The Parent's Guide to Buying a Flute
by Elizabeth Ruppe, Doctor of Musical Arts

Purchasing a flute for a child can be an extremely confusing and complex process, especially for a parent who is not a musician.  So much written information is now available through brochures, websites and personal contact with dealers, that a parent should not feel completely lost as they gather concrete information about flutes and piccolos.  Once a parent has done their research, they can feel confident about the "nuts and bolts" of the flute purchase.  At that point, the parent may feel that the final decision is up to the student and perhaps their teacher.  We have found that parents, no matter what their musical background, are usually quite good at helping with the listening process as a student chooses their perfect flute.  Parents may not know notes and composers, but they know a sound they like when they hear it.  The process of choosing a new instrument is a road of discovery the parent can travel with the student.  We believe they both will learn in the process and enjoy the experience immensely!

Beginner Flutes
Most beginners start with a closed-hole silver-plated or nickel-plated flute with a C footjoint.  A closed-hole flute is easier to play because the student does not have to worry about completely covering the open holes; they simply press the keys down and hopefully the notes sound!  A C footjoint is also preferable because the instrument will be slightly lighter, making the instrument easier to hold up for long periods of time (we hope more than five minutes at a time!)  

Silver plating will appear lighter in color while nickel plating will have a darker color.  Both platings are durable and appropriate for younger students who may not be as careful with their instruments.

Buying vs. renting a beginner flute
Beginner flutes cost around $500.  In a hypothetical situation, a student starts in 6th grade and plays for two or three years before stepping up to an intermediate student flute.  Then the parents sell the flute for $150 meaning the flute cost around $350 or less for the two years.  Amortized over two years, the flute cost around $15 a month.  In another hypothetical situation, the 6th grade student plays the flute for two years, steps up to an intermediate flute but keeps the closed-hole flute to use in marching band all the way through high school.  The $500 is then amortized over seven years with the flute providing years of service for less than $7 a month.

To save money, parents often look for a used flute, one that might have been their own flute 20 years ago or a flute used by a relative or a neighbor.  It is possible to find a used flute that has been well maintained, but the odds are pretty low.  In addition, the highly competitive nature of the flute business means that flute technology has improved dramatically in the last 20 years.  Innovations initially available only on professional flutes have gradually worked their way down to even the least expensive beginner flutes.  Without a doubt, the beginner flutes of today are supremely better than even 10 years ago.  Refinements in headjoint design and embouchure cuts, improvements in the padding, innovations in the machining process of the mechanisms, and higher-quality metals mean the beginner flute of today is light-years away from the flute of 30 years ago.  

    In the worst-case scenario, parents are always concerned that the student will simply stop playing the instrument.  While this is a possibility, I believe as a teacher and a parent, that if the student expresses a strong desire to learn an instrument, they will be more likely to have a positive long-term experience if these variables are in place: 

  • A quality instrument with a beautiful tone and good mechanics
  • An experienced, knowledgeable and supportive private teacher
  • A band program or large ensemble that provides a positive social and academic environment.
Open holes vs. closed holes
In some band programs, parents are encouraged to skip the beginner flute and start with an open-hole, silver-plated C footjoint flute.  All open-hole flutes come with plastic plugs to close the holes.  Therefore, an open-hole flute can play just like a closed-hole flute. 

Why do flute players even play on open-hole flutes?  The best answer I can give is that open-hole flutes are the standard or the fashion in the United States.  Some performers and teachers strongly believe that an open-hole flute sounds better than a closed-hole flute.  Acoustically, this is not necessarily true.  A generation ago, teachers felt that open holes forced the hand into an optimum position.  This can be true, but plenty of students have terrible hand positions while playing open-hole flutes.  Conversely, with encouragement, a student can have a beautiful, relaxed hand position on a closed-hole flute. 

