When looking at an upgrade for an individual or a student, lots of people (understandably!) have the same question: what really makes a better flute, well, better? There are a myriad of materials, key options, and other features to consider when purchasing your next flute, so I wanted to take a couple of weeks here on the blog to get back to basics about some of the most important upgrade features. First up is the addition of a silver headjoint. Headjoints made with silver tubing are the most popular option when looking at intermediate flutes and up, with or without a silver body–this really depends on the family budget and will be covered in a couple of weeks. Most silver used in headjoint making is sterling silver, or 92.5% pure silver. Silver tends to have a brilliant or a bright sound. There are widely varying opinions on the most important factors to consider when upgrading an instrument, so I will offer mine, both as a flute player and seller. I believe that a silver headjoint is the single most important upgrade feature on a flute, provided that the body is otherwise of quality construction and in good playing condition. The

Brr! If you’re reading this from anywhere in the Midwest, I sure hope you’re somewhere warm–the mercury is dropping as we speak! I thought this would be a pertinent time to talk about how to care for your instrument during the cold months. By following just a few simple rules of thumb, you can avoid any winter snafus with your flute or piccolo. “If you’re uncomfortable, your instrument is uncomfortable.” I have heard my colleagues in Encore strings say this many times, and it definitely holds true for woodwind players as well. Just as hot or wet weather can wreak havoc on wood, metal, and pads, the same is true for cold weather. As the temperature drops, the metal tube of flutes contracts, then expands when it is warmed up again, either by going inside or being played. This process happening repeatedly can cause alignment and adjustment issues, as well as cause the pads to begin to shrink and leak. Indoor environments are also very dry while the heat is running during the winter months. This is especially concerning for wood piccolos. Make sure that you have some sort of humidifier or are at least checking the instrument every few

Over the past couple of months, I have had several questions about adaptive mechanisms for keys, usually related to making the Ab key easier to reach. We all know that the flute is not the most ergonomic instrument, and many players find at times that some keys can be harder to reach, especially those with small hands or arthritis or other issues. Here is some helpful information about solutions to alleviate this problem. In recent years there has been a growing awareness of things both ergonomic and not-so-ergonomic. There have been some radical changes in musical instrument designs reflecting this. For those flautists who understand what will suit them individually, most makers of handmade flutes willingly and expertly accommodate special requests in key designs to suit individual hands. But what about those of us who do not play on fully handmade flutes? Well, for example, Brannen Brothers Flute Makers of Boston Inc make the top-of-the-line key extensions. These are for open-hole flutes, although two of them work on closed-hole models too. Made of sterling silver, they come beautifully presented in a velvet bag with a smooth shaped wooden spatula to aid removal. The left-hand index finger extension key is actually

Happy October to all! This week’s blog post compiles some great resources for trill fingerings, from the simple to the complex. Many thanks to Jen Cluff, flute teacher and blogger extraordinaire, for this list! 1. A free “how to get fast fingers” pdf by Jen, that includes an enlarged version of the Mark Thomas one page trill chart on page 17 of the free pdf. This is a rather large file. Note: The Mark Thomas trill chart is from the 1970s, but it is still the best all in one fingering and trill chart for students. Accurate and easy to read. 2. The Woodwind Fingering Guide This is a user-compiled, online alternate fingering guide for all kinds of flutes. For C-flute, flute trill charts by octave 3. Extract of Delaney Flute Teaching Guide; Just the fingering and trill pages Note: The entire Delaney Teaching Guide is an interesting read, but you may only want his trill chart, above. If you want the whole book, use the link below instead. and edit it, as out-of-date info. is given from the 1950s! 4. Armstrong color one-page trill chart 5. Best black and white trill chart for printing: Mark Thomas: www.jennifercluff.com/markthomasflutetrill.pdf

If you ever thought that flutes and piccolos were the extent of the flute family, think again! From high to low, the flute family is a very full one, though some are much more common than the others. Here is a rundown of a couple of the most popular auxiliary members of the flute family. The alto flute is the next extension downward of the C flute after the flûte d’amour. The Flute d’amour is much less common and is much more similar to a concert flute in size, just pitched in a lower key, making it more mellow in the low register. The alto flute is also characterized by its distinct, mellow tone in the lower portion of its range. It is a transposing instrument in G and, like the piccolo and bass flute, uses the same fingerings as the C flute. The tube of the alto flute is considerably thicker and longer than a C flute and requires more breath from the player. This gives it a greater dynamic presence in the bottom octave and a half of its range. The alto was the favorite flute variety of Theobald Boehm, who perfected its design, and is pitched in

Let’s get right to it–learning how to properly tune your instrument, whether you are a beginner, an intermediate player or a professional–is one of the most important things to master early on as a flute player. It may seem like a complicated process, but it all boils down to this: the longer a tube is, the lower it will play, and vice versa. Learning to fine-tune (pun intended) this knowledge and applying it to your specific instrument will help you play in tune every time. When you put your flute together, you should learn approximately where the headjoint needs to sit in the body of the instrument and make fine adjustments from there. The farther you draw the headjoint out, the longer the flute’s tube becomes and the flatter will become the pitch of your flute. The further you push in the headjoint the shorter the tube becomes and the sharper will become the pitch. The flute maker’s standard is that the headjoint should at all times be pulled out anywhere from three millimeters to as much as fifteen millimeters. The number of millimeters depends on the flutist’s individual embouchure, the design of their particular brand of flute, and on

