AboutHerbert Smith Expertise I can answer questions about almost any flute-related topic. I have trained professionally as a flute repair tech and and music educator, and have a broad range of experiences as a performer. I also have plenty of experience with flutes of every level from a huge variety of manufacturers and built with every imaginable material or specification, and can comment on the quality of various instruments, as well as guide people through the flute-buying process. I'm willing and able to discuss various flute gadgets as well (Valgon rings, Foster extensions, etc.).
I am also glad to offer advice on how to approach difficulties within pieces of music, offer teaching tips to those who give lessons, provide suggestions for repertoire, as well as answer just about any other flute-related query you can throw at me! I'm also quite familiar with piccolo, alto, and other harmony flutes (including those in unusual keys, such as Eb flute, Db piccolo, G treble, etc.), and have experience building professional quality head joints.
Please note, however, that I am not an appraisal service, and will not provide estimates of value. Please do not ask me about the value of your flute.
Experience I'm a professional repair tech with years of experience, and a veteran high school band director. I've maintained a successful studio for private flute lessons for many years, and have performed professionally in just about any imaginable venue.
Education/Credentials I have bachelor's degrees in music education and performance from highly regarded universities, and have trained with one of the best flute techs/flute makers in the US.
Question Hello Herbert - I have started doing some research on upgrading to a newer flute. I learned to play in high school, 30 years ago, but have no real formal training. Now I am getting close to retirement age, and would like to devote some time to improving my skills. I have a Yamaha that I like, but would like to step up to something better, perhaps an intermediate flute. I play for my own enjoyment, and love to get together with a pianist friend to play. Some of the features listed on the information sites are beyond my limited knowledge. What is the difference between an inline and an offset G? What's a split E? Gizmo key? B foot? (I just play the instrument; I don't know all the terms!) Is an open hole flute better than closed hole? I'm thinking of maybe a Yamaha 300 series, and if I knew what all these features are, I could probably make a better decision. Thank you so much for your help.
Answer Hello DJ!
Welcome back to the flute! I'm sure it will provide you many hours of enjoyment!
To answer your question, here's a breakdown of the most common options found on modern flutes:
The Split E Mechanism closes the lower G key when you finger high E (E3 from a
flutist's perspective). This reduces venting and creates a more stable E that is lessprone to cracking, and is easier to hit coming from A3. Split E mechanisms generally have the option of an on/off clutch that will allow you to turn off the split E. This is because a split E can interfere with certain trills and alternate fingerings. Split E mechanisms can potentially bind the mechanism when used in combination with an Inline G (which is explained below), so are best used on flutes with offset or half offset G's. Split E's generally cost in the realm of $600-$800, and should be considered permanent. I generally discourage the purchase of flutes with a Split E, as any reasonably skilled player with a decent flute can learn to play a stable, in tune E3 given an appropriate amount of practice. As such, the Split E is, at best, useless, and at worst, a crutch to disguise weak playing.
The Split E's counterpart, the High E Facilitator (also known as a G disk, donut, NEL, cat's eye), is a disk or crescent of metal or plastic set into the duplicate G# tonehole that reduces venting much like the Split E,
but without changing how the mechanism itself operates. Some people report a slight flattening of A2 as a result of the High E Facilitator. These can be placed and removed from the flute at any point by a good tech and usually cost in the realm of $100.
When it comes to the Inline G vs. Offset G, either one is a fine choice, and it comes down to comfort to determine which is right for you. For most players, an Offset G will be the most ergonomic, but some players are much more comfortable with an Inline G. Playtest flutes with both, and
choose whichever is most comfortable for you. Some makers also offer the option of a 1/2 Offset G key, which is not in line with the rest of the mechanism as an Inline G would be, but is not placed quite as far out of line as a full Offset is. None of these choices affects tone or intonation negatively and one does not cost more than the other, and this
choice should be based purely on comfort for the individual player.