So what are the advantages to starting on an open-hole flute?  Since most intermediate flutes are open-hole, you may be able to delay the step up to a full-fledged intermediate ($1500) instrument by a few years so that the first instrument lasts three or four years instead of two or three.  The other advantage is psychological and emotional.  A beginner flute student may feel more special and mature with an open-hole flute.  

Stepping Up to the Intermediate Student Flute

After playing a few years, many junior high flutists move to an open-hole flute with a B footjoint.  Every parent wants to know why the B foot is necessary or desirable.  Again, the best answer is: everyone else has one!  The standard or fashion in the United States is that most flutes have a B footjoint.  The added length of the flute provides for one more key that sounds one additional lower note.  Most students will not use this note--especially in band!  However, the additional length does add to the power and overall projection of the sound, particularly in the low notes.  As an investment, the B footjoint is the best option since that is what most players will want.  It is possible to purchase an all silver-plated, open-hole flute with B footjoint for a very affordable price, however most people consider a step-up flute to also have a sterling silver headjoint.

Why spend the extra money on a silver headjoint?
After a student has played for a few years and has achieved a level of competence on the flute, the student or their teacher may feel that the beginner instrument is holding back their progress.  What does this mean to a parent besides spending more money?  It means that the student has reached a level of expertise and sensitivity where the sound they are producing matters.  The reason why professionals play on silver (and gold) flutes is that the sound is more beautiful.  As the silver content in the flute increases, the acoustic harmonic content of the sound will increase.  Played side-by-side, a quality student flute with a sterling silver headjoint will usually sound richer, fuller and more interesting than an all silver-plated flute.  For the intermediate student who shows a strong commitment to the flute, the silver headjoint is highly recommended.

The Advanced Student Flute
High school students or advanced junior high school students may skip the intermediate step and jump right to the advanced student flute that offers an all-sterling silver body with silver-plated keys.  The added silver content will make a significant difference in the tone quality, color, depth and projection.  In addition, the solid silver body will prove more durable as scratches and dents are much easier to remove from a solid silver body.  The long-term value of a silver-body student flute will also be comparatively stronger because of the silver content.  The advanced student flutes range in price from approximately $1700 to $2500.   

The Pre-Professional Flute

The pre-professional flute is appropriate for very serious high school students, dedicated adult amateurs and those entering college as non-music majors or non-performance music majors.  One of the cosmetic differences between the advanced student flute and a professional flute is the key style.  Pre-professional flutes are set apart from the less expensive flutes by pointed key arms.  Why is this a desirable option?  Once again, the answer is pointed key arms are the standard in the United States for higher quality flutes.  The difference is cosmetic, but a pointed key arm flute will retain slightly more of its value than a student flute because of this option.  The higher price of the pre-professional flute also means a higher level of hand-finishing than the advanced student flute.

The Student Flute Companies
In the pre-professional flute category, we talk about two different categories of flute companies: student flute companies (those that focus most of their sales on student flutes) and professional flute companies (those that manufacture only professional flutes).  All of the companies that manufacture student flutes also produce more expensive flutes.  For instance, Samperi, Sedona, Sonare and Trevor James offer flutes with Sterling silver body, silver-plated keys with pointed key arms.  Some of the companies that focus primarily on student flute sales even offer soldered tone hole flutes priced over $6,000.

The Professional Flute Companies
The professional flute companies include the top American flute companies: Brannen, Burkart, Haynes and Powell.  This category also includes various Asian companies such as Miyazawa, Muramatsu and Sankyo.  Many of these companies also offer pre-professional or entry level professional flutes.  The advantages of purchasing a pre-professional flute from one of these companies is the higher level of expertise found in the design of the flute, the higher level of hand-finishing found in the pad work and mechanics and the "cachet" of owning a flute from a professional flute company.  

