I tried a Yamaha 361H flute at a music store and it sounded way better than the Armstrong 303B. It was $795! I am in 6th grade and want an open holed intermediate flute. This one sounded just right for me. Do you think it's a good price and are Yamaha flutes reliable instruments?

Thank you. Please comment!

People have already answered you in your other repeat post. Unless you are going to play jazz, an open hole flute is senseless. It just makes it that much harder for you to play. It is built the same as the student Yamaha 221, so you are just paying a lot more for holes. I know it is the fad, along with having the B foot that is never used in young school age, but try and think of the person that has to pay for the flute. Do you really want them to spend more for something simply because of myth and a fad that is in the US?

<Added>

And yes, the Yamaha is worlds better than an Armstrong. The Armstrong will only suit to hold you back.

I understand that open holes aren't necessary at the time. But there may be a time when I will want an open holed flute for things like jazz. It would cost a lot more money to buy a new flute with them or have new keys put on later then to simply buy one with open hole keys now and put in the corks. I know it will be harder but I tried one of my teachers open hole flutes for a few days to see if I wanted one and I know that I will be able to do it. So please do not assume that I just want them because of a fad. My parents understand why buying an open hole flute is important to me. This flute will be the one I will play for the rest of my life.

<Added>

And yes! The Yamaha's tone did not compare to the Armstrong's. I know that Yamaha would be the best brand for me. Sorry I mistakenly made another forum.

Okay then. Get an open hole flute if that is what you like. As long as you are happy and like it, that is all that really matter then. I was just trying to help out in case you wanted to save the person that is buying it money. Heck, if you don't have to buy it though, then who cares. When you progress further and do get older, you will find much higher end flutes that you may want to switch to to be your forever flute. You just may want to keep that in mind.

<Added>

PS. I have an open hole Miyazawa only because in the US they have a stupid hang up with open hole flutes and if I wanted a closed hole pro flute then I would have had to wait over a year for it to be made. It is really irritating. It is so forced here on us in the US. But, yes, if you do play jazz in the 8th grade like so many do, then you will need them.

Unless you are going to play jazz, an open hole flute is senseless.

That's really not accurate. Mostly it's simply a matter of preference (and to some degree availability as you mentioned). Some jazz players use open holed flutes, some play closed hole flutes. The same is true for classical flutists. If anything, open holes are more prevalent among classical flutists and closed holes more common in jazz especially among doublers.

Open holes simply allow more fingering possibilities which in turn allow more options in playing music. An open hole flute can make it easier to play glissandos and bend the pitch, which are common techniques in jazz. But, modern classical music also employs a lot of those same techniques and more too. For playing quarter tones and other modern techniques such as multiphonics (yes, not common), open holes are nearly essential. All of those techniques can be used in either classical or jazz and so equating open holes with only jazz is very misleading.

Very sorry. I stand corrected, they are not only used in Jazz. Good point.

Hey thanks. And I understand why you would think that I wouldn't need need an open hole flute. Thanks for your opinion. That's what the forum's here for

I do not play jazz and have no intention of so doing. However, I wanted an open hole flute because I wanted to correct my finger positions and with open holes you must place your fingers more accurately or you get no sound. So I bought my Yamaha YFL674 with open holes (and, unfortunately, a B foot which in USA seems to be the only alternative as Kate said above)

But, in my case, I was wrong. the fingers I needed to correct the most (RH ring finger, for example) would not learn so easily to go quickly where they should go. The result was a much increased difficulty in playing and although I tried everything during a relative long time, I finally had to plug the majority of the holes.

I believe, however, that one should buy and use the type of instrument that one has in mind -and can pay for-. IMO you will feel more satisfied because you have what you wanted and cannot fancy that with the original choice, things could have been better in some aspect.

So if you are inclined to go open holes and can pay the price difference, I would do it.

Also, holes can be plugged very easily and efficiently the case needed. Not with the simple cork or plastic plugs supplied by Yamaha, the will eventually slip and get lost sooner or later. I lost half a dozen.

Recently I bought a set of Powell metallic plugs, a very carefully manufactured type with "O" rings an all what is needed to plug all holes correctly, with the bonus that they are very good to the touch and sight. They are not expensive, either.

And as long as open holes continue to be "à la mode", you could resell the flute for a higher price (IMO), compared to the closed holes model, if you want to upgrade later.


