Most players, whether amateur or advanced, will feel the need to upgrade their flute at some point in their playing life. At London Flutes we are constantly asked the best way to upgrade a flute.

Reasons for upgrading your flute may be varied but let’s look at some of the main ones:

TONE

The headjoint is the ‘voice’ of the flute. Whilst other aspects of the flute may enhance the tone, the right headjoint for the player is essential.

Material

Changing the headjoint material primarily will change the tone. This can be either by adding silver, gold, platinum, copper, wood or sometimes a mixture. The different resonating qualities of different metals will change the tonal quality of the flute. You can achieve this by changing the lip plate, the riser/chimney (small chimney between lip and headjoint), the headjoint in full and also the body.

Headjoint Cut

What makes the sound of each flute maker unique is primarily the shape and cut of the embouchure hole. Every flute maker has their own style and the different shapes of the hole and how it is cut will suit every player differently. If you are more of an advanced player then choosing the headjoint cut that suits the shape of your mouth and how you blow, is vital. The right headjoint is paramount when upgrading to achieve greater flexibility.

OPEN OR CLOSED HOLES

Most students start on closed holed flutes. As a student progresses however, it is likely that their teacher will want them to move to open holes. Open holes not only help with finger and hand position, they also allow more air to flow out of the flute. This in turn gives more room for the sound to travel out of the flute and give a clearer tone. The other advantage for advanced players will be the ability to bend notes or play quarter notes, although this is a skill not always needed.

Remember that open holed flutes can initially be played with plugs to make the transition easier.

B FOOTJOINT

One particular upgrade that is becoming increasingly popular in the flute world, is the B footjoint. Whilst not prevalent in most flute pieces and certainly not exam syllabus, more contemporary music and Jazz/folk can introduce the need for a bottom B. The B footjoint has an extra tone hole that gives this option.

There are advantages in the overall tone of the flute being slightly richer with a B foot. This is purely because the flute and therefore the overall resonating chamber, is longer. It should be noted however that playing a top C does require extra fingering on the footjoint to close the B tone hole. If you are not sure then check out our blog on B or C footjoints HERE

EXTRA TRILL KEYS

Certainly the C# trill key is a handy key to have on the flute. It is activated by the right hand, first finger and makes difficult trills such as the B-C# and G-A easier.

Some flutes had a specific G-A trill key but this is rarer to find.

MECHANISM

It might seem that the mechanism of a flute is straightforward and the same on all flutes. This is however far from the truth and many flute manufacturers have excelled in patenting unique mechanisms.

Traditional ‘Pinned’ mechanism

Flutes traditionally have their keys connected to the different rods by pins driven through them. Whilst these have worked for a long time, pins get caught on clothing. Also, because keys move with the different rods, there can be different feelings for some keys to others. They also can allow moisture into the internal rods causing corrosion.

Pinless mechanism

A Pinless mechanism eliminates this problem by not attaching to the rods and the rod not moving. There is a one-piece core bar (long rod) on which the whole mechanism pivots. This makes for a much smoother system with no potential for binding. Pearl Flutes in particular have a patented system which adopts this. Others include the Brögger System which has a similar concept.

Having a smooth, light mechanism, gives a player much more feel when playing. Older mechanisms can also over time, become loose and feel clunky.

IN SUMMARY:

The reasons for upgrading your flute are usually personal to you. For most students however, it is the need to achieve a nicer tone and the freedom to develop their sound. Most beginner flutes will end up being limited within a few years. If you are a hobby player then sometimes changing the flute headjoint is enough to make a huge difference. For others, the mechanism or the need for open holes or other upgrades, means a change of flute. Whatever the reason, talk to your teacher or contact the experts and we can advise you on the best course of action.

Depending on the upgrade that you need, check out our catagories to help you decide:

If you are in any doubt or would just like to have a chat regarding your options then please contact us and we will be glad to help.

UPGRADING YOUR FLUTE