How to Choose a Flute

Body Materials and Finishes

Flutes are made from a variety of metals and materials, which affect the tone and touch of the instrument.

Silver

This material is considered the standard material for flutes. It produces a soft, bright tone. The standard silver used for instruments is called sterling silver.
Sterling silver is a silver alloy cast with a silver percentage of 92.5%. It is called Ag925 or sterling silver 925 after its silver content.
There are also other specialities depending on the manufacturer and product number, such as Britannia silver (95.8% silver content) and pure silver with a higher silver content.

White Copper, German Silver, Nickel Silver

An alloy of copper, zinc and nickel with varying proportions and names depending on the manufacturer.
This material is often used in beginner models as it is very resonant and easy to play.
It is said that Marcel Moyse, who is regarded as the greatest flutist of the 20th century, used a German silver flute all his life.

Gold

Although instruments made of pure gold do exist, gold-plated on top of all-silver flutes are by far the most common due to the difficulty and high cost of processing.
The tone has a clear and bright outline and it’s also characterized by its excellent projection. This material is more resistant than silver and requires more power to blow into.
Depending on the manufacturer and model, the gold content varies as 9K, 14K and 18K, and there are differences in tone and resistance.

Platinum

Like gold, this is a platinum-plated finish on top of an all-silver flute. Silver undergoes a chemical reaction (bonding) with hydrogen sulphide (sulphur) in the air and turns into a substance called silver sulphide, which can darken. Platinum plating prevents this discolouration. It also has a dark tone with a very good response.

Granadilla

Granadilla, also known as African blackwood, is a wood native to Africa. Although it is wood, it is a hard material with a very high specific gravity that it sinks in water. It is often used for piccolos, clarinets and oboes, but there are also flutes made from granadilla. It is characterized by a warm, sweet tone.

Types of Keys

Flutes have two types of keys: ring keys, which have a hole in the key cup where the finger presses down, and covered keys, which do not have a hole.

Covered Key (German Style)

The part of the key that is pressed with the finger is like a lid, and the tone hole (hole in the windpipe) can be securely covered no matter which part of the key is pressed. This style is often chosen by children with small hands, people with thin fingers and beginners.

Ring Key (French Style)

A ring key has a hole in the part that is pressed with the finger. To produce a sound, the hole must be closed securely and requires some getting used to.
Because you can feel the air vibrations directly at your fingertips, it is possible to monitor the detailed nuances of the sound. Another feature is its good sound projection.

If the key is difficult to hold, a ring key patch or ring key plug can be used to close the hole like a covered key.

Key Arrangement

Offset Type

Inline Type

There are two types of key arrangements: the offset type, in which the key of the left-hand ring finger comes forward, and the inline type, in which the keys are arranged in a straight line.
Generally, the offset type is arranged in combination with covered keys and the inline type with ring keys, but use of the offset type with ring keys is also increasing.

E Mechanism

This mechanism makes it easier to play the third octave E, which is difficult to play due to the flute’s structure.
The 3rd octave E is a sound that is used quite frequently on the flute and the E mechanism cannot be retrofitted, so it is better to have a flute that already has this mechanism.

Types of Foot Joints

There are two types of foot joints: the C foot joint (lowest note is a C) and the H foot joint (lowest note is a B), which goes up to a semitone lower than the C foot joint.

C Foot Joint

The lower registers are easier to produce and the weight of the instrument is lighter.

H Foot Joint

Easily controllable in the upper register and has a thicker sound. It has a gizmo key to facilitate the highest note, C.

Types of Tone Holes

There are two types of tone holes (sound holes) on flutes, depending on how they are processed. Tone holes are not simply holes in the tube like a recorder, but have the appearance of a chimney.

Drawn Tone Holes (Raised Tone Holes)

A tone hole is raised from the body and its edge is rounded outwards (curled). It is characterized by an excellent rise of the sound and a light tone.
Beginning to intermediate models almost exclusively use this raised tone hole.

Soldered Tone Holes

This is a manufacturing method in which the tone holes are soldered to the body and is characterized by a pleasant sense of resistance and a thick tone.