Fluteland.com Flute Message Board

Have you learned how to double tongue yet? Double tonguing is a technique where you alternate between the front and back of your tongue using a ta-ka-ta-ka style rather than ta-ta-ta-ta style. It takes some effort to master but it's an essential technique that will make rapid passages much more mana...

A high end professional flute is inappropriate for a junior high student. Unless she is a phenomenal protege, she will not be able to appreciate the difference between a pro flute and a good intermediate flute. Consider that she would be hauling a $10,000 instrument around in her back-pack, on the s...

Yamaha makes excellent flutes and $150 is a bargain price. You may have to sink some money into new pads and a tune-up, but you'll still be coming out ahead. That is, assuming there are no serious issues with the flute. I'd suggest you have the flute checked out by a reputable repair person for a re...

All of the flutes that you mention are great instruments. You'd do well with any of them. However, a flute is a very personal piece of equipment. We have different bodies, different playing styles and different preferences. The only way to find the the perfect flute for you is to try whatever is ava...

It sounds like you're looking at an intermediate flute for your daughter. If she is at an intermediate level then she has enough experience to try out some of these flutes and participate in the decision. I'd suggest that you take her to a flute dealer that has the models in stock and have her give ...

I agree with cflutist, mastering Mozart is a long term task. The technique is relatively easy, but Mozart's music is all about style and nuance. That's much harder to capture.

I'd strongly suggest you engage the help of a flute teacher or accomplished adult flute player to help your daughter select a flute. If your daughter doesn't currently take private lessons, consider find a good teacher at least for the short term to assess her needs and guide you both through the pr...

I live in Minneapolis so I can sympathize with your problem. Not only are our winters cold, they're dry as well. You can't control your environment, but there are a few things you can do to control your flute and yourself. Try to minimize the time your flute spends in a cold environment. Don't let i...

A Trevor James is a good brand of flute and it sounds like you bought this one for a bargain basement price. As long as the flute is structurally sound, then there is no reason that a qualified repair person can't bring it up to playing condition. Even with an 80 euro repair bill, if the repair tech...

Hi Mesangmom, You might want to check out Jennifer Cluff's website, www.jennifercluff.com. Jennifer is a professional flutist and teacher and has many articles on her sight that may be of help. She's well respected within the flute community. I'd also suggest that you find a teacher in your area and...

Thanks for clarifying. I had not seen the spam.

Sorry Maryquinn13, no offense intended.

Lisa

These are two problems that nearly every flute player has struggled with at some point. A black chin is caused by the pH of your skin reacting with the silver content of the lip plate. The pH of your skin may vary from day to day resulting in some days being worse than others, but you're kind of stu...

The open holes themselves make littler or no difference in the quality of a flute. However, open holes have become the standard for anything beyond a student model flute. So in a sense you could say that closed holes are an indicator of a student model flute. Still, Altus makes very fine flutes. If ...

Hi Matt, I'm an experienced amateur as well and play a Yamaha YPC-80 which is an older version of and nearly identical to the YPC-81. It has very nice projection without being shrill. My stand partner in band plays a silver Powell piccolo. It's a very nice instrument but the tone is definitely on th...