I feel that sometimes starting out with "NO" to buying cheaper flute ignores the fact ( and by that I do not mean that you are not unaware of it) that not everybody has the money to go higher than 100 bucks. Buying an 100 bucks flute gives that person the opportunity to learn. In this case I am talking about someone who is self motivated. It of course its different from person to person, But I think starting off with NO is already too negative. I bought a cheaper product and I agree its playing up now and I feel its not me but I have improved my playing nonetheless and has not stopped me from playing.
Cheap flutes are great for students starting out when learning how to make a sound and to decide if playing the flute is for them 😊 When they start to progress further, you don't want a flute that might hinder this progression.
I have a master’s degree in oboe. I have several oboes valued over $6k. Most of the time I play my plastic oboe because it’s so consistent and reliable and stress-free. I’m looking to get into flute, and I want to find an instrument that is equally reliable.
Good luck with the flute PT! I have some clarinet friends who love their plastic clarinets (which they call their "stunt clarinets") for outside playing!
I got the plastic Nuvo Student Flute 2 for around 180€. Self taught and I don't have much of a comparison so far, but it's still in top condition after almost a year of semi-regular (~half an hour, 3 times a week) playing, and is super sturdy. It's also water-proof, can be left outside and weights about half as much as a normal flute, which helps me in getting used to maintaining a good posture since it's less tiring to hold up. And I think that due to its special properties, it will still have its use cases even when I do decide to upgrade someday. Hope my amateur opinion is somewhat useful to you :)
I bought one from Aldi for 170 bucks. My teacher played it and said it wasn't too bad for its price. It's still working after 7 months from purchase. 😅
That's excellent to hear mig - that was my experience with some cheapo flutes too. Some last quite well, and some don't. Glad yours is still working, yay!
i was a clarinet player, ( i was actually more interested in playing flute in band but my director said clarinet suits my shape better). i played it for two years before moving to another country. my dad is a traditional bamboo flute player, and he knew how much i wanted to learn flute, and my family ins't rich so my dad bought an 80 dollar flute for me. i played it for maybe a week, forgot about it for about two years. i opened it up maybe 3 months ago, and it worked GREAT- until today, when all of a sudden, i couldnt play any note below A, and then no sound came out of it, and even if it did, it was really high pitched, and it didnt even sound like the note it was supposed to play. anywho, i saw this video and decided to test wether it was me or it was the flute by playing my dad's bamboo flute (which was a little harder, but i was still able to play it). i asked my dad to play it and no sound even came. i immediately knew it was the flute, not me. never the less, i do not at all regret buying and playing a cheap flute, because it gave me an experience wether i wanted to continue playing flute or not. although, i am about to be pretty busy for the next few months with exams and stuff, so maybe after a couple months, im going to talk to my family and invest in a more expensive flute. from my experience, saying that you shouldn't buy cheap flutes isnt exactly fair, because it depends on the situation (wether you are interested in it, or if you have enough money, or like other things she mentioned in the video). but cheap flutes are definetely great for people who are not sure about wanting to continue it or for beginners :)
I definitely agree with you! Cheaper flutes are great for people who are on the fence about playing flute or not. It is great to give it a go on an affordable budget! Hopefully you can upgrade your flute soon and recommence along your flute journey! 😀
I'm really glad that I started out with a cheap flute. It sounded fine and kept me interested while I waited for a good deal on a second hand flute, one of a gazillion sold by parents who got a $1000 flute for their child and then when they leave for college having never actually shown any interest in it - I snapped it up for less than my cheapie! Don't regret it in the least altho I think my patience was equal to my luck! So I would put to you a 3rd reason... a cheap way to get on with it while keeping an eye out for your deal.
I purchased an inexpensive flute and absolutely love it. They are not professional flutes and meant for students or beginners. When raising a family with children, we can't afford a professional instrument so low-cost instruments are great. I took my new flute into the music shop for maintenance. They did not refuse to work on it, but said they were impressed for it being a low-cost flute.
That's excellent to hear French! Yes, it's a little bit luck-of-the-draw with cheap flutes. I have one that cost $50 and it actually works really well. Don't know for how long though! Best of luck with your playing :)
I’m interested in starting my high school band and was wondering what flute you guys bought; my family can’t afford a really good one right now, but I’d love to know your working, low cost alternative!
