I know this is a bit of a frequent question but this is my situation: I have only been playing the flute properly for 2 years but I am about to take my uk grade 4 and I'm keen to carry on. In view of the fact that flutes cost so much and I've got some saving to do, (either that or I've got to find some cash fast), at what stage should I upgrade? I currently have a Buffet Crampon student flute. I can get a really good sound from it but I've started to feel as if it's holding me back at times, although maybe this is psychological? It would be great to hear what you think and also any recommended flutes to bear in mind.

Magic

Well, first of all, has your flute been maintained properly (ie at least a couple of COAs in the time you've had it)? If not, some simple attention from a tech may solve the problems that are making you consider an upgrade without the cost of a new instrument. How precisely does it seem to be holding you back?

In answer to your question, though, the time to upgrade is when you start to feel limited by the instrument, or whenever your teacher suggests it. If, for example, the response or tone are not suiting you any longer, you might consider an upgrade. If, however you have no concrete reason for wanting to upgrade besides the desire for a new flute, then you might consider holding off for a while. Usually you'll start to notice when you've progressed past what your instrument can handle, as you won't be able to make it do everything you want from a musical standpoint. I would ask your teacher what (s)he says about a new flute.

<Added>

If you're looking for an intermediate flute, I would suggest checking out these makes:

Yamaha
Pearl
Altus
Azumi
Brio
Sonare
Amadeus
Miyazawa
Sankyo
Emerson
DiMedici
Jupiter
Trevor James
Muramatsu
and others

As always, play as many as you can (preferably through blind testing with someone to listen to you and offer comments from the audience's viewpoint), and choose the one you're most comfortable with.

Dear Magic,

Flutist06 said it all, I could not agree more.

The deal is: first of all try to find a good technician to do a good revision on your flute. That done, you will find out if the instrument is really holding you back.
On the other hand, I would tell you to find flutes from any brand Flutist06 pointed, and just experiment them.
But remember the discussion we've had about relaxed embouchure... These instruments may require you to do that more frequently so you get the most out of them, since experimenting means that you won't actually keep them for weeks, but only for a few days.
After that, you will sure have a good panorama to decide whether you upgrade or not. Actually that's the only way you can compare the flute you own with the others in the market.
As a basis, I would advise you to choose a flute with solid silver headjoint and silver plated body. These are cheaper but very durable.

regards,
Zevang

I have owned my flute since 1992 but after playing it for about a year it stayed in its box until 2 to 3 years ago when I was able to pick it up again and resume lessons. A year ago I had a full service done to bring it up to factory standard, it was stripped down, cleaned, realigned and every pad changed and corks if needed. The technician looked at it again the other day and sorted a minor problem (the e key had moved slightly?) but said it was still in great shape. Originally when he first saw my flute he said you'll need an upgrade presently, so that's one reason for my asking.


I suppose the other reason I'm asking the question is because I have never played a different flute and I don't know how they vary to affect playing. I know there's a world of difference between guitars, the better ones being much easier to play as the "action" may be closer which makes it easier for the fingers to hold down the strings and the tone will be better because of better materials used.

I think my greatest problem at the moment is playing the high notes, particularly f sharp (although that's improving) and g sharp which is decidedly ropey even though I practise and practise. Of course I realise that the problem may be down to factors to do with me, my breath and embouchure, but to what extent could it be the flute, if at all?

Thank you Zevang and Flutist. I am continuing to work on my embouchure as you suggested, Zevang.
Magic

Originally when he first saw my flute he said you'll need an upgrade presently, so that's one reason for my asking.

Unless he heard you actually playing the flute or spotted some major issue with the instrument itself, it's best not to base your decision to upgrade on this. He may know several people who started on similar instruments and found that they did need to upgrade shortly, but every case is different, and what others have needed to do does not necessarily reflect on what you need to do.

The differences between flutes can be quite striking if you are to the point that you can appreciate them. In the same vein as a guitar having a lower action, top end flutes have a much smoother, more fluid mechanism (which is usually more reliable as well). Most modern flutes are built on a better scale than some of those made as recently as the mid 80's, and a handmade headjoint will allow more tonal colors, faster response, etc. However, a better instrument won't necessarily make anyone a better player, so if you find that you can't find a real difference between the flutes you playtest and your own yet, then perhaps putting off the upgrade for a bit would be the way to go.

F#3 in particular gives lots of flutists a headache. It (along with E3, and possibly a couple of others depending on the instrument and player in question) are probably the most difficult pitches to produce consistently until you get way up there in the range. How long have you been trying to tackle F# and G#, and what kinds of exercises have you been doing to help you figure them out? Over time you should find that they become easier, though there's always a chance that something is wrong with the flute. Considering that you're having problems with some of the more finnicky pitches, and that your flute recently saw a tech, I'd say the odds of it being the flute are minimal, but there's no way for me to rule it out entirely over the internet. If you don't have a teacher, I would suggest finding one, as there may be something about how you're playing that is preventing you from hitting F#3 and G#3. If that's the case, you've probably formed some bad habits by now that you'll need to focus on breaking.

Dear Flutist,

Thank you for your post. I have been trying to play f#3 for about 8 months and it has started to become easier just recently. The exercises I do are scales, both slurred and tongued and long sustained notes. The g#3 I have only just started attempting as part of the A major scale: I find the fingering at the top of this very difficult and I suspect that as well as it being a difficult note to play, I forget my breath support where I focus on the fingering only. I don't seem to have any problems with E3, lol. I do have a teacher but she doesn't seem concerned about the ropey upper notes as she says they are known to be difficult.

I played with a neighbour recently and she had a Yamaha which I handled but didn't play. I was surprised by how different to mine it felt, mine is heavier and more solid, hers felt almost like it was made of aluminium it was so light and thin (i'm sure it can't have been) and when she played it, it's tone was deep and loud. The tone of mine is lighter, more ringing.

I am thinking that there is probably no reason to hurry to upgrade then. Perhaps I should save up but just carry on with my student flute for now and only consider a change when I've enough money to do so and then go for an intermediate one as described by yourself and Zevang.

Magic

<Added>

No offence meant to Yamaha flutes at all, I thought at the time that my neighbour, who is 10, would never manage with mine, it would be too heavy for her.

It sounds like your teacher is pretty well aware of your problems with those notes, and if she doesn't consider it a problem, then there is probably a reason. 8 months is a relatively long time to be working on F#3 without any results, but perhaps that recent breakthrough you've had will start to improve things.

There are a huge variety of different flutes on the market at the moment, and a huge variety of different feels. Even if you buy a modern instrument, you have the choice between heavier, more substantial flutes, and those that are (seemingly) paperlight. When you go shopping, be sure to find a flute you're comfortable with. I prefer a more substantial feeling flute myself, but others like a lighter, daintier instrument...It's all about preference.

Overall, I think your decision to wait is just fine. Unless the flute you have now just won't let you do what you need to, you'll probably be fine with it for a bit longer. And in the meantime, there's no harm in trying out flutes to see what you like. Most music stores will have some for trial, and you can start deciding what fits you and what doesn't now, so that when you've got the money and the need, you'll have a smaller field of instruments to test again.