All this info is relly interesting but also a bit confusing... Any way I'm willing to apwnd upto $2300 on a new flute and can anyone reccomend some good flutes and brands?? Also I have tried some new flutes, but my lips feel strange when i blow, and i dont think the tone is as good as my old flute, is that normal and will i have to get used to the flute or should it normally sound pretty good first go?

If you use the typical F# fingering the note is significantly more difficult to play in comparison to those surrounding it, however if you use the alternate fingering with the middle finger on the right hand down it plays easier.

You most likely have a regulation leak at the split G keys. High F# is unstable and sharp because the mechanics of the instrument double vent the note (two open tone holes instead of just one). High E also has this problem , but the Split E mechanism is an alternative that can be accomplished to close the necessary one by splitting the G keys for individual operation by another key.

On a split E, you have two keys that will close the unfingered lower G key. One is the usual G key that you place your finger on, the other is the E key which operates a lever to lower that same key.

A slight leak will result in making an unstable high F# even more unstable. With the regular F# fingering, the lower G is closed by the regulating screw from the G key, Probably just slightly leaking). On the alternate fingering (RH middle finger) The split E mechansim will close that key too. So it sounds like the G key to lower G key is slightly out of regulation, but your split E is correctly regulated.

Joe B

If you use the typical F# fingering the note is significantly more difficult to play in comparison to those surrounding it, however if you use the alternate fingering with the middle finger on the right hand down it plays easier.

I'm thinking she is speaking of the keywork delay that the extra linkage the split E adds to the middle right finger and its affect making switching some notes like E to F# difficult in comparison to a flute without split E.

This is due to bad adjustment (common?). The three main right hand keys should have equal resistance, but on a split E split the middle key may have more resistance which can make switching to F# in fast passages quite difficult.

A flute tech should be able to fix the problem if pointed out.

The middle finger of the right hand on a split-E flute depresses the lever which closes the G tone hole, which a non-split E flute does not.

The difference is significant enough to affect the transition between E and F# as when you are fingering a series of notes with all left hand keys down, all of the right hand keys on a non-split E flute only affect one other key and have equal resistance... on a split E flute it is not so as the middle finger depresses two keys.

The resistance is enough make switches between E and F# and vice versa sloppy and one of the main reasons it is shunned by people who have tried split E flutes did not like the experience of an unbalanced right hand.



<Added>

Correction: on a split E flute it is not so as the middle finger depresses a weight bar and a lever which depresses the G key.

Well not really. On a standard flute's third octave: ....

I was speaking of only the mid-range of the flute..

as when you are fingering a series of notes with all left hand keys down

It is also not the springs that are the cause of the heavy resistance of the middle finger, but moving of more keywork with one finger than on the other keys. It becomes starkly apparent when playing rapid passages, as usually all three right hand notes depress the same alternate key. The depressed key should not have need to rise when any one of the three right hand keys are pressed down and there is very equal light resistance… however with a split E the equal weight distribution is upset as the middle key also moves the split E weight bar and lever that depresses the G tone hole.

The spring resistance of the outside right hand keys can be adjusted to compensate, though not entirely as that split-E key will always interfere with E-F# passages. One need not even play the flute, by simply rapidly alternating F to F# and back and then E to F# and back switching between a non-split E flute and a split E flute the handicap is apparent.

The severity of the handicap may differ among flute makers and many flutists do compensate for it… by using their middle finger for F# as it will become far more reliable a fingering than the standard F#.