Flute help?
Question:
Answer:
I think you should
a) ask your flute teacher or band director
b) ask professional musicians you know whose sound you admire (or look them up on the internet)
c) call the music department at the college and see if they have someone who could give you a recommendation
d) take your regular flute with you to college.. the one you already know and are used to. You maybe could get there and see what they recommend and who has what and how it works
e) I love Gemeinhardts... but that is just me. My friend loves Yamahas. :)
You should probably consult your band director or someone who specializes in the flute. My flute is a gemeinhardt, but I have played other brands such as Selmer, Blessing, and Yamaha, but i found Gemeinhardt to be the best.
I bought a Gemeinhardt 3SB (I think) and that's still a great flute. However, after a while my flute teacher said I should invest in a professional flute, which I did. Buying a flute is a really personal thing though, you have to try lots before you buy. I'd recommend trying the intermediate and conservatory lines made by Gemeinhardt. Also look into Yamaha. There are 'extreme' professional flutes out there, made of gold and costing thousands upon thousands of dollars, but you're probably not looking for that. I've tried Muramatsu flutes, and really liked those. Powell and Haynes are both well-known and respected professional flute brands. You should try them too. Those are really for the professional player. If you don't plan on majoring in music in college, I really don't recommend buying one of those being as you really wouldn't need it and it'd be a waste of money. If you're not majoring in music, go for a higher-end Gemeinhardt or Yamaha. Even some Selmers might be alright, although I tend to stay away from them, just because of personal preference.
Gemeinhardt is arguably the leader...but in my honest opinion, Miyazawa is the best way to go. Incredibly beautiful flutes! They play great and are affordable. They also have a few features that are inclusive to only their flutes. Check out the website for more information!!
Powell and Haines flutes are the best professional level flutes you can buy. The pretty costly however, but well worth the money if your going into it professionaly. I taught band for 20 years and had flute players purchase both brand before entering college. If you can afford it you won't be dissappointed.
I am a flute performance major. I would suggest the upper level of any brand you choose. I like prima sankyo and pearl. Pretty much you should go to a flute dealer and try out a bunch of flutes in your price range. Then the one that gives you the best sound and plays the best for you is the one you should buy. If you don't try before you buy it, it doesn't matter which of the top brands you have because it won't necessarily play well for you. Any flute dealer you go to will be able to help you choose what is right for you and suggest the right brand and bells and whistles. And if you can keep your current flute so that you always have a back up in case something needs to be fixed on your good one.
Well, it kind of depends on how much moneys you are willing to spend on the new instrument. There are some actual only professional flute brands like Brannen and Nagahara. If you want a site for Brannen flutes, it's: http://www.brannenflutes.com/
For Nagahara: http://www.nagaharaflutes.com/
These two brands, since they're custom made flutes and make solely professional level flutes, the prices are going to be pretty high.
Yamaha flutes are pretty good flutes (obviously not as good as the Brannen or Nagaharas, but that's besides the point...) Yamahas are good quality flutes, but with the quality comes the price. I know that a professional Yamaha would be about three thousand something dollars. The Brannen and Nagaharas are about twenty something thousand, though. It all depends on how much money you are willing to spend on you new flute.
If you want to buy a piccolo, try Nagahara or Yamaha (I'm not sure if Brannen makes piccolos.) They're still pretty expensive, too.
right now, i have a powell "step up" model (the sonare) and it's incredible for me. but since i'm still in high school and you're going to major in flute for college, then you should probably invest in a more advanced flute. i also tried out a powell conservatory flute and it was AMAZING (however, out of my price range at 6000) powell headjoints are very good but don't always work for everyone. our first chair flutist is a good player, but somehow she can't play on a powell headjoint. one of my good friends plays on a yamaha (i'm not quite sure what model it is) and her tone is darker than mine. my flute teacher is an incredible player and she just got her masters. she plays on a custom straubinger flute (before her, i had no clue they existed :), but i'm pretty sure it was pricey. all in all, it depends on your price range and how it feels on you. good luck (and happy hunting)!
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