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Yeah, actually...So yeah, I'm a male flautist, so laugh it up...jk....So yeah, me and a few people this year are going to get together at my school and perform Mozart's "The Magic Flute"...Sounds exciting, BUT...difficult........extremely difficult...

Hello! I've been playing the flute for about 5 years...now, I'm planning to buy a new flute....I've been thinking about buying a Yamaha 581 silver flute. Does anyone know about any other good models of flutes?

Hello. I have been playing the flute for 15 years. Do not get a Gemeinhardt. They are good begginer flutes, but not for someone who is looking to upgrade. They are what we call "Band" type instruments, not hand made, and they are very inconsistent. Yamaha is good for intermediate flutes. Armstrong is another "Band" type, but at least they are more consistent. I reccomend Yamaha 481 and Emersons for Intermediate. For Pro, I like Altus, Brannen Bros, Muramatsu, Nagahara, and Miyazawa. Those are probably out of your difficulty level and price range, but it is nice to know I guess. Don't go by brand if the flute plays well for you. They key is to just try out lots of flutes, and involve your private teacher, or local college flute proffessor to help you make a wise decision.

Flute Players:

You need to know this site www.fluteworld.com
This is where you can find all of your music. Just thought I'd let you know in case you didn't.

Also, the flute BIBLE is Moyse: 24 little melodies. If you try to get it at fluteworld, it will be in French, so don't be thrown off by the title. Also, for you to get benifit from this book, you need to have a very good teacher who knows how to teach this book. If you do it on your own you will think it is easy when it really isn't at all.

I think those are 2 important things everyone should know.

Mostly every website that sells flutes will take your credit card number and send you the flutes for a couple of weeks. There is a limit on the flute you can get depending on your credit limit, or their rules. They charge you for shipping which can be a lot depending on how expensive the flute is. And lastly, you don't know what you are getting. Even if you know what model you want, which is unlikely, there still might be inconsistency. Every instrument is different. I don't like this method of trying flutes.

Most colleges with a flute studio have a flute festival, or flute day once a year. At this event dealers come with lots of flutes for you to try. Flute World might even be there if you live close to MI. This is a great place to try the flutes. No shipping, exept for the way back. You teacher can help you make a decision on what to try. You can try more than one or two at once, and this gives you a better feel for the differences. There are proffessionals there to answer any questions for you.

Another thing I reccomend is going to a dealer that you are interested in. If you are looking for an intermediate flute, your local stores might be a good start, but don't buy the first thing you try because it sounds better than your old flute. My last flute I puchased was from Flute Specialists in MI by Detroit. They are great. They have mostly Miyazawa and Muramatsu, but they also have others. It is a good experience to go, and there are people there to help.

Whatever you decide to try, make sure you seek out a proffessional flute teacher to listen to the different flutes so you can make a wise decision. Too often flute players are so excited of getting the new flute that they aren't careful and they make bad choices. Remember, the flute sounds different to other people than it does to you. Happy Fluting!