We believe that each client should weigh all of these factors in their decision to purchase a pre-professional flute, but ultimately the final decision should rest on playing the flutes.  Every company has a unique sound as does every flute.  A pre-professional flute from the professional flute companies will usually have less silver content (silver head and plated body) than a pre-professional flute from a student flute company (silver body and plated keys).  A student may prefer the sound of a pre-professional flute from a student flute company, and they may feel more comfortable playing that flute.  Our goal is to present all of the options and then to allow the client to make their own choice.

The Intermediate Professional Flute

Every serious flutist, both amateur and professional, should spend as much money on a professional flute as is financially feasible.  The professional flute is an investment in a flutist's career or their talent.  All college music performance majors should set their sights on an intermediate or top-of-the-line professional flute if at all possible.  

The intermediate professional flute is characterized by a sterling silver body with silver-plated keys and offered by companies such as Haynes, Miyazawa and Muramatsu.  Especially with a heavy wall body, the intermediate professional flute provides a big, beautiful sound with rich harmonic depth.  At this level, some of the companies offer options such as the 14k riser, C# trill key and D# roller which also enhance the value and versatility of these instruments.  These are definitely instruments that can last a lifetime or can serve as stepping-stones to the highest levels.

The Professional Flute

Some people refer to the all sterling silver flute as a "real" flute!  As one can see by all of the preceding information, many different options are available to serve the needs of many different players and many different bank accounts!!  But a truly professional flute is all sterling silver.  The additional silver content provides more weight resulting in a larger, more beautiful sound.  The sterling silver body and keys make the flute more durable--dents and scratches can be more easily removed.  Also, an all-silver flute from one of the top professional flute companies will always retain a high percentage of its original purchase price.

The Drawn Tone Hole Professional Flute
All of the top American flute companies now offer a drawn tone hole professional flute.  What are drawn tone holes?!  Each tone hole is extruded or pulled from the silver contained in the body of the flute; then the top edge is rolled over to form a lip that provides the seal against the pads.  This process is less time-consuming and less labor- intensive than the soldered tone hole process resulting in a lower price for the drawn tone hole flutes.  But make no mistake--these are "le crème de la crème"!  When a client makes the decision to purchase a top-of-the-line flute, we encourage them to play both drawn and soldered tone hole flutes.  Some clients prefer the tone quality of the less-expensive drawn tone hole flute.

The Soldered Tone Hole Professional Flute
Many professional flutists, including orchestral players and university teachers, feel that the soldered tone hole flute provides the most power and projection of all of the flutes.  In the soldered tone hole process, the actual tone hole is formed and then attached to the body of the flute with solder.  These top-of-the-line flutes will retain most of their value throughout the life of the instrument and may actually increase in value over the long-term.

Gold Flutes
Despite research stating that gold sounds no different than silver, any flutist who owns or plays a gold flute will tell you that nothing plays like a gold flute.  The richness of the sound, the feel of the gold metal against one's skin, and the mystique of a gold instrument all contribute to a steady market in the flute industry for gold, gold alloys and combinations of gold and silver.  As always, we encourage players to try as many different flutes as possible, and if they feel the differences found in gold flutes are evident in their own playing, then the financial investment is worth it.

Standard Options

Heavy Wall
We strongly recommend heavy wall bodies on the Japanese flutes although each flutist must play the different instruments to determine what works best for them.  The added resistance and weight of the flute generally contributes to a bigger sound with more color and harmonic depth.  On the Japanese silver flutes, a standard wall is approximately .015 while a heavy wall is approximately .017.  A standard wall on an American silver flute is .016 while the heavy wall is .018.  A gold standard wall is .012 while the gold heavy wall is .014.

C# trill key
This has become one of the most popular options in the last few years although it has been available for a few decades!  This additional lever near the B-flat lever operates an additional tone hole near the thumb keys and greatly simplifies a number of very difficult trills.  It also can be used for tremolos and various special effects.  Most professionals feel that this is a necessary option to be truly competitive in the professional world.