My issue is that ive only played recorder about 15 years ago and otherwise dont yet have experience with this kind of instrument (i play guitar primarily). It sounds fun but I may not even enjoy playing the flute and learning it. This is why I may be willing to buy cheap. Edit: Turns out renting instruments from a local store is fairly cheap so I may opt for that instead
Ebay was never good for flutes, but Wollongong charity shops were - up til Covid. The catch is you need to know the brands - I'd add Buffet 6000 series to Yamaha and Jupiter. You also need to be able to check over and test the instrument in the shop. A cheap used flute is necessary if you are playing somewhere where it might get damaged - I like my $35 Yamaha 225 but I wont cry if it gets written off. I'd be a bit more sorry to lose my $40 Buffet, which feels and sounds a bit better than the Yamaha.
hi Teacher,I have a question, I'm from Miami and I've been watching your videos lately since I'm willing to start learning this beautiful instrument and has been a blessing but im struggling to get the right instrument for me that doesn't broke my wallet, I'm trying to get the Gemeinhardt Student Flute Model 3OB, what do you think about it. ill be happy to hear your comment. thank you
Most reputable flute stores will stock good student flutes to choose from. Definitely for your first flute, get something in your budget and that is a reputable brand and this should hopefully last you a long time! Try to avoid flutes off ebay etc as you're not guaranteed the quality of the instrument. 😊
Thank you for this video - I'd be curious on your dad's progress! I wanted to dip into the flute and got a second hand student model Pearl 505 flute for around 430AUD. As a complete novice, the keys looked like they are opening and closing uniformly, the pads looked used but seemingly okay. It had some minor scratches. At this point I wasn't ready to spend more just to give it a go. I think I got lucky, as I encountered no issues so far, though I feel like it takes a strong pinky to get C4. I fell in love with the instrument. Now I sort of dread the day when it needs an overhaul with new pads - it will probably cost as much if not more than what I paid for the flute. I'm uncertain if it's worth the trouble, or getting a brand new student model would be worth it more in the long run. Would you care to share your opinion on the matter?
Hi Alpenjon - Pearls are good flutes, so if it needs an overhaul in the future, it'll probably be worth it! But check with a good repairer at the time for their opinion. PS I love that you use the proper naming of notes ie C4 - lots of people don't know that!
Type in how to test a flute on youtube by johnathan landell. Now you could be aware or know about this video very knowledgeable. But however a novice or beginner / lay person wouldn't know what they are buying.
I recommend to my beginner students to always buy a reputable student brand from a reputable flute shop, as you're definitely right! You get what you pay for if you go the super cheap option!
I feel that sometimes starting out with "NO" to buying cheaper flute ignores the fact ( and by that I do not mean that you are not unaware of it) that not everybody has the money to go higher than 100 bucks. Buying an 100 bucks flute gives that person the opportunity to learn. In this case I am talking about someone who is self motivated. It of course its different from person to person, But I think starting off with NO is already too negative. I bought a cheaper product and I agree its playing up now and I feel its not me but I have improved my playing nonetheless and has not stopped me from playing.
Cheap flutes are great for students starting out when learning how to make a sound and to decide if playing the flute is for them 😊 When they start to progress further, you don't want a flute that might hinder this progression.
I have a master’s degree in oboe. I have several oboes valued over $6k. Most of the time I play my plastic oboe because it’s so consistent and reliable and stress-free. I’m looking to get into flute, and I want to find an instrument that is equally reliable.
Good luck with the flute PT! I have some clarinet friends who love their plastic clarinets (which they call their "stunt clarinets") for outside playing!
I got the plastic Nuvo Student Flute 2 for around 180€. Self taught and I don't have much of a comparison so far, but it's still in top condition after almost a year of semi-regular (~half an hour, 3 times a week) playing, and is super sturdy. It's also water-proof, can be left outside and weights about half as much as a normal flute, which helps me in getting used to maintaining a good posture since it's less tiring to hold up. And I think that due to its special properties, it will still have its use cases even when I do decide to upgrade someday. Hope my amateur opinion is somewhat useful to you :)
Try Hawk or Sky brand flute. I have both and love them. I was impressed with Hawk that I purchased two hawk piccolos and love those also.
I bought one from Aldi for 170 bucks. My teacher played it and said it wasn't too bad for its price. It's still working after 7 months from purchase. 😅
That's excellent to hear mig - that was my experience with some cheapo flutes too. Some last quite well, and some don't. Glad yours is still working, yay!
I agree about investing in yourself more than the flute. So important.
i was a clarinet player, ( i was actually more interested in playing flute in band but my director said clarinet suits my shape better). i played it for two years before moving to another country. my dad is a traditional bamboo flute player, and he knew how much i wanted to learn flute, and my family ins't rich so my dad bought an 80 dollar flute for me. i played it for maybe a week, forgot about it for about two years. i opened it up maybe 3 months ago, and it worked GREAT- until today, when all of a sudden, i couldnt play any note below A, and then no sound came out of it, and even if it did, it was really high pitched, and it didnt even sound like the note it was supposed to play. anywho, i saw this video and decided to test wether it was me or it was the flute by playing my dad's bamboo flute (which was a little harder, but i was still able to play it). i asked my dad to play it and no sound even came. i immediately knew it was the flute, not me. never the less, i do not at all regret buying and playing a cheap flute, because it gave me an experience wether i wanted to continue playing flute or not. although, i am about to be pretty busy for the next few months with exams and stuff, so maybe after a couple months, im going to talk to my family and invest in a more expensive flute.
