Expert: Bridget Seals - 3/22/2008

Question
Hello Bridget! My name is Joao and I play the flute for almost 6 years and I had a Yamaha flute before it got stolen! So I am hoping to buy a nice new flute. My question is, what is the difference between Standard Flutes, Intermediate Flutes and Professional Flutes? Which one should I buy for me who has been playing for 6 years? Do you know a specific one for me from Yamaha!
I appreciate your time and I would be very pleased to hear from you! Have a good weekend!

Answer
Dear Joao,
I am sorry about the theft of your flute.  Please think about adding your new flute to your home insurance policy, or look into Clarion musical instrument insurance.  

Within the Yamaha line, standard flutes are typically made of nickel-silver with a silver plating, and can either be plateau (closed-hole) or French (open-hole).  

Moving into the Intermediate line, the 300 series flutes have a sterling silver (also known as "solid silver," but it's not pure silver, since that's too soft!) headjoint and a silver-plated nickel-silver body and footjoint.  You can still choose between open or closed hole.  The 400 series has the same options, but the entire flute is sterling silver.

The professional models have many more options, pointed key arms (which are really just pretty and don't necessarily have a function), white-gold springs, different metals (silver, gold, wood), different cuts to the headjoints.  

Deciding what flute to get has a lot to do with how much money you have to spend!  I generally guide my students for their 2nd flute to purchase a flute with a sterling silver headjoint, plated body, open holes, offset G, and a C footjoint.  I suggest a B footjoint if I know that they are leaning toward majoring in music and will be playing music that requires that key.

That would translate to the Yamaha YFL-361.  If you wanted to upgrade to a solid silver flute (the change in the sound is not that much - it's the headjoint's material that can affect the sound more than the rest of the flute), that would be the Yamaha YFL-461.  Be SURE to get offset G - it will save you wrist pain.  As a student, you don't notice the wrist pain...but as you get older, it shows up if you're not careful!

If you have access to other brands, be sure to try the Azumi flutes.  I am a big fan of them (they only have 2 models, one with a silver headjoint, and one flute that's all silver).  The response is amazing.  

I do like Yamaha flutes, but in quite a few tries, I liked the Azumi better.  However, I do know that sometimes it depends on what your dealer can get in.  Yamaha flutes have been on my recommended list for years.

If you purchase an open holed flute, feel free to leave the plugs in the keys that your "ring fingers" (the ones next to your "pinky" or "little fingers") as long as you want - unless you are playing a song that requires you to half-hole those keys.  Air often leaks out of those particular holes since our fingers don't always provide a perfect seal on those keys.  If we keep the plugs in those keys (take them out of the other keys!), our tonguing/articulation will be much crisper and cleaner.  

I used to insist on taking out all the plugs, but more professionals are keeping those particular plugs in.  It makes sense.