Hello everyone. I just recieved my gemeinhardt 3sb flute in the mail today and lets just say i do LOVE it! But im worried. I know ive only had it about 45 minutes, but im just scared the notes will never come out for me! I KNOW im overexaggerating, but how long does it take most people to get a decent range of notes out, say low F to 1st D above staff? Thanks alot!

O, by the way, my footjoint tenor seems extreamly stiff before the first inch or so. Is this just newness?? Thanks!

tenon*

Well your Gemeinhardt 3SB should play all notes C1-C4 comfortably, though I have had issues with the lowest B, but I have troubles getting the low B+C keys down . I usually only use it when rehearsing Sax/Oboe studies on my flute though though.

o, im sorry, you misunderstood, i shouldve said this more accuratley. this is my first flute EVER. Im saying, with a normal person (well not exactly normal, im praticing like 8 hours a day, it is summer :-)
But how long does it usually take to get a good range of notes clearly out of flute? With a beginner (a very dedicated beginner) Thanks for your help though, im glad to hear of someone else who has a 3sb and enjoys it, its a GORGEOUS instrument, o by the way, i got an offset g key by mistake, and i love it, it plays very easily, i didnt even notice at first.

Although incredibly boring. Long tone exercises are must for good tone production when starting out on an instrument. Practice long tones for at least 10-15 minutes before you work on other things. Once you nail down tone production everything else comes along.

I wish I could tell you how long it will take you to be proficient, but I`ll tell you this... when I was in Jr. High I was a horrible player and could barely read rhythms. I transfered to another school which emphasized long tones, scales, intervals, appreggios, and rythm exercises. The next year I transfered back to my old school and was the best in my school. p

If your just starting out don`t worry about a range of notes just concentrate on getting a note out on one specific note. Just focus on one note say low Bb and try to get the best sound you can. Try to remember the same mouth positioning and how your mouth, and lips felt (also called an embouchure) when you played this note. If you can play one note good THEN you can move on to trying to play more notes. Don`t rush into trying to get all the notes in the flute range out on your first try.

I would say that if you are a beginner and you are practicing 8 hours per day, then you are probably doing yourself a lot of damage. You are supposed to be training muscles, and between each training they need recovery. IMagine a person taking up high jumping, practicing for 8 hours per day. They would surely DAMAGE their body.

You MUST master the lower half of the flute range with a loud, very clear tone, with efficient use of air (long notes) before you extend to higher notes. Otherwise you will almost certainly develop an embouchure that is useless for future progression.

If you don`t have a teacher, I suggest you look carefully at the links at:

http://www.8notes.com/f/25_114480.asp

Guest wrote "O, by the way, my footjoint tenor seems extremely stiff before the first inch or so. Is this just newness?? Thanks!"

(The tenon is a lot less than 1 inch long!)

It is a sign of scruffy manufacture, or damage after manufacture, or significant corrosion of the parts after manufacture, and the fact that the flute has not been checked by a good technician.

Every good technician has specialised tools for correcting this problem, usually within 2 minutes.

Pico wrote "... but I have troubles getting the low B+C keys down.."

This means that the seating of those low pads is not adjusted correctly. The keys should require only light finger pressure to close and the pads seal fully.

Pico wrote "... but I have troubles getting the low B+C keys down.."

This is not due to pad sealing, but the design of the flute joint. The C and B lever are independant and it is tricky to get them both down without together. Unlike the C and Db which when you press the C key the Db follows. It`s an odd design choice.

On second thought... anyone with a Gemeinhardt with B foot. Depress your lowest B key and see if the rest of the keys close with it. It could be just me since my ex sat on my foot joint... It prevented all foot keys from budging till I got it fixed.

A new flute shouldn`t have stiff tenons... do you have anyone around you that plays flute that can check your flute out.

"This is not due to pad sealing, but the design of the flute joint."

Fair comment. It is a good reason for not having a low B, especially for players who never use the low B, which is probably by far the majority.

ive had my gemeinhardt 3SB for almost 3 years and ivenoticed my low C/B is also a bit hard to get. I think its because of the way the keys are designed. and it takes a bit more the get the actual notes out. i do not care for this. i honestly dont know why it does that... sorry

It is probably just because it is a Gemeinhardt. They are not noted for quality flutes, that is for sure.

I used to have a Gemeinhardt 3SB and had the same problem. Definitely the design.