plugs?

margarida · Post by **margarida** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 4:56 pm

My flute has lost 2 plugs.
This is my first week playing the flute which I was given as a Christmas present. It's a bigginers flute but somehow I have lost the 2 plugs on the left hand keys. Is this going to affect my playing, should I get them replaced.
Thanks

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 4:58 pm

Well, if it's truly a student flute, chances are it doesn't have plugs, which would incline me to believe that something else is missing, perhaps the washers holding the pads in place? If it's an intermediate flute, and has open holes, they are meant to be played without plugs, but not having them may make it more difficult as you're first learning, since you'll have to be sure your fingers seal these holes off entirely to produce the correct sound. If you want to replace them, fluteworld.com sells flute plugs.

margarida · Post by **margarida** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 5:10 pm

It's an open holed flute so that means I am learning on an intermediate flute. I had no idea. hope that doesn't ruin my chances
I will be ordering some plugs very soon.
Thanks for the advice

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 5:14 pm

Well, the fact that it has open holes doesn't necessarily make it an intermediate flute, but that is an attribute most intermediate and professional flutes have (at least in the US). It may be a little bit more difficult (as you progress through the various levels of flutes, they actually become less forgiving), but it won't be anything insurmountable. Keep the plugs in as long as you feel necessary (which may mean you never take all of them out....There are some professionals who don't ever take out all the plugs), and when you get comfortable playing with them in, try taking them out one at a time. If you have too much difficulty with one in particular, put the plug back in.

remnantpark · Post by **remnantpark** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 5:18 pm

Actually, beginner flutes can have open-holes. I have a student flute Armstrong 103 and it has open-holes to, I guess, train a beginner to get used to them. And don't worry, I have lost plugs, too during band rehearsal when I was in 4th grade.

Yeah, I suggest you buy new plugs because it's kinda hard to seal the holes especailly at your first week of playing the flute! (I had to learn the hard way...) And it won't ruin your chances, someday you'll take out those plugs anyways...

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 5:19 pm

flutepicc06 wrote:Well, if it's truly a student flute, chances are it doesn't have plugs, which would incline me to believe that something else is missing, perhaps the washers holding the pads in place? If it's an intermediate flute, and has open holes, they are meant to be played without plugs, but not having them may make it more difficult as you're first learning, since you'll have to be sure your fingers seal these holes off entirely to produce the correct sound. If you want to replace them, fluteworld.com sells flute plugs.

Good point, but I must slightly differ on this subject. My student flute was indeed open hole [completely silver plated student model from the selmer company], and I have seen that in other countries [ like taiwan for example] it is becoming standard/ becoming more popular for all flutes to be open holed student level and higher. However, I am not saying this is fact but rather my observation from talking to a friend of mine who was a foreign exchange student. Where she lived open holes were standard even on student flutes. So, if it is indeed a student flute in the U.K. it could very well be open holed.

So, OP [ Original Poster] you can just learn to play without them or buy new plugs from fluteworld.com [ as flutepicc suggested] or you can move the plugs around from hole to hole so that you can get the best out of what you have. Typically people have trouble covering the last key on the left hand [ known as the G key.... it is right by the pinkie key], and the last key on the right hand [ closest to the footjoint]. So, feel free to move the plugs around as you desire if you choose not to purchase any additional plugs. As for the price of plugs.... you can get them as cheap as 5 USD [ should be about 3 pounds or less] all the way up to about 30 USD [ probably around 20 pounds]. With plugs, I have had the most success with the plain silicone plugs. They are the cheapest, and you can insert them, and not even notice that they are there.

Obviously, I was a little too slow typing this....

remnantpark · Post by **remnantpark** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 5:45 pm

Wait, what are silicone plugs? What do they look like? Sorry, I'm just curious...

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 5:52 pm

remnantpark wrote:Wait, what are silicone plugs? What do they look like? Sorry, I'm just curious...

These are silicone plugs:

http://fluteworld.com/index.php?action=prod&wart=13904

They sit down in the hole without a cap on them. They're easier to push out because of this, but more comfortable for some because of the lack of a cap. Personally, I prefer the plug-os or plastic plugs offered by fluteworld, but to each their own.

remnantpark · Post by **remnantpark** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 6:58 pm

Ohhhh...Yeah, those are the kind of plugs I have. I basically took out everything except for the right hand 2nd key. I like them but I don't like the fact that you can easily lose them. It takes a long time to find them if I drop them.

Claiken · Post by **Claiken** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 10:50 pm

before I could actually play without plugs, i used to take them all out at night and just practise holding my flute, with no plugs at all, every night, so I slowly got used to it, then it didnt take much time before I was playing with no plugs.

ookwormbay7 · Post by **ookwormbay7** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:20 pm

I started playing on an open holed flute...sure, it was 25 years old, but still open holed. It was a sterling-head armstrong, but no other step-up components. I am currently trying to get rid of it:D . I started playing with cork plugs that would constantly fall out, and eventually I would start losing them. Basically, I moved them to fingers that were easiest to keep on a hole, and trained myself to compensate until I stopped being lazy and bought more plugs. the next ones I got were nicer, but by that time, I basically didn't even need them for my right hand. but that was a one-at-a-time thing.

I have used silver-topped cork plugs, silver-topped ones that have the disc bigger so that they don't get poked through, and sillicone (which were too small and fell out ALOT)

I would say, since you've only been playing for like 2 weeks, it would be probably easier to learn if you buy more. but at the same time, if you don't use them, you will never get used to them and it will be easier to learn to use no plugs (the flute sounds better when you don't) and that might be an easier transition--you know, learning better habits before getting into a merely ok habit.

flutepicc06 · Post by **flutepicc06** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:33 pm

ookwormbay7 wrote: I would say, since you've only been playing for like 2 weeks, it would be probably easier to learn if you buy more. but at the same time, if you don't use them, you will never get used to them and it will be easier to learn to use no plugs (the flute sounds better when you don't) and that might be an easier transition--you know, learning better habits before getting into a merely ok habit.

The flute will not sound any different using plugs than not using plugs. Most people that believe this have only played two types of flutes....A basic, plateau flute, and a higher quality French flute. Since the holes are the only noticeable difference, they assume that they are the reason that the flute sounds better, but that is not at all true. If it were, the five notes of the chromatic scale that vent at toneholes where the keys have holes, but that's not the case. The quality of manufacture is what affects sound, not whether or not the keys have holes in them. In any case, using plugs is not an "ok" habit, and not using them a "better" habit. There is nothing wrong with using them or not using them, or using only a few. Whatever works best for the individual player and allows the most comfort without leaks from fingers not covering the holes is the better habit.

ookwormbay7 · Post by **ookwormbay7** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:35 pm

I've never actually played a plateau. and although I've never heard that...it makes sense. I wasn't trying to degrade plugs or anything. I still use them

Band_twink_14 · Post by **Band_twink_14** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:11 pm

What model is your flute? I'm just curious.

ookwormbay7 · Post by **ookwormbay7** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:12 pm

my current is an armstrong...I can't remember the number but it's open hole silver head...we are trying to get another one though. my dad used to put cork grease on the thing...I remember for the first two or so years I played, it was such a hassle taking the headjoint off...