I took up the flute at exactly the wrong time in secondary school and gave up about a year later due to not having enough time to devote to it with revision and exams etc.
Fast forward 20-something years and I've decided to have another crack at it.
I didn't want to pay a huge amount for my first flute (in case me and it didn't get on) so I've got a second-hand one. Which brings me to my question:
How do I clean it up? Having bought the thing I'm now worried about the hygiene aspects!
Definitely a good suggestion. Too many beginners (or in your case, re-beginners) give up because the flute they're playing has mechanical issues which frustrate the player. Especially with a second hand flute, it's important to be sure that it's still in good working order, as many have been kept in closets for years without any maintainance and can have some pretty major problems.
Apart from the obvious wiping down inside / outside, is there any other maintence which can be done, greasing up the joints for example ? How easy is it to shim or replace the pads. (Just courious)
nasxxx wrote:Apart from the obvious wiping down inside / outside, is there any other maintence which can be done, greasing up the joints for example ? How easy is it to shim or replace the pads. (Just courious)
NEVER grease the joints. The grease will capture particulate matter from the air and create a kind of glue that will bind the sections together. If you're having trouble assembling/disassembling your flute, CLEAN the joints rather than greasing them. If that still doesn't do it, then take it to a tech so they can resize them for the right fit. And pad work is extremely precise and should be undertaken only by someone with the proper training and experience. Even disassembling and oiling the mechanism can cause problems if done incorrectly. If you're interested in learning repair and maintainance, Jon Landell teaches excellent (and rather fun, IMO) classes on the subject during the summers at his workshop, but until then, leave the repair work to the pros.
should have said a light cycle "gun oil" rather than grease. I only put a smear of gease over the 3 joins head body and foot. Have never touched the keys or the tubes. But yeah can see your points about the "glue" Probably best to try and find a free flute to practice disasembly and proper cleaning. It doesn't seem that hard, but I guess easier said than done.
nasxxx wrote:should have said a light cycle "gun oil" rather than grease. I only put a smear of gease over the 3 joins head body and foot. Have never touched the keys or the tubes. But yeah can see your points about the "glue" Probably best to try and find a free flute to practice disasembly and proper cleaning. It doesn't seem that hard, but I guess easier said than done.
Nothing (even a light "gun oil") should be applied to the tenons. They are (or should be) a good fit without any greases/oils/lubricants of any kind. If they're not, the flute needs to be taken to a repair tech for resizing as I mentioned above. As I said, even basic disassembly can cause problems if not done correctly, but Jon Landell (and others) sell pamphlets detailing the very most basic maintainance practices that can be had for something like 12 USD. They can even set you up with the necessary tools if you're interested. I would highly encourage you to mail order such a pamphlet if you're interested in working on your own flutes, as it's a rather small expense to go to in order to prevent problems down the line.
nasxxx wrote:should have said a light cycle "gun oil" rather than grease. I only put a smear of gease over the 3 joins head body and foot. Have never touched the keys or the tubes. But yeah can see your points about the "glue" Probably best to try and find a free flute to practice disasembly and proper cleaning. It doesn't seem that hard, but I guess easier said than done.
You should never ever polish, grease or lube in any fashion the head, body or foot joints. They should be dry and clean. Wipe both inside and outside of those joints with a soft dry cloth before and after each assembly.
Thanxs for the heads up with this everyone, might look into those tools later on, just incase I ever come across a cheap flute to practice on. Don't really want to start playing around with the current one, incase I mess it up. But yeah alot of sound information to ponder over and what not to do.
That is how many of the techs I know started. However, if you are truly interested in learning, look into apprenticing at a shop or taking some formal classes. The mechs on a flute are created so that they have to fit together nearly perfectly. Even the slightest bend to a key or rip to a pad can cause it to be deemed unplayable. Doing something incorrectly now may seem to have little consequence, but will potentially damage a flute later on down the road.
First get a pad saver at a music store. And use it. A trick I picked up somewhere is to use a new dollar bill and place it under each pad, push down on the pad then pull the dollar bill out. Do this everyonce in a while after playing.
I play:
Piano
Organ
Clarinet
Flute
Recorder
Penny Whistle
Harmonica
Jaw Harp
Cello
Violin
Guitar
Mandolin
Ukulele
concertpianist16 wrote:First get a pad saver at a music store. And use it. A trick I picked up somewhere is to use a new dollar bill and place it under each pad, push down on the pad then pull the dollar bill out. Do this everyonce in a while after playing.
The problem with this is all of the oils on the bill will transfer to the pad. BAD idea.
I've never used any pad-savers and I haven't had any problems.
If I'm playing for an extended period of time, I use cigarette paper to absorb the moisture from a pad they may have excess condensation in that area.
concertpianist16 wrote:A trick I picked up somewhere is to use a new dollar bill and place it under each pad, push down on the pad then pull the dollar bill out. Do this everyonce in a while after playing.
Pulling a dollar bill (even a new one) under the pads is NOT a good idea for flutes. The dollar bill trick has been around for a long time and is useful on saxophones but those pads are covered with leather which is much tougher than the bladder covering of flute pads. Closing a flute key on a dollar bill and pulling it out will eventually damage the delicate bladder covering and guarantee a needed trip to your local repair technician to replace the pad(s). I've seen too many pads ripped by players trying to clean their pads with the dollar bill. It's OK to close a key on tissue paper or cigarette paper but DO NOT pull it out with the key closed.
Regarding the original question about cleaning a flute for hygienic purposes, the main thing would be to wipe the embouchure plate with alcohol on a cloth or paper towel. Dip a cotton swab (Q-Tip) in alcohol and gently clean the inside of the embouchure hole. If you are particularly germaphobic, you can also gently wipe off the exterior of the body and keys with alcohol, but don't use too much - you don't want to soak the pads with alcohol. That should adequately sanitize it.
"Never give a flute player a screwdriver."
--anonymous--
I also do not advocate the use of dollar bills or padsavers. The problem that I see with padsavers is the moisture staying inside the flute. Also, the material that is used to make it often comes off (like carpet fibers). I have seen a few flutes that have pad issues due to these fibers getting imbedded into the pad itself.
