint and keys Solid silver head-joint, silver-plated body-joint, foot-joint and keys Solid silver headjoint, body-joint, and foot-joint, foot-j oint, Silver-plated keys Solid silver head-joint, body-joint and foot-joint and keys. Gold head-joint, body-joint and foot-joint.
Additional tips To know whether the flute is made of solid silver or nickel-plated metal, you just need to hit the flute slightly with your finger. Solid silver produces a “tudd” sound while nickel-plated metal produces a “ting” sound.
Other parts of the flute:
1. Keys – Open-hole/ Closed-hole Flute is available as closed-hole and open-hole. A closed-hole flute is easier to play because the player (especially beginner) does not have to worry about completely covering the open holes (The sound produced will be unclear if the holes are not completely covered). However, if the player can comfortably reach and cover all the holes, then the open-hole flute is recommended, as they can use the flute for a longer period of time (to achieve more advanced techniques). Open-hole flute is more difficult to make, which thus makes it a little more expensive to purchase and service than the close-hole flute. Figure 3: Open-hole flute and closed-hole flute.
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2. Split-E Mechanism The split-E mechanism affects only one note on the flute – the third octave E. It causes the proper opening of the third register E, which makes the production of that note E easy. However, the extra mechanism adds some weight to the flute and of course extra cost as well. Usually, the split-E Mechanism will be used for intermediate grades and above.
Figure 4: The Split-E Mechanism of Flute
There is another alternative that can help produce the high E with ease by using a donut-shaped ring that is inserted into the lower G tone hole. Different flute makers have their own name for the ring, some examples are “high E facilitator”, “E disk” and “low G insert”. It is an economical alternative to the split E and it can be added to any flute at any time.
Figure 5: A "Donut-shaped ring" inserted in the lower G tone hole.
3. In Line/ Offset G The G keys of a flute can be made inline or offset but most flutes come with offset Gs, which allow the players to have less distance to stretch the left hand ring finger, and will lead to a better hand position over the years of playing. Inline G and offset G are the same acoustically; it is simply a matter of comfort and preference.
Figure 6: Inline G vs Offset G.
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4. Foot-joint There are two main types of foot-joint: B foot-joint and C foot-joint:
Figure 7: B foot-joint vs C foot-joint.
Most beginner flutes have a standard C foot. B foot-joint will have one more key added to the bottom of the flute, making it slightly longer, heavier and more expensive. This extra key extends the range of the flute down to B3 and adds to the overall power and projection of the sound, particularly in the low notes. It is not a must for beginners, as the repertoire for beginners does not reach so low to B3 yet.
5. Lip Plate Lip plate is the part where the players rest their lower lip on when they are playing the flute. flute. There are two types of lip plate:
Figure 8: Curved Lip Plate.
Figure 9: Straight Lip Plate.
Generally, curved lip –plate is easier to blow, as it is more comfortable to rest the lips on top of it if compared to a straight lip-plate.
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Flute for younger beginner. For many years, curved head-join flutes are the choice for children learning the flute, as their hands are not developed enough to hold an actual flute correctly.
Figure 10: Curved head-joint flute.
However, it is also very common that young players find it difficult to balance the flute properly while playing, as the heavier curved head-joints will bring the instrument down on one side. The alignment will also be inaccurate due to the protruding curved head-joint. With the disadvantageous in mind, Flute and Music Academy strongly recommends the “Waveline” flute by the Jupiter, which is a perfect flute for young kids. The “Wave-Line” technology allows for a more stable instrument, as the curve in the tube brings the weight of the flute down through the instrument. Most importantly t he he “Waveline” flute aids a seamless transition to a standard concert flute.
Figure 11: Waveline C-Loop Flute by Jupiter.
Flute and Music Academy has a programme specially designed for 4.5 to 6 years old using the waveline flute. It is taught by senior and master teacher to bring out the best from the kids right from the start.
Rent or Buy? We would always recommend the students to buy their own instruments. The reason is very simple; the cost of renting can quickly goes beyond the price of buying a flute. Whether to buy a brand new flute or a used flute is the next question. There is no right or wrong answer to this question, for there are so many factors to consider. A brand new flute usually comes with a warranty from the manufacturer, while buying a used instrument means there are certain risks that you might need to bear, although there is a possibility to get good quality instrument with a much lower price.
