ADVICES NEEDED!!!!

For Anything and Everything to do with Flute Playing and Music

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Honeybee
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:07 am
Location: Singapore

ADVICES NEEDED!!!!

Post by Honeybee »

I'm a trombonist in my school band but will be stepping down soon. I have since, decided to pick up flute as it is in the same keys as the trombone and i love it's sound. I have problems deciding if i should buy an intermediate or student model flute because:

I used to play the trombone, as mentioned
i have a Grade4 in music theory
i play the piano


I'm afraid that if i get a student model, i'll need to change it too soon. Yet, i might take a longer time to pick up an intermediate one. HELP PLEASEEE!


also, i know that to get an instrument suitable for you, you'll have to test play it. YET I CAN'T PLAY THE FLUTE SO HOW DO I TEST PLAY?


ps. any brands you guys out there can recommend?

john101
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:11 am

Post by john101 »

Are you looking for a new or used flute?

Either way a student model Yamaha 300 Series would be good. You could also rent for a while to see if your really inclined toward the flute. Your previous experience on piano and trombone is only useful in terms of music reading. The flute is a whole different beast than trombone or piano.

Lastly, if you buy 2nd hand, have a flute repair shop look it over and make sure it's in proper playing order.

John

Honeybee
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 11:07 am
Location: Singapore

Post by Honeybee »

i'm looking for a new flute anw.


thanks for your precious advice!

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Mark
Posts: 177
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Location: Texas
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Post by Mark »

there are several solid brands out there.
I'm partial to Gemeingardts and Pearls myself, but here,
take a look at the Faq:
viewtopic.php?t=1926
So many instruments.... so little time.... :)

fluteguy18
Posts: 2311
Joined: Sun Jul 16, 2006 3:11 pm

Post by fluteguy18 »

other popular student flutes are made from Yamaha [as mentioned already], Emerson, Armstrong, Trevor James, and several more. Just avoid ebay horrors.

fluttiegurl
Posts: 882
Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 11:05 pm

Post by fluttiegurl »

I would recommend renting one until you decide that this is for you. The lfute is very different, as I am sure you know, and it may take a while to adjust. By renting, you will be able to see how quickly you progress and decide what kind of investment you want to make over the next several months verses making a huge investment to find out that a less expensive flute would have served you fine or that you need to step up quickly.

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flutepicc06
Posts: 1353
Joined: Mon May 29, 2006 11:34 pm

Post by flutepicc06 »

john101 wrote:Are you looking for a new or used flute?

Either way a student model Yamaha 300 Series would be good.

I agree with Fluttiegirl and John that you should rent until you are certain you want to stick with flute. Instruments are a pretty significant investment, and it would be a shame to waste several hundred (or perhaps even a couple thousand if you were to buy an intermediate instrument) and then decide a few months or a year down the road that you don't really want to play flute. Now, when and if you choose to buy a flute, I would encourage you to consider used instruments. As long as they have been taken cre of, they can be put back in playing condition for relatively little money. Not to mention that you can almost always get "more" for your money if you buy used. There is nothing wrong with a good quality used instrument.

Now, as for the Yamahas, I would stick with the 200 series, or jump all the way to the 500's, rather than buying a 300 model. The 300's have the same cut of headjoint (the CY cut) as the 200's, but the additional silver, B foot and openholes (none of which will be necessary or useful to you as a beginner) jack the price way up. When you hit the 500's, the EC cut becomes the standard, which means there is a noticeable difference in how these flutes (and higher models) play in comparison to the base 200 line.

As has been mentioned already, your music experience is great, and will help you in the theory aspects, but will not help you to play flute any better than someone starting from scratch. You almost certainly will be fine with a good quality student model, and there is no way to tell what you'll need in a step up flute once your embouchure and technique start to develop, so rather than buying an intemediate flute now, and having to sell it down the line to buy something else at about the same level, I would strongly suggest that when and if you buy, you buy a student level flute.

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