A Parent's Guide to the Flute

The Anatomy of the Flute


Assembling the Flute

1. Don't hold onto the keys! Keys are easily bent or misaligned by too much pressure. Instead, hold only the very top of the body as you connect the foot joint, and hold onto the connection between foot joint and body as you connect the head joint. The joints should easily slide together.

Hold the very top of the body and the very
bottom of the foot joint where there are no keys.

2. The arrows on the collar of the foot joint should align with the arrows on the body. The rods or knuckles of the foot joint should align with the keys on the body.

On Yamaha flutes, there are arrows (circled) to help
with alignment between the foot joint and body.

The rods of the foot joint should line up with keys of the body.

3. The arrows on the collar of the body should align with the insignia on the head joint. The hole of the mouthpiece should align with the keys on the body.

The arrow above the brand on the collar of the body (circled)
should line up with the insignia on the head joint (circled).


Cleaning and Storage

1. After disassembling the instrument, use the cleaning rod that comes in your case, along with a thin, soft cloth, and swab the inside of the foot joint, body, and head joint to absorb excess moisture.

2. The cleaning cloth should be stored under the instrument in the case, not on top of it. Alternatively, it can be stored in a separate area, such as an outside pocket of a soft case.

3. In the case, the rods or knuckles of the keys should be closest to the outermost edge of the case. If the pieces are not aligned in the case properly and it is closed, it could damage the keys.

The rods of the body and the foot joint should run along the outer edge of the case.


Troubleshooting

PROBLEM: All keys are down to play a low C, but the instrument doesn't play a low C.

SOLUTION: You likely have an air leak on one of the keys. This could be caused by a key being misaligned so that the pad doesn't completely cover the hole. The instrument will need to be brought in so we can have it checked and adjusted.

PROBLEM: The G# key is bent.

SOLUTION: Since this key sticks out from the body, it is easier to damage by dropping the instrument or knocking it against something, or by simply manhandling the instrument. Since the key won't play properly, it will need to be brought in so we can have it fixed.

PROBLEM: The flute won't assemble.

SOLUTION: This is most often caused by a dent (from dropping) or some similar issue in the collar where the joints attach to the body, and normally occurs with the foot joint. It can also be caused by too many incorrect assemblies (too much wiggling or torquing the instrument to try and get it to slide together). The instrument will need to be brought in so we can have it fixed.

PROBLEM: The foot joint is stuck.

SOLUTION: This is sometimes due to dirt building up on the collar or a dent. Either way, do NOT try and unstick the foot joint yourself if it is stuck. Doing so could result in further damage to the instrument. Instead, bring it in so we can have a professional look at it and unstick the pieces. 

-----

For more information about flute maintenance, watch our maintenance video below, or call AMUSE at 310-377-7838.

Flute Maintenance Video



Comments