Switch to an offset G?

lisa · Post by **lisa** » Thu Nov 06, 2003 10:11 am

I am ready for a professional flute..just not
sure if I should switch to an offset G..is this common..any benefits or
negatives..any recommendations on flutes?

FluteDiddy · Post by **FluteDiddy** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 8:11 am

My girlfreind, its good to be the only boy in
the flute section, took to me a lecture by the head man of Muramatsu America. He
is also principal flutist Detroit Symphony. He said that Muramatsu, generally
regarded as one of the top couple of flute makers in the world, used to produce
90% inline flutes. Now they produce 70% offset. Now Muramatsu does not make a
student flute, they make $3000 and up flutes for very advanced and professional
players. So they aren't making all those offset flutes for beginners. Inline
will disappear as the old school gets educated. Boehm designed the flute to be
offset for good reasons. He also said in his lecture that several flutist have
injuries and no longer can play, that probably would have been avoided had they
played offset G flutes. That inline is in no way better than offset. That offset
flutes that come in used to Muramatsu are gone immediately and inline are harder
to sell. Problem is young people can adjust to inline and they wont notice the
problem it can cause until its too late. If you or anyone you care about plays
the flute, make sure they play an offset G. So to answer your question, unless
your health and longetivity of your flute playing career is less important than
your pocket book buy an offset flute.

embum79 · Post by **embum79** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 8:47 am

I agree. I love my offset-G. I have to admit
though, when I was shopping for a professional flute, there were some flutes
that I couldn't even consider because they only came with inline G. It was
rather disappointing. But I did find one that I love. Hopefully more companies
will start to offer offset-G as an option on all their flutes.

krichards · Post by **krichards** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 10:08 am

If I had it to do over again, I'd get an offset
G. Mine is open holed and I struggle sometimes to cover that one hole on my
inline G with my short, stubby fingers. I often keep it plugged for that reason.
If you're considering a closed hole flute, which you're probably not if
you're looking at professional ones, you could probably go either way without
much of an issue.

FluteDiddy · Post by **FluteDiddy** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 1:14 pm

Which companies did you find that didn't offer
offset? I didn't there were any these days.

BandGeek16 · Post by **BandGeek16** » Sat Feb 07, 2004 11:10 pm

I actually disagree with everyone that has
posted thus far. I began playing on an offset G flute. Then when I got a new
flute, it was inline. I prefer inline over offset. It offers a better hand
position, in my opinion. But, it's a matter of personal preference.

embum79 · Post by **embum79** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 10:46 pm

Flute Diddy, Hmm.. I'm trying to remember which
ones did not offer offset. I believe when I was looking, it was Muramatsu,
Haynes, and maybe something else. But I was also going through the Woodwind and
Brass company, and they may have not offered all the models, I'm not sure. You
may be right, there may not be many companies now that don't offer offset G.

FluteDiddy · Post by **FluteDiddy** » Wed Feb 11, 2004 8:05 am

Both Muramatsu, who sells mostly (70%) offset
and Haynes offer offset and have for a long time. Offset have been in short
supply as the companies meet increasing demand and excess inline inventory
sometimes show up at discounters. So that maybe what you saw. Because of the all
the negatives of inline they will all but disappear in coming years. Did you
read the article by one of the foremost authorities in the world on flute
structure saying how much faster you can play on an offset? Buying an inline at
this point is just a mistake of ignorance. Unless you aren't serious about your
play want to save a few bucks because you only play occasionally or aren't in
it for the long term.

damjan · Post by **damjan** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 5:07 am

I am not sure I would agree with offset
necessarily being better. I like that position of inline and even when I was
still playing offset G, my middle and index fingers were going over the keys, so
inline is more comfortable for me. A mistake that people usually make is not
breaking the left wrist enough, which then makes it hard to reach the inline
keys. I think it as a matter of preference as well as of hand size, finger size,
etc...

FluteDiddy · Post by **FluteDiddy** » Thu Feb 12, 2004 7:43 am

Maybe you should have your wrist position
checked by a quality teacher. It sounds like you are in a position that will
cause you long term problems. In proper wrist position the ring finger is too
short to reach inline keys. There is a falacy about finger length. There have
been people playing for 20 years who finally found out after having to ger rehab
that they were holding the flute wrong. If your not stretching with your ring
finger more than your middle, you most likely are doing damage to your wrist.

ick27 · Post by **ick27** » Sat Feb 14, 2004 7:14 pm

The offset G is of purely ergonomic value. When
flute shopping, you will find that some flutes are much more comfortable in your
hands than others (and obviously, offset/inline is an important factor in
comfort). I can comfortably play either offset or inline, and my current flute
is half offset. I find that the position of the keys is where my fingers
naturally fall when resting on the flute, but my first flutes were inline and I
did not experience any discomfort because of it. Offset G's will usually be
more comfortable for people with smaller hands (including children). So the
bottom line is, get the flute that fits you best and feels the most comfortable
(this is not just a matter of pure comfort, it helps your flute playing.) It may
feel strange to swtich from one to the other (inline/offset), but you should be
able to tell which is most comfortable after some trial. -Bradford

piccylo789 · Post by **piccylo789** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 4:36 pm

I was just wondering at what level you play. I
would assume that in a prefessional standard orchestra, symphony or band you
would not be allowed to play a purple flute? I think i remember reading that you
bought a purple flute because it stood out(did i imagine it?) but doesnt that
kind of defeat the purpose? The purpose being to impress with your sound not
your looks. Looks are important but are no match for sound i would think. I was
just wondering![:praise:]

piccylo789 · Post by **piccylo789** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 4:39 pm

^^sorry guys... i forgot to mention that i was
talking to flutediddy. ^^

powayflute01 · Post by **powayflute01** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 8:02 pm

I do not believe that there is any
advantage/disadvantage to playing an offset or inline. I think it's really just
a matter of personal preference. I happen to have very long fingers, so I like
the inline; it feels more comfortable for me. Some people like the offset
because they have shorter fingers or maybe it just feels more natural. Heck, I
know a flute teacher who soldered extensions on to each key on her flute because
she has really bad arthritis. Each to his/her own...

Kendall · Post by **Kendall** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 8:12 pm

I like my offset because that's what I've
always had... I've never heard of an "inline-injury" so to speak. I don't
doubt that it cold happen, I just prefer the offset.