Back To My Flutes

[Down Up Dick]

Ha! Today I decided to learn to play my Alto flute in G like it’s supposed to be played. Usually they’re just played in C like a regular flute.

My Lord! I felt like a little kid beginner! I was completely confused for a while, but I finally caught on. It was pretty fun. I think I’ll try it again tomorrow. I like its lower pitch. I shoulda done it a long time ago.

 

[Down Up Dick]

Well, I decided that changing the G Flute tuning wasn’t worth the trouble. I was doin’ all right with the fingering, but I couldn’t find much low range music. Ahhh, well it was fun experimenting.

 

[frets alot]

Well at least you're having fun!

 

[Ms Bean]

I don't really get why you would be (thinking about) changing the fingering. Alto sheet music is printed in the transposed key.
It's not like the recorder, where treble recorder reads the sheet music written for a C instrument (often also for violin, oboe or transverse flute) and then thinks in treble fingering.
But, as frets alot writes: as long as you are having fun!

 

[Down Up Dick]

Ms. Bean, I didn’t wanna buy any more music. I have lots. I can read music, but most of mine is pitched higher than I wanted. I could have transposed I suppose, or even rewrote some tunes. It’s just easier to play as I was playing before. And yes, these days I mostly just play for fun, but, once in a while, I like to try different stuff. . . for fun.

 

[Ms Bean]

Ms. Bean, I didn’t wanna buy any more music. I have lots. I can read music, but most of mine is pitched higher than I wanted. I could have transposed I suppose, or even rewrote some tunes. It’s just easier to play as I was playing before. And yes, these days I mostly just play for fun, but, once in a while, I like to try different stuff. . . for fun.

Haha, I get it.
I still buy music although I try to be good. I do love checking out second hand stuff, and I make it go around. I should be working on graded studies but I use those studies to practise my sight reading, and then I need older books with lots of unplayed material to fill the gaps and to mix it all up. I also find it's very helpful to go back to pieces I supposedly know. I usually can't play some technical passages anymore and have to relearn them; and I sometimes also interpret them differently.

 

[Down Up Dick]

Yeah, at my age, as long as one can tell what the tune is and enjoys hearin’ it, it’s good music. But I really enjoy learnin’ new stuff more than just playin’ tunes sometimes.

 

[Down Up Dick]

Well heck, I’m thinkin’ that my flute embouchure has finally grown too old to cut-it. When I play it the first coupla tunes are okay, but then the tone starts goin’ down hill. I can only play about 20 minutes before gettin’ all windy and havin’ some strange, squeaky sounds. I thought I’d be able to pick it back up after a long lay-off, but it hasn’t happened.

Last night I played a little on a tin whistle, and, other than being piercingly loud, it was fun, and I remembered the tunes all right. I also dabbled a bit with my alto recorder, and it was much less loud and piercing, but I’ve forgotten some of the fingering. Since I like Bach quite a bit I’m thinking about switchin’ from flute to recorder. I enjoyed it before, and it is a baroque instrument. Anyway, I’m still deciding.

 

[frets alot]

Well heck, I’m thinkin’ that my flute embouchure has finally grown too old to cut-it. When I play it the first coupla tunes are okay, but then the tone starts goin’ down hill. I can only play about 20 minutes before gettin’ all windy and havin’ some strange, squeaky sounds. I thought I’d be able to pick it back up after a long lay-off, but it hasn’t happened.

Last night I played a little on a tin whistle, and, other than being piercingly loud, it was fun, and I remembered the tunes all right. I also dabbled a bit with my tenor recorder, and it was much less loud and piercing, but I’ve forgotten some of the fingering. Since I like Bach quite a bit I’m thinking about switchin’ from flute to recorder. I enjoyed it before, and it is a baroque instrument. Anyway, I’m still deciding.

I gave up tin whistle when my dogs told me they didn't like the ear pirecing tone. Recorder is a nice alternative, as is Native American Flute. So many choices.

 

[Pyewacket]

@Down Up Dick What's it been, 3 or 4 months? That's not long enough to totally build everything back up.

Also if your flute has been laid up for awhile - have you checked it for leaks? Do you need a head cork? Pads?

 

[Down Up Dick]

Well, Pyewacket, I’m still workin’ on it and my alto flute too. The alto plays pretty well. I don’t know what I’ll do yet.

