Hi, I'm in 8th grade and I've been playing the flute for almost 4 years. I currently play on a Gemeinhardt 2SP.

My flute teacher recommended that I upgrade soon, so I tried out several brands and models: Jupiter 611RBSO (used, $650), Sankyo CF201 (new, ~$2,500 retail) and Gemeinhardt Brio! B1 (new, ~$2,000 retail). The Sankyo sounded the clearest and brightest, but it was also difficult to play once I got to the higher notes and it some ways it was "too" bright for me. The Gemeinhardt Brio! sounded similar, but with a slightly less clear tone and a warmer, darker sound, and it was also the easiest for me to play. I didn't like the Jupiter at all.

I may be trying some more flutes sometime this week, but in the meantime, what do you think? I've heard that Gemeinhardt isn't a very good company, but for me, it felt like the best choice when I did a blind test. I've heard good things about Sankyo but it's expensive and didn't feel as comfortable as the Gemeinhardt. Should I try a Yamaha? I've heard both good and bad things about it...mostly good.

BTW, thanks in advance and sorry if I sound stupid and clueless. I'm kinda new to this all because I've never had to look closely at flutes before.

Did your teacher say why you should upgrade? In what way(s) is(are) your current flute inhibiting your playing? Its not unusual for 2SP players to have difficulty playing sufficiently loud. Anything else by comparison may sound too shrill not sufficiently mellow etc. In other words you need to know what you are looking for.

You might also find it helpful to talk to your contemporaries about the flutes they play and what they like/dislike about them. I'd certainly try some Yamaha flutes.

It isn't so much bad vs. good companies, it's more of what is right for you. I've had students swear Yamahas were the only thing for them because it was the "best" company and they actually perform better on different brands. If you like the Geimindhart, go with it, or lean toward the Yamaha. Toss what sort of company makes the flute out the window when you're test shopping.

I think it's odd that you're already upgrading in 8th grade, but I know a lot of schools bring in their local music shop reps. to push an upgrade on younger students around this time. If you're totally sure you want an upgrade, go for it, but if someone is pushing you into it, reconsider. Whatever you choose, good luck!

Being that you are in 8th grade, I would be a bit almost cautious or afraid to take a $2000 plus flute to school. I don't know what your level of playing is, so I really can't comment on what model would be best for you. I do tend to think that like Celebrian pointed out that higher grade models are being almost pushed on kids in school. One brand I would look into that may suit your needs is the Azumi and I would definitely try out a Yamaha. I have found that a simple Yamaha 221 with an upgraded headjoint will outplay some of those fancy high dollar open hole flutes and be much more practical especially for someone still in grade school. Good luck with it.

try each one blindfolded, see what feels and sounds the best to you

Thanks for the advice! My teacher said I should upgrade sometime before the end of ninth grade, so I still have lots of time. She wants me to upgrade because she says the 2SP is starting to hold me back a little in playing. I'll see if there are any Azumis for me to try and I will be trying some Yamahas this week.

I have another question, though: ekdavies mentioned that 2SP players may have difficulty playing sufficiently loud. These days, especially in band during those loud dramatic fortissimo moments, I've noticed that I just can't seem to play loud. It's like I can't get enough sound to come out of the flute. Also, other brands seems really loud, bright, and shrill to me. Is it supposed to be like this or do I have to fix something in my playing or habits?

Gemeinhardts have unusual embouchure holes that can make it difficult for those that are accustomed to Gemmies to transition to other instruments. This may be impacting you, and giving you the impression that the other flutes are bright or shrill when in fact you just haven't figured out how to play them yet. A longer trial (over the course of a week or ten days) might help you figure things out and find a flute that you like, but in the end, you might just need to commit to learning how to get the sound you want out of whatever flute you buy. If you can take a break from your flute (possibly over the summer) for a few days, so that you're less set in Gemeinhardt embouchure, you might have better results playtesting other instruments. There are several other brands you should try as well, such as Emerson, DiMedici, Amadeus, Sonare, Muramatsu, Pearl, and Trevor James. And as Patrick suggested, blind testing (so you don't know what you're playing on) is the best way to go shopping, as it will make sure you're influenced only by how the flute plays for you and not by what material it's made of, options on it, maker, or any other superficial trait.

If your flute teacher says that your current flute is beginning to hold you back, AND said teacher doesn't get a cut of the profit when you buy that upgrade flute, then your upgrade flute search should begin!

