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Flutes for Students
If your child is ready to take up the flute
and join the middle school band, here are
some things that will help you get the right
flute at the right price.
Buy or rent?
Buying a student model flute
can be a good
investment unless you are unsure
if your
child will stick with it -- in
which case
you might do better to rent.
Most musical
instrument stores offer reasonably
priced
rental plans (with lower payments
during
the first three months to encourage
you to
give the instrument a try). If
you think
there's a good chance that you
will want
to keep the flute you are going
to rent,
ask about a "rent-to-buy"
option
-- for a few extra dollars, it
gives you
the flexibility of a rental along
with some
portion of the monthly payment
going toward
the ultimate purchase. Caution:
stay away
from off-brand low-cost overseas
flutes from
discount stores. Band directors
say repair
shops won't touch them because
they are so
cheaply made and hard to repair.
Flute makers and features
All major flute manufacturers make student
models. Construction is more geared to promote
durability and ease of playing than sound
quality or pitch accuracy over the entire
note range. Student flutes are typically
made from nickel-silver, which actually has
no silver in it at all—it is an alloy of
copper, zinc, and nickel. These models may
be plated with silver. Better flutes have
more silver content, but the price goes up
substantially. Since there is no appreciable
difference in quality across manufacturers'
student models, seek the advice of the band
director to find music stores or online merchants
offering the best deal for you.
One feature to look for is the
shape of the
lip plate. A curved lip plate
makes the flute
easier for a student to play.
And the size
of the mouth hole should be average,
though
a larger hole makes it easier
to play low
notes, while a smaller hole benefits
the
high notes.
Regulating screws (usually four
or five)
allow the flutist to adjust the
instrument’s
keys without the need to send
it to the repair
shop.
Accessories
Make sure you include a hard
case that can
take the abuse dealt carrying
it back and
forth to school. A cleaning cloth
and rod
allows the student to clean out
the flute
after use, thus resisting rust
and mold and
increasing the flute's life. |
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