<Added>

OOPS!
"an all" = "and all"

Jose, I had to get a B foot too. I despise B footjoints too. Miyazawa said it would be over $1000 if I wanted to order a C foot for my flute. I bought a used silver Altus footjoint at a good price but ended up selling it because the reach for the D# was further away then I would like for my hands. When I want to play a low C I keep on pressing the roller for the B by accident and it gets very frustrating. I have tried exercise after exercise with my pinky finger to try to get used to it but it is no use. (I have shorter fingers.) I was considering on just taking the B roller off. I only have to play a low B once in a blue moon and if that is the case I could just put it back on. The lower register is so much easier with a C foot for me too. I wish they would offer more option readily available here in the US.

Life has been so much easier for me now that I plugged up all the holes on my flute too. I can play much faster with so much more ease. I just can't understand why people want to make life harder for themselves by trying to cover up the holes, that is all.

Yes, the same happened to me when I was shopping for a new flute. Flute World could supply a silver Yamaha with open holes and C foot, but there was a 12+ month wait and some overprice, I think.

I was not convinced about the B foot and asked some musician friends about their opinion.

One interesting answer I received was that many professionals like it, because of the high C facilitator (not sure of its actual name) that comes with it.

Anyway, there was no choice if I wanted open holes and silver body and so I bought the 674.

The B roller is a problem, yes. Having to stop the movement of the pinky when sliding from the low C# plate to C roller, so that it doesn't reach the second roller, is an added difficulty.

I am working on this change these days as I am studying the Pavana Op 50 by G. Fauré. It is a slow piece, but anyway I find the slurred sequence C-> C#-> C-> D# difficult to play cleanly.
In my flute the B roller is quite high over the FJ tube and I see no easy way of placing a piece of carton of similar to block it always up (a trick I used sometimes with the second trill).

When no pinky sliding is necessary, I prefer to hit the C directly from above, without going first to the C# plate. There is also a trick that can be used on some notes, when you can raise the pinky without major tone problems. I raise the pinky well in advance of playing the C, so that I have it more ready when the C comes.

After the success of the spring reinforcement for that trill problem, I wonder if a similar thing could not be done with the B roller spring. Even bending the spring a little could help. It is easy to reach on the Yamaha, because it is mounted on the other end, near the pad. But the problem with sliding is taht even a very small force has big effect on the roller.

In case you ever try something like this and have positive results, please let me know.

It would mean another trip to the technician for me, unfortunately, but I would be happy if this solves the problem.

So would you say that a Yamaha 361H is a good model?

Yes, I would go with a Yamaha of an Armstrong. Could you please not repeat your post and keep it in one thread? It helpful to the readers. Thanks.

I have a high opinion on Yamaha student and intermediate flutes and I play both. (YFL 211 and YFL 674) The HJ cut is also important. I have experienced the EC cut for some three years (it is standard on the 674 ) and (albeit shortly) the CY cut of the 211. The CY is easier to play but a little more limited than the EC. Probably for an upgrade, as you are already experienced, an EC cut HJ could be preferable. Try to check both HJ models before buying, it is quite important.

I would recommend Yamaha if you have tried and liked it. But I believe the H on the model number stands for heavy (thick) wall, but no sure. Were it the case, I should go for a standard wall flute instead, because in the future if you want to change head joints you could be more limited in your choice or require additional technician labour to have it fit. HJs are always tried before buying (no sense to buy them blind) but you cannot try it if the HJ does not fit at all your heavy wall instrument.

At that flute level most probably there would be no advantage in using a heavy wall model.

These assessments (as well as all I produce) could be corrected or completed by more knowledgeable members here.

I have a heavy wall flute because it sounded better (more darker) and had more resistance for me than the standard wall. I have not found it to be a problem with headjoints. Many top notch headjoint makers make a variety of headjoint sizes to select from.
Even if you would like to buy used and try out standard wall headjoints than you are able to by adding some tape to the end. Having a headjoint fitted is not much money at all.

The H after is indicates that is has a B footjoint. It would have an HHV after the model # if it were a heavy wall.

<Added>

is=it. Sorry.

I see, thank you.

So mine should be 674H, having a B foot. But I do not recall buying that model. I will check the invoice, to quench my curiosity. On the flute body it is only marked as "674".

When I was shopping for a new HJ I contacted Nagahara and they said they could not be sure of the right HJ size "because I could have a thick wall flute" But I suppose it would be more of a problem to install a thick wall headjoint on a standard wall body without resizing, than the opposite.