How
old should my child be to start taking flute lessons?
Most students
are not big enough to hold a standard flute until they are around
nine years old. However, I often start teaching students
as young as six to play a plastic fife made by Yamaha. It's
small, inexpensive, and it's a fantastic way to learn all of the basic
skills for playing the flute.
Fortunately, there are no upper
limits to the starting age for flute! I enjoy teaching adult
flute players, beginning through advanced.
How should I choose
a beginner flute?
Even if you are just starting the flute, it's important
to have an instrument that works well. An flute in poor condition
will only thwart your best efforts!
For beginners, instrument
rental from a local music store is often a good idea. It gives
you a chance to rent-to-own, so if you change your mind, you haven't
invested a huge amount of money. If you stick with it, eventually
you'll own a good flute.
What about flutes on Ebay? Discount
stores?
Unfortunately, if you see a new flute on the Internet or in
a store for $200, $100, or less, IT IS NOT A GOOD FLUTE.
These instruments look like high-quality beginner flutes, and might
even sound like them--for a month or two. These instruments
are cheaply constructed, and literally start to fall apart in a matter
of months. They should be considered disposable.
Buying
used flutes on the Internet is a different situation. Sometimes
you can get good prices on a good intstrument, but there are risks.
Make sure you buy from someone who allows returns if you are not 100%
satisfied. Once you receive the instrument, have a repair person
inspect the instrument; if a used flute is in poor condition, the
repairs can easily cost more than the instrument. There are
many scams involving used instruments on the Internet. When
buying from a private party, ALWAYS use an escrow service.
What brand of flute should I rent or buy?
The brands of beginning and
intermediate flutes I most recommend are Yamaha, Jupiter, Pearl, Sonare,
and Trevor James. These are not the only good brands, in
my opinion and experience, these are well-constructed and give students
the most "room to grow."
What about buying an intermediate
("step-up") flute?
Choosing an intermediate or flute is a different
challenge. More expensive flutes have a greater variety
of options in the construction and sound. These flutes
give you greater flexibility as a musician and produce a better sound
quality. However, keep in mind that an expensive flute
is not a magical way to be a better flute player. It will only
enhance good playing--quality instruction and dedicated practice will
make you a better flute player. I have heard bad flute playing
on $20,000 flutes, and I have heard amazing flute playing on
$500 flutes.
The most important thing is to play as many
flutes as possible before you buy. Do not be in a hurry to buy
a new flute; it's best to spend several months finding that flute
of your dreams. J.L. Smith and Co. in Charlotte has
a large inventory available of flutes that you can try, and several
other reputable music stores can special order a flute for you, without
any obligation for you to buy it if you don't like it. Here
is a great article about choosing a flute.
Take a fellow flutist
or your flute teacher with you. It's good to get some help selecting
an instrument from someone who has done it before and who can give
you feedback on how you sound on the other side of the room.
I am always happy to shop for flutes with my students.
