i have been playing for 4 years i have a yamaha 381 is this good for me

Assuming it's given proper maintainance, it's a solid enough flute, and there shouldn't be any problems with it. Whether or not it's a good flute for YOU is something that we can't judge, particularly over the internet, but if it's in good repair and you're starting to feel like it's holding you back, then perhaps an upgrade is in order. Try discussing this with your teacher if you have one, as they can guide you through the upgrade process best.

Why do you ask?

If you are wondering about the quality of a Yamaha 381 flute, don't worry. A yamaha 381 in good mechanical shape is a highly recommended flute for someone who has been playing for about 4 years, as you have been. A change to one of the most popular 'upgrade' flutes, the Yamaha 400 series, will give you almost zero advantage over your current flute, assuming your flute has no mechanical problems.

A flute upgrade is usually recommended if the flute is holding a student back. This can be because the student is playing a poorly designed and/or unresponsive flute, but you probably don't fall into this category.

If maybe you have played your teacher's flute, or a friend's flute, and noticed that you can get a better sound or maybe the flute is more responsive, you might consider trying a few pro-model headjoints which would upgrade a good flute like yours for less than $1000. A new (or used) pro model flute will cost a lot more, anywhere from $2000 on up into the 'ridiculous' range of $10 to $15 thousand dollars.

I have heard really talented flutists play on a Yamaha 200 series flute, (some have a flute like this for when their 'fancy' flute is in the shop, or they have to play outdoors) and most people can't tell that it's not a really expensive flute.

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So, anyway, if you said, "I currently play a Simba flute that my parents bought off eBay, and my flute teacher wants me to buy this used Yamaha 381 that has just been overhauled by a good technician", then we would probably say yes, the Yamaha would be a great choice.

I have that same yamaha flute but i've had it for 3 years, i'm curently looking for and openholed do you konw where i could get onee cheep?

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I also just got my braces off and am having a hard time learning to play again even with 4 years of experence!

Jewels_flute, why do you say you're looking for an open holed flute? The holes offer almost no benefit unless you'll be playing a lot of contemporary repertoire, as their only purpose is to allow extended effects, pitch shading, and some notes into the 4th octave, and a player with only 4 years of experience is not likely to need to do any of this. Assuming you are right about having the same model, it should be an open hole (or French) model in any case. If you're looking for an upgrade, don't automatically set yourself on an openhole flute. There are plenty of flutes with openholes that aren't worth picking up, and plenty of plateau flutes that are magnificent. It's the quality of manufacture, not the fact that it has holes in the keys that makes a flute great, so I would suggest leaving your options open....Chances are you can get a lot "more" flute for your money if you find a good quality used flute with plateau keys.

Thanks for your help

www.fluteworld.com is a good place to get flutes cheap

Thank you for your help!

HELLO! i have a question! maybe i should of started a thread. but i don't know. haha. hey, so my B.D gave me a piccolo and it doesn't have a crown. Will this effect my picc. a lot? i'm guessing it'll have major tuning problems but i'm not sure. I'm going to perform with it soon, ..and i'm wondering if it'll effect?
help.

The crown itself won't make a huge difference. Crowns can have a very subtle effect ont he instrument, depending on weight, how much contact it makes with the tubing, whether it's hollow or solid, etc. but the piccolo should operate just fine without one. If you're too worried about it, most music stores have (or can get) replacement crowns. The only thing that would cause major tuning problems headjoint-wise is if the cork were missing/loose/in the wrong position.