14k riser
This is the most popular of the riser options and is one of the most requested options on professional and intermediate professional flutes.  The wall or chimney of the embouchure hole is 14k gold.  Many flutists feel this increases the warmth and beauty of the tone.  Some companies and flute builders also offer 18k gold and 24k gold risers.  Platinum risers have recently been introduced and have gained a following among a segment of the flute community.

D# roller
The D# roller is a fairly inexpensive option which provides for a smoother and less strenuous slide between low E-flat and low D-flat or low C.  The roller is usually located on the E-flat key.  This is an especially important option for those with weakness in the right-hand pinky or any history of pain in the right hand.

Offset G vs. Inline G
The offset G flute provides an extra rod for the G keys that sets them over slightly from the other fingered keys.  Many years ago, teachers felt an inline flute was preferable to train the left hand to rest in the proper position.  (No pain, no gain!)  With the raised consciousness of repetitive stress injuries, most teachers today recognize that some hands are definitely smaller and less flexible.  The offset G flute has become so popular that more than 50% of all professional flutes are now built with offset G.  We recommend the offset G to younger players and adults with small hands.  For those with average to large hands, we recommend that the choice of instrument be primarily dictated by the individual sound of each particular flute, leaving the offset/inline question open if at all possible.  

High E Facilitator
The High E facilitator is an inexpensive alternative to the Split E mechanism.  The facilitator is a mini-tone hole that is inserted into the lower G tone hole.  When the high E is played, the mini-tone hole reduces the size of the lower G tone hole resulting in a lower pitch and more stability for the High E.  The High E facilitator provides a more natural tone color for this note and is mechanically unobtrusive.

Other Options

Split E Mechanism
This is a fairly expensive option that lowers the pitch and improves the stability on the High E.  This mechanism includes an additional short rod above the standard rods at the position of the F tone hole and includes a small lever positioned between the F and G keys.  Although this is an option some choose and enjoy, we feel that the disadvantages should be considered before choosing this option.  A Split E mechanism does add to the mechanical complexity of the instrument. Also, the placement of the mechanism may feel disruptive to certain players' hand positions.  In addition, the Split E mechanism produces a High E with a significantly different color than the other high notes causing that note to be aurally detectable by its very color.

Gold Lip Plates
On student flutes, the lip plate can be gold-plated for $150.  This is a purely cosmetic and aesthetic option since the plating itself does not affect the tone of the flute.  The plating will eventually wear off where the lips actually touch the embouchure plate.  In addition, the act of wiping and cleaning the lip plate will also eventually cause the plating to wear down.  Some players have certain chemicals in their skin and perspiration that will quicken the wearing of the plating.  Once the plating begins to wear off, the physical appearance of the flute is definitely unsightly; therefore, one should only expect the plating to be a short-term fashion statement!! 

On professional flutes, the solid gold lip is a fairly common option.  As opposed to the gold-plated lip, a solid gold lip plate is extremely durable.  Small scratches are easily removed, and the color will never diminish.  Those who choose this option are generally purchasing a flute that will last for a lifetime, and they want that special added touch of gold.  Also, some flutists have skin conditions or allergies that react poorly with silver.  In those cases, the gold can be physically more comfortable against the skin.  

Engraving, Chasing & Other High-End Options
While some flutists may initially choose an engraved lip for its beauty, they later discover that the engraving may help the lip plate feel more stable against the chin.  Especially for those who perspire under stress, an engraved lip plate may slip less.

Engraving on the keys is called "chasing" and is a beautiful addition to either gold or silver flutes.  Although this option is purely aesthetic, the enhanced appearance does add to the long-term value of the flute for those who are looking for truly exquisite high-end instruments. 

Other options include gold crowns and gold rings (around the barrel, footjoint tenon and end of the body).  These are beautiful and add to the depth of the tone.  Another option is gold tone holes - an option that significantly deepens the sound of a silver flute.  A silver flute with gold rings, gold crown, gold lip and gold tone holes will not only look spectacular--it will have a much different sound from an all-silver flute.