Fluteland.com Flute Message Board

One typical problem when going from Eb or D to C (and vice versa) is the coordination of the fingers. It's one of the most difficult transitions to do smoothly because all or most of the fingers are all moving in the opposite direction of each other. If all the fingers don't move precisely at the ex...

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 ...

For your vibrato, listen to recordings of other players and try to emulate their sound. It just takes a while to get it going smoothly.

For the C-D trill, are you using the trill key?

You might want to check out the You Tube flute competition:
http://www.banddirector.com/contest/

The rules are here:
http://www.banddirector.com/contest/page/rules

You'll probably need to get a different flute. Most manufacturers offer either the C or B foot joint, but you'll find it difficult to get a separate footjoint with no flute. There's at least one manufacturer (John Lunn) that offers a convertible C/B footjoint, but it's a pro model and it must be pur...

I have two flute performance degrees, my master's from a major NYC conservatory where I studied with a big-wig teacher, but I make my living as a lawyer. To follow up on sidekicker's point, I too, have a music degree (music education). I spent 6 years teaching and playing, but left teaching when I ...

Yes, it's uncommon, but it may be possible if you have the drive to do it. The question that I would have to ask is: Why the sudden revelation that you want to major in music? You stated that you stopped participating in the school music program before high school. How can you be certain that this i...

fluttiegurl wrote:I have been told that the model 90 Armstrings were solid silver...

The Armstrong Model 90 has a sterling head and body, but the keys are plated.

You are likely to need to work on your chops to get them back into shape. If you have not played much in 10 years, much of the endurance and some of the finer points of the embouchure are likely to have faded. That said, the most important thing is just to start playing and get back into the daily p...

Most flutemakers call it a High-E facilitator. It's a disc inserted into the G key that makes it easier to play a High-E (E3). It's a cheaper alternative to a split-E mechanism. See the FAQ or search the board for High-E for a more lengthy discussion of the pros and cons.

I know what you mean about the gold-plated lip plates on student and intermediate flutes - they are just bling and nothing more. They add no sound improvement. However, the pro flute and headjoint makers are starting to offer headjoints with lots of options. This past summer I tried a number of diff...

Definitely keep your current flute and keep it in working order. I have a handmade Muramatsu, but I also have an Armstrong Model 80 as a backup. You never know when you might need it (in case your main flute is in the shop for maintenance or repairs).

i dont consider auditions good situations regardless of result, and thats just why. 4 auditions, and 4 rejections... its impossible for me to think of them as being good, even if i dont get in. if they reject me again, obviously i suck. .... its kinda rediculous anyway, im paying for my education, ...

You might want to think of playing the flute in the third (and fourth) octave as being very similar to an athlete training for the pole vault. It takes time to build up the muscles to make the tallest vaults. Just think of it as a progression and repetition. Athletes do lots of different strength bu...

Room acoustics also affect what you hear. When I play in a very small room or if I stand very close to a wall, I can hear more air in my sound. When I play in a larger room and stay away from walls, I don't hear it as much. The "airy" sound is made up of a lot of very high frequencies that easily re...