Good morning. I searched through old posts looking, but didn't really find an answer for this. My son is a serious low brass musician, and will be attending college next year as a music Ed major. He needs to take up a second style of instrument, and is planning on flute, because it is the least conflicting of the woodwinds to his embouchure.

I know that with brass for example, "beginner" or "student" mouthpieces are partly designed for an ease of playability as you develope your embouchure and skill, not just quality and price. My question is, (and forgive me, because I know nothing about flutes): Is there any reason he would need to start with a student model, to make it easier for him to play, or if I went straight to mid range intermediate, would we be good to go?

Thank you,

Jared

Jennifer Cluff has written a lot of detailed advice on what flute to buy, which to avoid. You can Google on her name, it's easy to find.

You probably want closed or "plateau" keys (not open), offset G (not inline), and a C foot (not B). A lot of people start on a Yamaha 211, it's a great flute and will take you a long way before needing an upgrade (his college teacher should help with that anyway). They're usually inexpensive to rent, or the resale value is good if you buy.

Student model flutes come with headjoints with cuts that may not give the depth or dynamic range you would get with a professionally made headjoint.

With brass instruments you can buy professional mouthpieces rather cheaply vs flute headjoints which may cost as much as an "intermediate flute" itself.

If your price range is around $1000, you can try the the Pearl Quantz Special edition with Forza headjoint or Azumi with Z-cut headjoint. Those flutes and heads really may be the best bang for the buck if you're on a budget.

Used you can find professional Yamaha 500 flutes for around 2k, but they may be inline and/or C foot.

Open holes are a non-issue as they can be plugged.

Inline/Offset is an ergonomic choice, inline can be painful for some, it is NEVER ergonomic.

B-foot allows the playing of the lowest B on flute, which is very rare in music. It does greatly affect resale value as no one wants to buy C-foot.

Silver/plating on a flute should not greatly affect the sound of the flute as it is the chamber of air in the flute vibrating that makes the sound. You'll hear more difference between different brands/designs than different materials.

Plating on a flute can wear over time, but it can last for years and years to come if one simply wipes down their flute after playing.

hello Jared,

May I suggest that there are many used instruments available. As a mus Ed major, it would be best for your son to take some private lessons if this is going to be a 'minor' of sorts. If this is the case, then he may ask his flute instructor about finding something to get a good beginning of the fundamentals. Money can be an issue and decent 2nd hand instrument can be had for about 1/3 the price of a new one that may not hold up as well as a student line instrument. The private instructor or even an upper level flute major can check over such an instrument for playability. The trick is to find a playable instrument and have it tested in person.

~bilbo
N.E. Ohio