whoever said mid range Eb is the highest note on flute has no idea what they're talking about. There are notes much higher on flute then that....

there is high Eb
there is high D (which is in the 3rd octave)
there is the highest G I know on flute, which is in the 3rd or 4th octave
then you have high F# and high F
also high E....

I'm not claiming to be a genius on flute, but I'm no novice. I've been playing 15 months, so I'm at the intermediate level with flute, currently learning jazz. Jazz is wonderful once you master it...while you are still learning it you want to kill your instrument on a regular basis because it's so frustrating sometimes....

Thanks for that link, Micron! I got a good little chuckle out of some of those posts. It never ceases to amaze me how adamantly people will defend their misinformation. But I agree, that based on the tone of that thread, we most definitely do NOT need to go back there right now.

I agree, that has been done to death, so lets let it die in dignity

It's intersting to know that someone can be at intemediate level after 15 months playing the flute.

Makes me feel dumb. I consider myself a beginner after 3 years! And all my student colleagues share more or less the same level after the same time....

We do not have a consistent way to place us at levels (beginner, intermediate etc).

I also think that as a younger student player there may be a case of "relativism", that is, relative to the others in my environment I am better than some and not as good as others....therefore I am at the intermediate level.

I see.

In fact, I was being a little ironic, not for being evil, but because here we have quite strict "grades" and levels. It is part of the oficial musical education system.

My teacher considers me to be at the spanish equivalent of 3rd grade beginner level. (I'm not really there, as I follow the "career" freely and do not sit for regular exams).

A student starting the intermediate level here must have a minimum of 4 years study, if I am not wrong.

With 15 monts a student would be starting his/her second grade of beginner level, unless geniously gifted.

Jose

If a student has the technical ability to play a more difficult piece but lacks understanding, is that student more advanced?

If a student struggles technically but plays with passion and personality, is that student of a lower level?

Music, and levels of ability are very subjective

Good questions, Patrick.

They are not easy to answer and they could well start an interesting thread, like the one about piano, forte etc.

I was only referring to names we give here to the levels where the students are.

Being ironic is not easy and often takes us by wrong ways. I never learn.

In the official education system here, it is not possible to skip levels except probably for very notable exceptions.

So a student cannot declare to be in a level (of the system) if he/she is still in another.

Concerning the passion and personality of a player, I consider those attributes to be among the most important in a performer, but only once a minimum technical skill is achieved.

Otherwise the player cannot transmit the emotion to his/her public.

I sometimes feel and become very emotioned but my skill is still not good enough to arise those feeligs in others that just listen to my sound but cannot imagine how I hear or imagine it to be, internally.

Do I play with passion and (some) personality? Oh, yes.

But those listening would not say so, because I lack skill, speed and tone quality.

Sure others have lots of interesting opinions on this issue.