from my experience, saying that you shouldn't buy cheap flutes isnt exactly fair, because it depends on the situation (wether you are interested in it, or if you have enough money, or like other things she mentioned in the video). but cheap flutes are definetely great for people who are not sure about wanting to continue it or for beginners :)
I definitely agree with you! Cheaper flutes are great for people who are on the fence about playing flute or not. It is great to give it a go on an affordable budget! Hopefully you can upgrade your flute soon and recommence along your flute journey! 😀
@@JaneFluteSchool thank you! :)
I'm really glad that I started out with a cheap flute. It sounded fine and kept me interested while I waited for a good deal on a second hand flute, one of a gazillion sold by parents who got a $1000 flute for their child and then when they leave for college having never actually shown any interest in it - I snapped it up for less than my cheapie! Don't regret it in the least altho I think my patience was equal to my luck! So I would put to you a 3rd reason... a cheap way to get on with it while keeping an eye out for your deal.
Yes Deedee, that's right! Good on you being patient, and aware at the same time waiting for a good deal :)
I purchased an inexpensive flute and absolutely love it. They are not professional flutes and meant for students or beginners. When raising a family with children, we can't afford a professional instrument so low-cost instruments are great. I took my new flute into the music shop for maintenance. They did not refuse to work on it, but said they were impressed for it being a low-cost flute.
That's excellent to hear French! Yes, it's a little bit luck-of-the-draw with cheap flutes. I have one that cost $50 and it actually works really well. Don't know for how long though! Best of luck with your playing :)
I’m interested in starting my high school band and was wondering what flute you guys bought; my family can’t afford a really good one right now, but I’d love to know your working, low cost alternative!
My issue is that ive only played recorder about 15 years ago and otherwise dont yet have experience with this kind of instrument (i play guitar primarily). It sounds fun but I may not even enjoy playing the flute and learning it. This is why I may be willing to buy cheap.
Edit: Turns out renting instruments from a local store is fairly cheap so I may opt for that instead
That's awesome you can acquire a rental flute to learn on! 😊
Ebay was never good for flutes, but Wollongong charity shops were - up til Covid. The catch is you need to know the brands - I'd add Buffet 6000 series to Yamaha and Jupiter. You also need to be able to check over and test the instrument in the shop. A cheap used flute is necessary if you are playing somewhere where it might get damaged - I like my $35 Yamaha 225 but I wont cry if it gets written off. I'd be a bit more sorry to lose my $40 Buffet, which feels and sounds a bit better than the Yamaha.
I totally agree with you Joe - a good brand, and you need to try it out first! And yep it can be good to have a "stunt flute" as you say :) Jane
hi Teacher,I have a question, I'm from Miami and I've been watching your videos lately since I'm willing to start learning this beautiful instrument and has been a blessing but im struggling to get the right instrument for me that doesn't broke my wallet, I'm trying to get the Gemeinhardt Student Flute Model 3OB, what do you think about it. ill be happy to hear your comment. thank you
Most reputable flute stores will stock good student flutes to choose from. Definitely for your first flute, get something in your budget and that is a reputable brand and this should hopefully last you a long time! Try to avoid flutes off ebay etc as you're not guaranteed the quality of the instrument. 😊
Thank you for this video - I'd be curious on your dad's progress! I wanted to dip into the flute and got a second hand student model Pearl 505 flute for around 430AUD. As a complete novice, the keys looked like they are opening and closing uniformly, the pads looked used but seemingly okay. It had some minor scratches. At this point I wasn't ready to spend more just to give it a go. I think I got lucky, as I encountered no issues so far, though I feel like it takes a strong pinky to get C4. I fell in love with the instrument. Now I sort of dread the day when it needs an overhaul with new pads - it will probably cost as much if not more than what I paid for the flute. I'm uncertain if it's worth the trouble, or getting a brand new student model would be worth it more in the long run. Would you care to share your opinion on the matter?
Hi Alpenjon - Pearls are good flutes, so if it needs an overhaul in the future, it'll probably be worth it! But check with a good repairer at the time for their opinion. PS I love that you use the proper naming of notes ie C4 - lots of people don't know that!
@@JaneFluteSchool Thank you! :D
I bought cheap Flute 3 hours ago ... for 50$
I hope it works ok for you Tran! Happy to hear you're learning the flute :)
Type in how to test a flute on youtube by johnathan landell. Now you could be aware or know about this video very knowledgeable. But however a novice or beginner / lay person wouldn't know what they are buying.
I recommend to my beginner students to always buy a reputable student brand from a reputable flute shop, as you're definitely right! You get what you pay for if you go the super cheap option!
You get what you pay for.