Newbie here... Hi~ I've been playing flute since 6th grade and I'm now a senior in high school. When I finished middle school, I quit band and only played my flute three or four times before this school year when I joined my high school's concert and symphonic bands. My flute still seems to be in excellent shape, but when I was wiping it down after class yesterday, I noticed that the cork on the underside of the G# key is missing. I was running late to get to my next class, so figured I would just talk to my band director today and see what he thought, but he wasn't at school.
So, here's my question: as far as I can hear, it hasn't affected the sound of my flute - and I don't think it will - but I want to know if I should get the cork replaced right away, or if it's something that can wait another two or three weeks. (There aren't any loaner flutes available at the moment and we have a concert in less than two weeks that I have to be ready for; I'd also prefer to have my own flute for the concert, since I've never been as comfortable with the loaners the school provides.)
And also, about how much would it cost?
Got a question...
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flutepicc06
- Posts: 1353
- Joined: Mon May 29, 2006 11:34 pm
It won't make a huge difference not having it there. It will cause the G# to vent more than it should (which isn't a big problem), and the cork is there to act as a cushion between the flute tube and the key. If you can get it to a tech, it will take 5 or 10 minutes to fix (if that), and should only cost a few dollars (though if you have a good relationship with your tech, they may be willing to do it for free). It's a very simple procedure in your case, as the G# doesn't have to be regulated to work with other parts of the mech...The cork just needs to be the correct thickness to control how much the key opens (and thus how much it vents). I would encourage you to get that cork replaced as soon as possible, but it's not desperately important that it be fixed immediately.