No Extras Needed

So you're done with a rehearsal or practice session, fold your polishing cloth neatly, place it over your flute, and close the case.  No problem, right?  Well, actually, we had a student flute in the repair shop this week, and when our Repair Technician, Rachel Baker, opened the case, she noticed a cloth over the flute, which prompted this little reminder...

Don't put anything in your flute case except the flute.  If you have a cloth covering the flute, it will press against the keys when you close the case.  Rachel mentioned that polishing cloths can be kind of bulky, and not only do they exert unnecessary pressure on the mechanism, they can also get caught on key pads, causing the pads to tear.  As for other items -- maybe a swabstick, pencil, etc. -- if they are placed in the case, they can move around, bumping into the flute and causing damage.

Placing additional items in the case outside of the flute is definitely not a good thing -- and placing them inside the flute is also a no-no.  You don't want to leave your swab in the flute after your are done swabbing out.  Rachel says, "You get all the moisture out, and then you put it back in" if you leave the swab in the flute.

There is one exception to the rule -- an anti-tarnish square. These can be placed on the flat area of the case on the far left, as you'll see in the photo below.  Other than this small anti-tarnish square (usually a strip or a very small sponge-like material), make sure there are no "extra" items in the case or on the flute.  Remembering the simple rule of "nothing goes in the case except the flute" should keep your flute happy and healthy!

Anti-tarnish square is on flat spot on the far left of the case (next to body tenon).

Headjoint "A Bit Off?"

New cork assemblies

We recently had a customer who thought something might be a bit off with her headjoint.  She would use her swabstick to check the headjoint cork position, looking to see if the mark on the swabstick was in the middle of the embouchure hole, and it just didn't seem quite right.  So, our repair technician, Rachel, took a look.  The swabstick mark was actually alright, so she didn't need the headjoint cork moved or replaced.  However, Rachel left our customer with a tip.  If you think something might be "a bit off" with the cork, play octaves.  If the octaves are in tune, everything is alright.  After all, one of the functions of the cork is to balance intonation between octaves.  We have a previous post on headjoint cork maintenance that you can read by following this link.

The customer also wanted to have her headjoint checked for fit.  She felt that it might be too loose, and sure enough, it was!  Our technician was able to fit the headjoint by expanding the tenon, and everything was good to go.  Concerned about the fit of your headjoint?  If the headjoint is turning when you play or if you are having trouble getting the headjoint into the body, you definitely should have your repair technician take a look.  Click here to read more from our previous post on headjoint fit.

Lesson "Checklist"

Teachers are surely quite familiar with this scenario:  A student walks into the lesson, picks up the flute, and nothing comes out.  Not a single solitary note.  The student turns to you and says, "Something is wrong with my flute -- it won't play..."  Hmmm...where should you start to help diagnose the problem?  Well, we recently caught up with Christina Guiliano-Cobas, our Marketing Manager here at Powell.  Christina has managed a studio for several years and spoke with us about a "checklist" for this common situation.

1) Dirty Tenons - The tenons on students’ flutes can become quite grimy if they are not regularly cleaned.  In turn, the build-up of dirt will make the tenon and headjoint fit too tight.  This tight fit could cause the mechanism to bind (the keys won’t go up and down) or over time cause the joints to go out of round.

2) Cork alignment - You'll want to check the cork alignment with the swabstick.  Proper cork alignment can make all the difference.  However, if the cork is too easy to move, it may need to be replaced.

3) Leaks - Student flutes normally have felt pads, and it may be possible to detect an air leak simply with an initial visual inspection.  However, this would not be possible with Straubinger pads.  In the case of felt pads, if you notice a gap between the pad and cup, there is most likely a leak!

4) Spring tension - This issue could be present even if sound is produced and the student is able to play.  Feel the keys to see if something is too heavy or difficult to press.  In this case, the spring may be too tight, which could impact the student's technique.  Obviously, the key could be too light as well, in which case the spring would need more tension.

5) Swabstick - Oddly enough, it is possible for a student to leave the swabstick or cleaning apparatus in the flute.  This would certainly be detectable by a visual inspection!

If you detect an issue that demands specialized attention -- or if you are not sure -- it's always best to contact an authorized flute repair technician.  Clean, well-adjusted flutes make for happy students and teachers!

Begin with an overall visual inspection - just like we do with brand new flutes!

Checking for even key height.

Checking spring tension.

Checking the overall feel of the mechanism.