After reading the mold post it reminded me that I`m having trouble cleaning my headjoint. I cant reach the very back of it with the cloth and so water builds up there and it`s starting to tarnish. Any ideas on how to reach that?

Anyone??

A great trick to this is to first put a small amount of cloth in the beginning of the headjoint, then take your cleaning rod and push is up gently (not too hard against the cork) with your cleaning rod.

They make fancy things called flute flags for this, but there is no need for one if you just do what I suggested.

I am very picky about this too and I found out this trick years ago.

Another great thing to do is swab out the foot joint first, then the body and then the headjoint. The headjoint holds the most moisture, so you want to swab it out last.

Hope this helps. If you want to get anymore tips, please don`t hesitate to ask.

haha ty for that, actually i already do that but im so scared of scratching the sides, but i guess i`ll stick to that.

haha ty for that, actually i already do that but im so scared of scratching the sides, but i guess i`ll stick to that.

Your welcome. You can purchase a plastic or wood cleaning rod if you don`t already have one. Then you won`t have to worry about it.

If you are really carful, it should be okay anyway.

Tinuviel, you can get the cleaning cloth to reach a bit further towards the stopper in the head if you do the following:

first, if your cleaning cloth is the shape of a handkerchief and is on the large side, or thickish (both of which help a little with cleaning), then fold a strip down one side to make a new corner, say 1.5 inches from an original corner. This ensures that the centre of the hanky is not too bulky to go easily into the flute, and also adds to the bulk where you need it, at the end of the rod.

After you have threaded the new corner through the cleaning rod, wrap the next section of fabric over the END of the rod. This adds a bit more bulk to the fabric where you need it.

However, in my experience NO cloth wrapped around a cleaning rod will clean right up to the junction between the end of the stopper and the flute tube, so this is where tarnish and possibly debris do tend to collect.

To clean and polish this area, the stopper really needs to be taken out. This is probably not a good thing to be doing on a regular basis, because they can easily become too loose. If it bothers you,

I suggest you get your technician to attend to this tarnish next time he/she sees your flute. In the mean time don`t worry about it.

Flutes tarnish. You will also gradually get tarnish around the inaccessible areas of the mechanism, and this, too, is best left to a technician, who can quickly and easily remove the keys for access, and return them, without risk of damage.

I use the Kara method too.

I usually insert cloth through the rod and flip the large portion over the rod to do an initial swab, unflip, stick the little bit of cloth in the headjoint while wrapping the rod with the large portion, and twirl it at the top.

Lol! The "Kara method." I like that.

Hey, who knows, maybe someday I will become famous!

I assumed everyone cleaned like that!

I think your local climate also has an influence. I used to live in a fairly humid place, and I had to be fastidious about cleaning my flute, often using more than one cloth to insure dryness. I now live in an extremely dry climate, and my flute is dry nearly immediately after playing! My cloth is rarely even damp.

I have never seen anyone clean like that before. I have always had to show someone that.

Another I like to do, which I am sure others do also, is take the soft side of sticky back velcro and put a small piece of it on my flute where my left hand rests.

It makes it so much more comfy to play. I have to play for several hours a day sometimes, so it has really helped.

I`ve never felt comfortable with sticking things on my flute. Doesn`t it leave a gummy residue?

A little bit, but rubbing alcohol takes it right off. Trust me, if I put it on my Powell (my most prized possession!) then it is totally safe.

I would get callused so bad on my left hand from playing so much. I had tried other things, but this worked the best for me. It is much more comfortable now.

I tried using the Dr. Scholl`s corn pads, but they were so small and would stay stuck to my flute. This seemed to be the only thing that would stick really well.

Now the whole flute section in the community band that I play in has one stuck to they`re flutes. Lol!

" tried using the Dr. Scholl`s corn pads, but they were so small and would stay stuck to my flute. This seemed to be the only thing that would stick really well."

I meant to say they WOULD NOT stay stuck to my flute.

You have to realize that when you practice for hours at a time that area where the left index finger meets the flute gets rather sore over time. It can get quite red and throbby when I get to my 4th hour, but it`s a good pain. The worse that can come of it is a callous. I never developed a callous though.

Kara obviously doesn`t accept the "no pain, no gain" school of thought and makes a cushion to let herself practice beyond that 4th hour. Stickiness is cleanable or coverup-able.

Check out what can happen when you practice for long hours without protection. Some see it as a badge... others just an unnecessary callous.
http://www.superflute.com/hold.htm

If I even start to form a callous I`m sticking a Dr. Scholl`s pad on my flute.