Playing Flute and Assembling It Propperly
Flute Tips on Putting a New Flute Together without Damage
Dec 18, 2008
Once a flute player has purchased a new flute or used flute, it’s time she learned how to put the new flute together. Taking a flute out of its case for the first time can be an exciting experience, but a musician needs to be certain she understands how to properly assemble and disassemble the instrument.
Assembling a flute without this important knowledge could cause a musician to accidentally damage a flute even before sounding her first notes.
Flute Tips on the Parts of a Flute
To understand the instructions for assembling and holding a flute provided in this article, flute players will need to know the names for the parts of the flute. The piece they blow across is called the headjoint, the longest piece with the most keys is the body, and the shortest piece is known as the footjoint.
Flute Tips for Assembly a Flute
Flutes are delicate instruments. Keys and rods bend easily under pressure and are costly to repair. When assembling or disassembling a flute, musicians should never grasp their instruments by the keys. The tubing is the only part of the flute which players should use to slide the pieces together.
Musicians can begin by picking up the flute’s body by the top space where there are no keys. Into this top part of the body, they can slide the headjoint with a gentle twisting motion. The hole they blow into should be close to centered with the row of keys along the body. With time and experimentation, they’ll come to find the most comfortable alignment for the headjoint.
The moving parts on the flute's footjoint are extremely easy to damage with pressure. The top of the footjoint is the side with the rod and keys running all the way to its edge. Flute players can gently insert this side of the footjoint into the flute’s body. While doing this, a musician’s palm should be positioned against the bottom of the footjoint to apply the pressure necessary to connect it to the body. The musician’s fingers should grip the tube and avoid pushing against the keys and rod. The footjoint should be adjusted gently until the silver ball on the end of the rod is aligned with the center of the row of keys.
Flute Tips on Disassembly
Similar care should be taken while disassembling a flute. Just as they did during assembly, musicians should only grasp their instrument by the tube. Each piece should be placed directly into the case when it is separated from the main part of the instrument. Proper care will ensure a flute’s long life and best tone.
Once a musician has mastered putting the instrument together, she’ll want to learn how to hold the flute correctly. From there, it’ll be no time before she’s making her first sounds.
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