 

[Pyewacket]

My flute needs a new head cork. I think I may have a few leaks as well. I keep meaning to order a leak light. I tried to order a delrin head cork but ... well it didn't work out. Some oddness of mail delivery (guy says he never got the check, USPS tracking says they delivered, hasn't been cashed, so who knows where it went). I may try to order a different delrin head cork, or maybe I'll just give up and get some natural cork. Its just kind of fiddly, is natural cork, to get it to fit - and then you have to do it again in a year or two. Oh well.

 

[Down Up Dick]

I’ve had my flutes for years and never changed a cork on any of ‘em. I don’t think my keys leak either. My problem seems to be my embouchure and my creaky ol’ fingers that don’t work properly. Old ain’t much fun.

 

[Ms Bean]

I have to agree with Down Up Dick, I have never changed or even adjusted a cork on any of my flutes. I am extremely careful with my pads, and of my good instruments they also seem to last a very long time. I do remember that my student flute needed new pads, but I think that was a combination of young me and less than top quality pads on a decent but inexpensive student flute.

If 20 minutes works for you, Dick, then play those 20 minutes and enjoy it. If you manage that five days a week, you have played for 100 minutes!
(I am currently going through the same, but on sax. After 20 minutes, everything I try to play sounds very flat and my overall tone is horrible.)

 

[Pyewacket]

Oh I definitely need to change my cork. It rattles around loose in the head joint even with the cap screwed in. Unscrew the cap and the whole thing just drops out the bottom. If your cap turns and turns and turns, you need a head joint cork. They dry up and need to be replaced. One guy I ran across claims he replaces his every 3 months (!!!). That seems excessive.

But so does "never". LOL!

As for practice, as you can see from my sig I have a lot of instruments to practice. Currently out of the rotation is the keyboard (because I still haven't found the power block for it), the tenor sax (because I don't have it in hand yet), and the alto clarinet (ditto). Well and the Bb clarinet as obtaining it is still "in progress". OH and the tenor uke, if I put that on there yet, because it hasn't arrived yet either (in a couple of days).

My practice consists of picking up an instrument, playing it for 10 or 15 mins at a go, putting it down, puttering around with whatever chore needs doing, sitting down and picking up another instrument and playing IT for at least 10 or 15 mins. I do that all day long, cycling through all the instruments I can reach, and I keep them all out where I can get them so I don't even have to open up a case.

I can manage my uke for up to an hour by now, but it started out with the same 10-15 min "practice session" in the beginning. And I mainly keep that down to about 20 to 30 mins at a time to keep it "fresh". The flute - since it needs a head cork and sounds absolutely terrible - really only makes it for 5 min at a time. Hope to improve that when I get a new cork installed. Would have that by now if not for USPS weirdness regarding my chosen synthetic cork manufacturer. I have a new mouthpiece coming for the alto sax, but I tootle on it multiple times throughout the day as well. Problem with it being it is dry here in the winter and I can only play it with my synthetic reeds, which I accidentally purchased too soft. Not sure how I managed that. But if the new mouthpiece doesn't fix that then I'll drop another $25 on harder synthetic reeds. Sounds pretty awful in the meantime but at least I'm building my wind and embouchure.

I've only been at this a few weeks, maybe a month, by now, after a 35 year gap. Health issues only recently clearing up.

 

[Down Up Dick]

I have to agree with Down Up Dick, I have never changed or even adjusted a cork on any of my flutes. I am extremely careful with my pads, and of my good instruments they also seem to last a very long time. I do remember that my student flute needed new pads, but I think that was a combination of young me and less than top quality pads on a decent but inexpensive student flute.

If 20 minutes works for you, Dick, then play those 20 minutes and enjoy it. If you manage that five days a week, you have played for 100 minutes!
(I am currently going through the same, but on sax. After 20 minutes, everything I try to play sounds very flat and my overall tone is horrible.)

Well, Ms Bean, 20 minutes really doesn’t work for me. When my tone goes south, and I get unnecessary and unwanted noises, I feel I’m on my way out, old and done. It’s a bad feeling. But right now, however, my alto flute plays pretty much all right, so I have it to fall back on. But I still feel bad that I can no longer do as I usta do.

I guess I’m just not doin’ old age very well. I can’t run a hundred yard dash any more either . . .

 

[Down Up Dick]

Oh I definitely need to change my cork. It rattles around loose in the head joint even with the cap screwed in. Unscrew the cap and the whole thing just drops out the bottom. If your cap turns and turns and turns, you need a head joint cork. They dry up and need to be replaced. One guy I ran across claims he replaces his every 3 months (!!!). That seems excessive.

But so does "never". LOL!