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Why buy from Flute and Music Academy? As a woodwind specialist, Flute and Music Academy provides flutes and accessories of all ranges and top brands at reasonable prices. We do not carry cheap and unplayable flutes that would be better off as lampshade-stands. We take our core values integrity, respect, expertise and excellence seriously. Buying unknown brand of flute from a music shop that has limited support and/or knowledge of winds will be at your own risk. We are also affiliated with WindWorks Singapore to ensure that all our instruments are checked by professional technicians.
How much am I looking for? These are the flute brands that are available at Flute and Music Academy:
Student Range (from $550 to $1300) Miyazawa MJ 100
Nickel-silver plated, closed-hole, offset G, without split-E mechanism.
Jupiter JFL-509S
Waveline Technology, silver plated body, keys and head-joint, without split-E mechanism and trill keys. Shorter body to a low D to reduce weight. Suitable for Young Child 4.5 to 7 years old.
Jupiter JFL-510S
Waveline Technology, silver plated body, keys and head-joint, without split-E mechanism and trill keys. low C foor-joint. Suitable for Child 7 to 12 years old. Upgrade kit available to a full length flute.
Jupiter JFL-511 RES
Nickel-silver plated, open-hole, offset G, with split-E mechanism, C foot-joint.
Yamaha YFL-221
Nickel-silver plated, closed-hole, offset G, without split-E mechanism.
Yamaha YFL-211
Nickel-silver plated, closed-hole, off set G, with split-E mechanism.
Yamaha YFL-271
Nickel-silver plated, open-hole, offset G, with split-E mechanism.
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Intermediate Range (from $1500 - $4500) Yamaha YFL-371 (C Foot) 92.5% pure sterling silver head-joint, nickel Yamaha YFL-371H (B Foot) silver body and foot-joint, open-hole, offset G, with split-E mechanism. Miyazawa PB-202RE (B or C)
92.5% pure sterling silver head-joint, nickel silver body and foot-joint, open-hole, offset G, with split-E mechanism.
Sankyo CF-201 (B or C)
92.5% pure sterling silver head-joint, nickel silver body and foot-joint, open-hole, offset G, with split-E mechanism.
Muramatsu EX-RCE (C-Foot) 92.5% pure sterling silver head-joint, nickel Muramatsu EX-RHE(B foot) silver body and foot-joint, open-hole, offset G, with split-E mechanism.
Professional Range (from $6000 and above) Usually full solid silver and above Common Japanese brands (Muramatsu, Miyazawa, Sankyo, Yamaha, Altus, Pearl) Common American brands (Powell, Burkhart, Haynes, Brennen, Nagahara)
Essential Accessories for Flutists There are a lot of different accessories in the market available for flutist. However, there are only a few must have accessories for flutist: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Cleaning rod. Cleaning gauze or swab. Swab cloth (microfiber). Key Oil. Pad cleaning papers. Metronome & Tuner. Music Stand.
How to care for your flute? 1. Remember the position of how the three pieces of the flute (head-joint, body-joint and foot-joint) are arranged in the case; as if you put the keyed pieces into the case incorrectly, you risk bending the keys. 2. After every playing, use the cleaning rod and a soft cloth to dry all of the condensation out of the bore. Pay extra attention to the head joint.
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3. Occasionally use a soft cloth to carefully wipe away fingerprints and keep the flute clean. 4. Never press with any force on the keys or the mechanism. 5. Keep the flute in the case when you are not using it to avoid exposure to moisture. 6. Always lay the flute where the least amount of keys is touching the surface of the table. Use a flute stand if you have one. 7. Have the flute serviced at least once a year by a trained flute technician.
Additional Tips Parents may find that starting with an intermediate flute is a good idea if they are reasonably serious for their children to learn flute well, as money can be saved by not upgrading the instruments after a year or so. Always have a discussion with the teacher first before buying an instrument will always be very helpful.
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