So you have played on a beginner flute for a while and feel that it is time to upgrade your flute. But what is the best intermediate flute?
The flute market is however a bit of a minefield, with lots of conflicting opinions on make, model and suitability. Here are some of the most common dilemma’s
FAQ
What is the best intermedite flute?
Should my flute have a solid silver headjoint?
Should I have an open or closed hole flute?
How much should I need to spend on a better flute?
B footjoint or C footjoint
So let us look at all of these questions and try to make the decision process a little easier.
What is the best intermediate flute?
These is a relatively easy question to answer but at the same time, dismiss. The simple answer is that there is no best upgrade flute or best intermediate fluteflute. If you are still making your way through grades then the first thing to do is to stay on a student model. Do not let the budget get carried away. Even if you can afford a handmade flute, this will NOT be the right choice at this level and can hamper your development as a player. Whilst you are still developing your embouchure and technique, it is important to stay on a flute that allows you to develop. Student models have generic lip plates and embouchure holes and do not restrict the sound production. The best student flute makes will have step-up flute, intermediate flute and advanced flute models, all designed to help your progress. If you are on a Yamaha flute and are progressing well then look at upgrading to another Yamaha as there is no reason yet to change. Yamaha, Pearl, Trevor James, Gemeinhardt, Armstrong and similar, are well known brands for student models and each will have about 6 or more gradually upgrading flute models to take you to grade 8.
Solid silver headjoint?
When you reach Grade 4 or 5 and you are starting to play pieces that require more dynamics and differing quality of tone, then silver can help. The headjoint is the ‘voice’ of any flute and where the sound is produced. Beginner flutes are made primarily of Nickel Silver, which is an alloy of metals. It has a certain density that resonates the sound as the sound is produced and travels through the flute. Sterling silver (.925 or 92.5%) is denser than Nickel Silver and so the sound travels slower through it and develops more overall ‘colour’. If the lip plate or riser (the small chimney connecting the lip to the headjoint) are silver then this will enhance the sound. If the headjoint itself is also silver then it will give a noticeably richer quality of tone. As mentioned in the above paragraph, your existing flute make will have upgrade models that you can look to move on to without difficulty of transition. It can also be a more cost effective exercise just to change the headjointon the existing flute to change the sound. Please note that some adjustment may be needed to make the new headjoint fit the existing flute but this is an easy fix for any repairer.
Open or Closed Hole?
This is a question that is asked at many levels of a player’s development. Are open holes better? Should I change to open holes or stay with closed holes? What is the point of open holes?
Let us first look at the advantages of open holes and why some players choose them. For aspiring students looking to upgrade at any level, then it may be that their teacher is recommending open holes. Primarily, open holes train your fingers to be in the centre of the keys. Closed holes are forgiving and sometimes players can be a little ‘finger lazy’ and press on the edge of the keys to close them. This will not only promote bad habits and lazy wrists, it will also depress the pads unevenly in the keys and make it more likely that they will need adjustment. So flute hand positioning is a very good reason to change to open holes, but not essential.
Advanced techniques are possible with open holes. For advanced/professional players, the ability to be able to bend the note or play quarter notes is possible with open holes but not closed. It is unlikely that the vast majority of players will need these techniques but open holes allow the possibility.
The final question and perhaps the biggest question is – Does an open hole flute sound better than a closed hole flute? The answer is yes but marginally. When you are using just the left hand or fingering that depresses only a few keys, the remaining keys that are not being played but have open holes, allow the sound to escape. It is therefore correct to say that there is more freedom of sound from an open hole. Having said this, if you are playing the lower notes then all the keys are effectively covered so the difference is negligible. This is argued constantly by open hole flute players and it is fair to say that there is slightly more brightness, BUT the closed hole flute suits those with smaller finger pads where an open hole flute is more problematic and so there is a place for either.
Flute Upgrade
If you are looking at an intermediate flutethen it very much depends what your budget is. A good step up flute with a solid silver headjoint, such as a Yamaha 311/312, can be as much as £1,000 new. However, an excellent used flute example can be around £550 if it is in excellent, fully serviced condition. Moving up to a solid silver body example such as the Yamaha 411/412, the Pearl 765 and similar and the price will be closer to £2,000 new and around £1,100 for a very good quality used example. If you are under grade 6 and upgrading then either upgrade is suitable. You do not need a solid silver body to allow you to play advanced pieces up to grade 8 standard. In fact, semi professional handmade models also start with a solid silver headjoint only. However, if you have the budget then purchasing a flute with a solid silver body also will enhance the quality of sound.
B footjoint or C footjoint?
I have covered this on a different blog as it relates to all flute players – Please visit the blog HERE
Advice on buying a flute
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