Play-testing blind will help because it will help you identify which flute has been padded and adjusted to play the best, in addition to 'feeling out' the different headjoint cuts to see how well you can make them play. The padding/adjustment issue is fairly important, every brand new flute will usually NOT play at its potential because it takes a long time and a talented technician to do a really good padding job, and most flute companies just don't want to spend the money to do it.

I had a lot of difficulty switching from a Gemeinhardt headjoint to another flute (I liked a Prima Sankyo NRS-1 headjoint best). The Gemmie HJ 'trained' me to blow across the embouchure too much, rather than down into the headjoint, where I get a much more complex sound. I had to get untrained before the pro headjoints I tried sounded good. I thought I would keep my Gem. 3SHB as a backup, but once I learned to play the good headjoints, it was really hard to make the Gem sound good, so I sold it and bought a Pearl 501 as a backup- its barrel is the same size as my fancy flute and I can use my good headjoints in it.

Flutist06 had a great suggestion/advice regarding a 'sabbatical' from your Gemmie while you try new flutes and headjoints. Your brain will play tricks on you and you will use your Gemmie muscles to try to make the new flute sound good, which doesn't work very well. You really have to learn how to play a new flute. My estimate is that you can be 60 to 70% of your eventual skill level on a headjoint fairly quickly, but it can take 3 months (or even more) to really learn to make it sound fabulous (your 100% skill level).

Kara had a great suggestion, too, regarding using a really good headjoint in a well-made student flute. I bought a Pearl, even though I planned on buying a Yamaha 200, because that flute was in great condition (used) and overhauled/padded/adjusted by a really good flute tech. It is my backup flute (my fancy one is a Yamaha 881) and I would rather play the Pearl($400) with one of my good headjoints ($600 to $800) than, say, the $1750-plus Yamaha 300 or 400 series upgrade flutes, which have a headjoint that just doesn't float my boat. The pro-headjoint on a Yamaha flute comes with the 500 series and up.

You may even be able to try a pro headjoint in your own Gemmie flute. I am guessing that you are being held back on tone production, rather than a lack of open holes or a B-footjoint.

My flute teacher is a flutist who plays in small ensembles and a symphony orchestra and has been teaching for...well, I don't know exactly how long, but she's taught for at least 20 years and many say she's the best in our area. And no, she doesn't receive any money from companies wanting to sell their flutes.

The "vacation" from my Gemmie sounds good, except that I always sound awful after taking a break from playing because my muscles are out of shape. I caught two nasty viruses this year, both of which forced me to stay in bed for at least three days. It took almost a week to get fully back into shape and sounding like my regular self.

Although the main reason my teacher wants me to upgrade is because of tone quality and clarity/response, she did say I should be on an open-hole flute soon, which is why I've been looking at all of those expensive models. I suppose I could get a student model-type open hole flute and then use a fancy headjoint on it. I'll mention it at my lesson this Friday.

Which brands sell headjoints only?

Thanks for all of your tips and advice. You've been a tremendous help so far.

Unless you'll be playing a lot of contemporary repertoire, you won't need the open holes (they're useful only for extended effects like glisses, pitch shading, and some notes in the fourth octave, not for increased resonance, better tone, or anything else), so you might save some money on a decent quality plateau flute (these generally sell quite a bit cheaper than their French counterparts), and pair it with a good headjoint. Almost any company will sell headjoints alone, particularly the higher level makers like Powell, Brannen, Landell, Miyazawa, etc.

While what Flutist06 says is accurate, keep in mind that if you decide to sell the flute in the U.S. market, it won't pay to have a closed hole flute. This is especially true for the models in the $2-3K price range. You'll have more trouble finding a buyer for a higher priced closed hole flute, and you can expect to get significantly less money than you would for an open hole flute.

Additionally, many U.S. flutists and teachers associate open hole flutes with higher manufacture quality and higher player proficiency. This association is far from valid, but it exists.

While you may get less money, you'll also pay less to get one used, so you won't exactly be losing money or anything. And there are plenty of people that will buy a plateau flute....You just have to be willing to wait one of them out.

Some quality Japanese flutes, such as Sankyo and Pearl, are the same price new for open and closed hole.

Most flutes are the same price new regardless of whether they have French or plateau keywork, as long as they have the same specs otherwise and come from the same maker.

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In otherwords, most makers don't charge more for one style of keywork than the other.

In the US, open holes are absolutely associated with better quality flutes, as is a B-footjoint.

I think it's important to note that while that association does exist in many people's minds, it's not based in fact. There are plenty of low quality instruments with open holes, and some extremely fine flutes with plateau keys. Most of the upper level instruments you'll encounter in the US do indeed have French keywork, but the keywork in and of itself is not indicative of quality.