The C# Trill key is an extremely useful addition to the mechanism,
allowing many trills, tremolos, and alternate fingerings that would not otherwise be possible. A C# trill usually is found only on advanced instruments, but it is beginning to be offered on intermediates as well. The cost varies, but this is one of the more expensive options. The C# trill will add additional weight, and may cause problems for those with existing arm/shoulder injuries. A detailed description of the various uses of the C# Trill can be found here:
In a similar vein is the G-A Trill key, which allows a true trill between G3 and A3. The same effect is possible with a C# trill, but the G-A trill offers fewer additional uses.
The C# and D# rollers are just like the one used to finger Low C. They are placed on the D# and Low C# spatulas of the footjoint to allow an easy shift from the D# spatula to the keys operating the Low C, C# and B keys (If the flute is a B foot). I recommend these rollers if they fit into the budget, as they can make swift, low passages much easier, but by no means are they necessary.
The B foot extends the range one half step below the the range of a flute with a C foot, allowing production of a B3 (in piano terms). The Low B makes an appearance in only about 80 pieces of music, primarily modern orchestral and solo/chamber music, and transcriptions of music for other instruments. If you feel that you may become or are involved in this type of music, a B foot might be the way to go. B foots are essentially the standard for American intermediate and professional flutes, but as with open holes, are less prevalent in other parts of the world. Many professionals in Europe play on plateau, C foot models. The B foot does not affect tone or intonation at all, but will add weight, so as with the C# trill, it should be considered carefully by those with arm problems.
The Gizmo key is found only on flutes with a B footjoint, but not every B foot flute will have a gizmo key. Essentially the gizmo is another touch that allows you to close only the Low B key while leaving the Low C and C# keys open. This key is sometimes referred to as a "High C Facilitator," as on some flutes pressing the gizmo in combination with the standard C4 (flutist's perspective) will allow the highest C to speak more easily. The effectiveness of this key varies widely....Some flutes practically require the use of the gizmo, while others don't need it at all.
Open holes are useful only for some VERY advanced techniques that most people will NEVER have the desire to play, including multiphonics (playing multiple pitches at once), pitch shading (playing intervals smaller than 1/2 step), and some notes into the fourth octave. These techniques almost never come up outside of esoteric Modern music that few people find pleasure in playing, and the VAST majority of players will never use their open holes for anything. However, there's nothing wrong with having them (even if you plug them). They won't affect tone, response, resonance, or anything else about the way the flute plays. So to answer your question, no, an open hole flute is not necessarily better than a closed hole instrument. Should you wind up liking an open hole flute more than its closed hole counterparts, this comes down to variations in the designs of the flutes, and in small differences in the geometry of the headjoint. In otherwords, while it's perfectly possible that an open hole flute will perform better for you than a closed hole one (or vice versa), it won't be because of the holes in the keys.
I also suggest that you take a look at the illustrated glossary of flute terms found here for a clearer idea of what each option looks like and how it operates:
Now, as for the idea of buying a Yamaha 300 series, I would discourage it. Yamaha certainly produces some excellent flutes, and should you choose a Yamaha, it should serve you well for years. However, in the 300 and 400 series flutes, you're essentially paying for "upgrades" (namely more silver) over the 200 series flutes that won't actually improve the way the instrument plays. All Yamahas from the 200 series through the 400 series use the exact same, machine executed, design, and thus play nearly identically. As such, you can easily pay $1500+ for a 300 or 400 series Yamaha that won't play any better than an $800 200 series flute. If you're interested in the Yamahas, I recommend you stick with the 200 series instruments, or jump up to the 500 series and above, where major design changes (which WILL improve the flute's performance) occur.
There are MANY other options than Yamaha for high quality intermediate flutes, however, and it would be well worth your time to look at instruments from these makers:
Yamaha
Miyazawa
Muramatsu
Altus
Sankyo
Miyazawa
Pearl
Emerson
DiMedici
Amadeus
Azumi
Brio
Powell
Haynes
Trevor James
Emerson
Best of luck finding just the right flute! I hope this is helpful. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
