Split E mechanism

[HMannfan]

Is it important to have the F# key seal tightly on flutes with split E mechanism? Flutes with an E facilitator ring don't seal at all and play just fine. The split E mechanism seems more like a sales gimmick than anything. What do you think?

[LarryS]

I'm just learning about flute so don't know much about the split E but I just found this about it:

http://www.mostlywind.co.uk/splite.html

[pied_piper]

Is it important to have the F# key seal tightly on flutes with split E mechanism? Flutes with an E facilitator ring don't seal at all and play just fine. The split E mechanism seems more like a sales gimmick than anything. What do you think?

Well, there are pros and cons to the split E mechanism. Some players can play 3rd octave E easily without the split E. Others struggle to make high E speak. For those, the split E can be a marvelous help. The E facilitators also help the high E speak more easily but they also have pros and cons. Regarding the F# pad sealing, the flute should always be adjusted so that the F# pad closes with the RH finger keys. I believe you are thinking about the second G (G#) key that is closed by the split E mechanism. With the split E, it can be beneficial to have it almost close, but not quite fully.