Hot off the presses, here is some new information about the brand NEW grenadilla wood piccolo by Lyric flutes! Lyric flutes have been known for many years as a great option with a hybrid of makers from around the world, crafted in the finest Japanese traditions with parts and technology from America, Asia, and Europe brought together for a flute that’s worthy of the world. Although the IFS does not currently carry Lyric flutes, this new piccolo is an exciting new addition to the shop. A rare blend of quality, design and affordability. Lyric piccolos have a rich and singing voice, while the ergonomic mechanism design provides security throughout even the most difficult technical passages. Just like the finest handmade instruments, Lyric piccolos are made of grenadilla wood, which results in a wonderfully warm and resonant sound. Lyric piccolos are crafted to bring out your very best! This piccolo features the following: • Grenadilla wood body and headjoint • Modified wave style headjoint • Pisoni pads • Wood cleaning rod • Professional French-style case and case cover included And the price–are you sitting down? This instrument is available for purchase for only $1,495! This is by far the least expensive

These storms in the Indy area this morning got me thinking about the age-old problem that flute players must deal with: how do we keep flute pads in good condition? As you probably know, a flute overhaul and repad is the most expensive maintenance cost for our instruments, and unfortunately, at some point it is inevitable on all flutes, from student to professional. Luckily, there are some simple daily maintenance tips to help prolong your pads. First of all, the most important maintenance tip is to simply clean inside your instrument. Condensation forms inside flutes whenever they are played. Failure to remove it will cause the flute pads to absorb moisture and swell, usually unevenly. Swollen pads may not cover the tone holes properly, resulting in poorer intonation, articulation and sound quality. If you use a cleaning swab or stick, do not store it in the body of the flute; the moisture in it will be absorbed in the pads. Also, never store the cleaning cloths inside the case of the flute, as the pads could, again, absorb the moisture. So, in a word, CLEAN YOUR FLUTE. But what if you’re doing this every day, but you still are having

Don’t you hate it when the pieces don’t quite fit perfectly together? In this case, I’m talking about the pieces of your flute or piccolo. The areas where the instrument fit together are called the tenons, and it is quite common to find that the headjoint or foot either becomes too loose for comfort, or requires quite a bit of work to go on. This especially tends to happen as the weather changes, when the metal shrinks or expands slightly. Thankfully, this is an easy fix. The first step, and the only step that should be attempted by the player, is to determine if the issue can be fixed at home. If the tenon is slightly tight: clean off the tenon with a small amount of rubbing alcohol. Take care not to let the liquid get too close to any of the pads, as it will damage them. Alcohol prep pads are the best solution. At times, tenons get “gunked up” with tarnish or other impurities, making them harder to get on, and this will help. If the tenon is slightly loose, apply a very small piece of scotch tape to the tenon (about the size of a pencil eraser).

I have had lots of questions recently about buying and selling used flutes, especially pertaining to what I have available at the shop. I thought I would take a few minutes to answer some of those questions. This week, the burning question: should I buy or rent a new, or a used flute? The first thing you should know is that I do not sell used instruments on consignment. That is a subject for another blog post, but what that means to you is that any used instruments that I have in the shop are the product of rental returns. Most of the time, these instruments have been rented for 18 months or less. More importantly, every instrument that has been returned goes through an extensive check and repair process through our full-service Paige’s repair staff. All instruments are brought back to like-new playing condition, so any flaws in the instrument are purely cosmetic. So what does that mean for you? Most importantly, it’s going to save you some money: about $5- $7 per month or around $150 to purchase outright. Many customers’ next reaction is “Well, that’s not a big difference.” You’re right; the reason is listed above-the extensive

If you have been perusing flute options any time recently, you have probably noticed that there are SO many options! I have tried to highlight some of these in the blog, as I know that it can be totally overwhelming. One customization that has been getting more attention recently is a variety of body tubing thickness. Sterling silver tubing is made in several thicknesses, typically ranging from 0.014″ to 0.018″. Many semi-professional flute brands offer a standard tubing thickness of 0.38mm (approximately 0.015″) and heavy-wall tubing thickness of 0.45mm (approximately 0.018″). Medium-wall (standard) tubing provides a brilliant, responsive sound with plenty of color and flexibility. It is especially well suited for players who blow with a more gentle airstream and/or an extremely compact airstream. The sound and response of the flute may be customized with different headjoint cuts and materials such as gold or platinum risers to bring a darker or brighter quality to the flute. Heavy-wall tubing, by contrast, provides a darker, more powerful sound. This sterling tubing is generally well suited for flutists who put a high volume of air through the flute and/or uses a fast airstream when playing. The increased resistance of the tubing compliments players

One of the highlights of my trip to NFA this year was seeing the official release of something so exciting and revolutionary to the flute world: the new Crusader headjoint, designed and tested by Sir James Galway himself! Even though he still plays concerts internationally, Sir James says that his passion now lies in music education – and that is the legacy he wants to leave behind. He says, “I consider myself a crusader. That’s what we want to do. I’ve spent all these years in the battlefield, so to speak, and now I want to teach these kids how to fight. Music gives you an extra colour in your education, when kids are learning music at school, it gives them their own voice. More importantly than that, it teaches them comradeship, the importance of playing together and pulling together to make moments of great intensive beauty.” Wow, right?? The Galway Crusader C1 model headjoint kicks off the series with a design Gemeinhardt carefully constructed to Sir James Galway’s exacting specifications. Through the latest technological advancements, Gemeinhardt is able to replicate the headjoint design for each and every headjoint produced. The inconsistencies of the hand making process are taken out