It's my senior year in HS, and I'm planning on buying a professional Gemeinhardt flute. I have been playing for seven years now, and intend on doing so in the future, in college bands. Which flute would be best, and what type of Head Joint, if anyone knows?
2007-09-03 13:41:55 · 7 answers · asked by 16keys 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Performing Arts
NO!!!!! Do not buy a Gemmie - the company is NOT what it was years ago. Yamaha is you best bet of the three - but there are FAR better. I STRONGLY advise you to go to Yahoo Groups and join FLUTENET. There are over 3,000 of us there - professional flutists, teacher, students - and you will get MUCH help. Meanwhile, do NOT NOT NOT buy that Gemmie! Look into Avanti and Azumi, Pearl, Jupiter/diMedici, and several others. Really, you should WAIT until your college teacher advises you an a flute purchase. And keep your old flute for marching band - the new baby does NOT go outside!
2007-09-03 14:41:16 · answer #1 · answered by Mamianka 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Save the money and put it towards a flute that will get you through college and possibly beyond. The reason I'm saying is this because if you were to buy those brands, you will probably "out grow" them in just a year or two. Plus, these companies don't really spend time producing a high quality instrument. They are simply massed produced so that they can sell quickly at local instrument retailers.
If you're on a tight budget, you can check out some of the "lower end" models of professional line flutes such as Altus, Powell, Brannen-Cooper, and Haynes. These companies put in the time and effort that it takes to produce a good instrument and this makes a night and day difference (high quality repairs also help). Also, don't be afraid to give used professional flutes a try as well. You might find a real gem at a very good price.
Another option would be to take out a school loan as having a good instrument is an educational expense. Make sure you also get the instrument insured! You may want to talk about this with your flute teacher so that she/he can also submit a letter to financial aid stating that this is a needed expense.
The best time to try different flutes is at a local flute fair or even the Nat'l Flute Association Convention. If that's not an option, there are many flute dealers (Flute World for example) that will send you several flutes for you to try. Most of them will give you a trial period for several days, so play the instruments for someone that has a trusted musical ear (a flutist friend or your teacher) to help you decide which instrument is best for you.
2007-09-03 17:50:08 · answer #2 · answered by jfluterpicc_98 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree--don't buy the Gemeinhardt!!! Research flutes a little bit more before making a decision. There is a lot out there to know. You could get a much better flute than a "professional" Gemeinhardt for the same or a wee bit more money; or if you really want a very good flute, spend even more.
Here's a good website: www.smithflutes.com. They actually have "Flute Buyer's Guide" that they'll mail you for free. It's a good resource for students and teachers. It'll tell you everything you ever wanted to know about all those options you can get, and gives you a chart of flutes and price ranges, from student to pre-professional. they've done a good job with it. If you call them you can even talk to a flute specialist. small warning, though: they are trying to sell you a flute, so the flutes featured in the catalog (except on the list I told you about) are only flutes they have--there are more out there!
Best of luck to you, and if you get the chance, talk to a private flute teacher who can help. That's what we're for!
2007-09-03 15:17:52 · answer #3 · answered by florafall 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
By now, you've probably heard how each flute produces a different tone. I ended up going to a music store and actually blowing on a few to see what I liked.
First, you're looking for a B foot and definitely open hole. If you haven't started working on open hole, it's not to late.
My preference is for Yamaha. The tone is just a lot richer. To be honest, Gemeinhardt has gotten a bad reputation lately. You might want to talk to the WoodWind instructor at the college you are considering.
2007-09-07 12:36:09 · answer #4 · answered by hemmerrocks101 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm going to agree with most of the others. I thought my Gemeinhardt and Selmer "professional" flutes were good too -- and then I got a real professional flute by Altus (1307).
There are options now that go so far above the usual makers that you just have to try them to understand.
Play one - in comparison it will boggle your mind.
2007-09-06 22:35:20 · answer #5 · answered by CoachT 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The music is only in the flute player. Only a flute player can get music out of a flute. This can be tested so is a very strong hypothesis.
2016-05-20 22:16:29 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yamaha is good
2007-09-06 11:39:46 · answer #7 · answered by hello(: 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