As for practice, as you can see from my sig I have a lot of instruments to practice. Currently out of the rotation is the keyboard (because I still haven't found the power block for it), the tenor sax (because I don't have it in hand yet), and the alto clarinet (ditto). Well and the Bb clarinet as obtaining it is still "in progress". OH and the tenor uke, if I put that on there yet, because it hasn't arrived yet either (in a couple of days).

My practice consists of picking up an instrument, playing it for 10 or 15 mins at a go, putting it down, puttering around with whatever chore needs doing, sitting down and picking up another instrument and playing IT for at least 10 or 15 mins. I do that all day long, cycling through all the instruments I can reach, and I keep them all out where I can get them so I don't even have to open up a case.

I can manage my uke for up to an hour by now, but it started out with the same 10-15 min "practice session" in the beginning. And I mainly keep that down to about 20 to 30 mins at a time to keep it "fresh". The flute - since it needs a head cork and sounds absolutely terrible - really only makes it for 5 min at a time. Hope to improve that when I get a new cork installed. Would have that by now if not for USPS weirdness regarding my chosen synthetic cork manufacturer. I have a new mouthpiece coming for the alto sax, but I tootle on it multiple times throughout the day as well. Problem with it being it is dry here in the winter and I can only play it with my synthetic reeds, which I accidentally purchased too soft. Not sure how I managed that. But if the new mouthpiece doesn't fix that then I'll drop another $25 on harder synthetic reeds. Sounds pretty awful in the meantime but at least I'm building my wind and embouchure.

I've only been at this a few weeks, maybe a month, by now, after a 35 year gap. Health issues only recently clearing up.

From what you say about your rattling cork, I’d have to agree that you need a new one.

 

[Pyewacket]

Evaluating the condition of your head cork:



Replacing your head cork:



Be careful of youtube videos showing how to change your head joint cork. There is one guy who removes the head joint cork assembly THROUGH THE TOP OF THE HEAD JOINT. DO NOT EVER do that. You could damage the head joint or the assembly. Both the bottom and top plates for my cork assembly are LARGER than the top of the head joint, as it is on every flute I've ever seen. You remove the cap and push it out from the top towards the bottom, pushing on the top plate and not the nut or the threaded rod. As I recall the rest of that video is ok, but its a bad beginning.

The head joint is slightly tapered, widest at the bottom and narrowest at the top. You'll see a lot of head corks that are similarly pre-tapered, but they do need to be sanded down to fit. Most Boehm style flutes have the same inner bore size, but Yamaha and another manufacturer I can't bring to mind are slightly different. I can't remember whether its larger or smaller.

Yes, getting old ain't for the weak.

My head cork is so far past needing replacement that it was floating loose from both top and bottom plates. It should have been stuck on there with either liquid shellac or contact cement. Nope. Floating around with considerable space both above and below it, between the top and bottom plates of the flute head joint cork assembly.

 

[Down Up Dick]

What kinda flute do you have?

 

[Pyewacket]

Yamaha I forget the model # but its in my sig. Its a student model but still good. If I ever get going on it again I may up the game and get a "better" flute - but then again I may not. It sounds just fine to me (or at least it did 35 years ago, before the cork and I shriveled up and dried out).

I think too much is made of "levels" of instruments. Most good student instruments are usually nearly indistinguishable from the so-called "higher level" instruments. Unless you are getting something in the way of improved keying, many "student" or "intermediate" instruments are just as good as the so-called "pro" level, at least in certain lines, such as Yamaha. Many pro musicians are playing on the better "student" instruments and nobody notices at all. They sound great anyway.

Yamaha, I will note, pretty routinely REMOVES things like upgraded keying from models to deprecate them and advance the cause of their more expensive models. Its all a shell game. When I bought it, my YAS-62 was their top-of-the-line. Now they consider it their "entry level pro" model, of course that is the YAS-62III now. They dumbed it down just slightly - can't remember what it was they did to the newer versions but they are slightly less "advanced" than the original - so they could add that feature back to their superduper special models, and press the case for the alleged "extra value". And wow. Those things are now priced into the stratosphere. I mean I paid serious 80s money for mine when I bought it, but their upper tier is priced way higher now even accounting for inflation.

I almost never hear a difference in those youtube videos comparing quality student models to "pro" level instruments, at least not any significant difference. Its more about the player, not the instrument. In most cases changing the mouthpiece and reed (on instruments that use those) will really up the game of a so-called "student" instrument.

Obviously not talking about uber cheap crappy "instruments", but good quality student or intermediate instruments from established manufacturers. Like Buffet and Yamaha.