After almost 14 years of flute I'm lucky enough to be getting an alto flute soon. I know you have to try them out before you buy, but I was wondering two things
1. Is there anything in particular to look out for when play testing them that might be different from the things you look for in a flute?

and

2. Why do they come in two different keys? Most are in G, but I think it was John Packer's website where I saw some in the key of C, which weren't as expensive as those in G. So apart from the opportunity to be lazy and not learn to transpose, what might the pros and cons be? Does anyone know if they have exactly the same range?

Livia

If it's in C that make it a Bass flute. At least according to this Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flute#Members_of_the_concert_flute_family

Patrick is your man though for Alto and Bass flutes,( actually he's THE man on Alto and Bass flutes...)

Yes, I be the man....dig???

Livia, I have used alto mainly in orchestra pits, so if you have one for that reason, get one that is light and easy to play and very responsive, they take time to warm up, that's why I prefer silver plated, or with just an all silver head. I have used bass mainly for flute ensemble or recordings

One other thing besides how long they take to warm up is that altos can be very erratic in intonation throughout the different registers, so try to find one that is reasonably easy for you to control. I personally prefer one of the Yamaha gold brass altos for this reason. And you might also want to consider how much space you will have to play in, and whether a curved or straight headjoint (or both) might be best suited to what you will be doing with it. I prefer the straight headjoint as I feel it offers a very slightly clearer sound, and I generally have ample room to play in, but both work very well, and I keep a curved head on hand just in case. You could also take into consideration the overall balance of the instrument. If you buy a new one, it's probably less of an issue as they are generally designed to be ergonomic, but in a couple of older altos I've played the balance was so poor it was downright painful to play.

Thank you for your help. It's extremely unlikely that I'd ever be playing it in an orchestra pit as I have too many bad habits to join an orchestra. With regard to the straight/curved head question I think it's likely that I'd need a curved head as I'm only 5ft3, and I had a curved head on my normal flute until I was 13. Thank you for telling me about differences in clarity, but I think my playing probably isn't good enough for me to hear a difference. I've played for a long time, but with more enthusiasm than skill.

Livia

Try a few different makes if theis is possible, you'll know if the flute if right for you.

A curved head until age 13!!!! I haven't ever even seen a curved head in person. Are they really necessary for a regular flute? Maybe for itty bitty kids, but even at age 8 I was using a regular head.

I started playing at age 8, and I'm 5'0" now, so I wasn't all thattall then; I can't imagine needing a curved head for a regular flute. Why did you have one, and why until such an age? Perhaps you were just holding on to the head you started with.

I think in that case it might be a good idea if I bought a tuner. I find it hard to know when my flute is in tune as it is. Most flutes, of course, you hide most of the tenon, but mine needs to be around half way out! That's probably because the head is a different make to the rest of it.

In response to Kippsix's question, I started flute when I was 7 and no one else in my year at school was using a curved head on the flute, but my parents bought this flute after hiring it first, and the music store decided when I went in there with my Mum that I should have a curved head. But I don't think that was a very good music store because they taught me to put the flute together so that the bit which doubles back is above the rest of the flute, while normal practice is to have it all on the same level as the body of the flute. It is possible to make a mistake like this because the curved head joint actually comes in two pieces, which often isn't obvious from a photo. At the time the cynic in me thought it was an attitude of "Oh, you're disabled, this must be easier for you" although that's kinda stupid because my arms aren't affected. Now the cynic in me wonders if that's just what they had available to hire! I think it is entirely true to say I just hung onto the head. No-one else in my family is musical, so we were just waiting for my teacher to say something. Actually by the time I did swap it was much easier to play with a straight head.

Livia