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How To Take Care Of Your Flute
I am often surprised that parents will spend several thousand
dollars on an instrument for their child but not be overly concerned
with how to care for the investment. Here are some tips:
- Always list the flute on your homeowners insurance, just as
you would an expensive piece of jewelry. If you rent, you can add it to
your renters insurance. Don't take chances. Theft does occur in schools
and
accidents happen.
- Never leave the flute (or any instrument) in the car. Here is a
good analogy I heard once. When you go home do you put your flute
in freezer? Leaving
an instrument in a car on a cold winter day would be the equivalent
of putting it in the freezer. When you go home do you put your
flute in the oven and
turn it on? Leaving your instrument in the car on a hot summer
day can reach temperatures that can melt glue, plastic and other
things. Always
carry your
flute with you. If you need to go shopping before or after lessons
- take it with you. Do not leave the flute in the car. Common
sense could save you
big repair dollars!
- Just like you take your car in every 3,000
miles for an oil change, your flute needs regular sendee too. The instrument
that
is played
frequently will probably need an extra check-up. A good maintenance
routine will
increase the life of your flute and provide you with many hours
of enjoyable fluting.
A reasonable schedule for CO A (clean, oil and adjust) would
be every six months (January & July). At theses maintenance
checks the repair person should check the flute for leaks and
shim the necessary
pads.
The flute should
be oiled, head cork checked and sealed (if necessary) and make
sure the joints are snug* Fees vary from place to place and from
student flutes
to professional
models.
- Many student model flutes have adjustment screws. Sometimes
these screws will loosen while you play. On some models, if
you over-tighten
the pivot
screws they will lock down the keys and your flute will not
wrork. Ask your repair tech to set the screws correctly and
then seal
the screw with a little
clear fingernail polish. You want to make sure the person knows
what they are doing. Sealant in the wrong place will cause
extra problems.
- Never allow anyone to put cork grease on the
joints. Cork grease is for corks, not metal. The grease allows for
dirt and grime to collect.
This
grinds into the metal of the flute, wearing down the joints.
If your footjoint or headjoint is too loose, a quick fix
is to add a piece of
scotch tape to
the joint until you can get it into the shop. Some flutes
build up dirt on the joints causing the connection to be tight. If
this is the
case, just wipe
down the joints with your cleaning cloth - not your polishing
cloth. If the joint is still too tight, take it to your repair
tech immediately.
- Never leave your cleaning cloth/swab in your flute. Why are you swabbing it in the
first place? To remove moisture! So it is not logical to put the wet swab back in your
flute for storage. Remember to wash your swab or replace it periodically. Moisture in
the flute will react with the pads causing them to become lumpy. A lumpy pad will be a
leaky pad. Always swab your flute out.
- Finally, chose your repair person carefully. A bad repair person, just like a
bad mechanic, can wreak havoc on an instrument.
I hope this helps. Your flute can last a lifetime with proper care. If you have questions or more suggestions,
you may e-mail me at Questions I would be happy to address more issues in the next newsletter.
Townes Osborn Miller
President, KCFA
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Last Revised:
7 May, 2004