The headjoint of the flute

The headjoint is perhaps the most important part of the flute. It has the greatest effect on the sound of all parts. Headjoints are made of various materials. All with their own sound characteristics. For example, there is nickel silver which is used for affordable headjoints. Sterling silver which consists of 92.5% real silver. This immediately provides a great improvement of the sound. In the more expensive price ranges you also see gold-plated headstocks. Or headjoints with a gold-plated lip plate. All these headjoints enrich the sound of the flute. There are also headjoints from Brittania Silver (95.8% silver content). Or .997 Silver (99.7% silver content). There are also gold head pieces of, for example, 9K, 10K, or 14-karat gold. You can purchase a head piece separately. This allows a good flute to sound even better.

Corpus, pedestal and mechanism

In addition to the headjoint, the flute consists of a body and a base. Together with the mechanism they form the whole. The material of the corpus is also important for the sound. And here too, the more expensive the metal type. The better or more colorful the sound of the flute. The materials used are the same as for the head piece. With the same sound characteristics.

Open or closed valves

The mechanism of a flute can come in different variations. First you can choose from Openor densevalves. Proponents of open valves find the sound richer with this mechanism. However, it is not science and so it is not necessarily better. It's the flautist's taste. In addition, there is the E mechanism. Which makes it easier to play certain notes. This mechanism is often chosen by beginners.

C-foot or B-foot

The last part is the pedestal. Here you can choose one B foot. A B-foot makes the sound of the flute darker and richer. A C-foot, on the other hand, is lighter. And the sound is also lighter with this pedestal. Again, the flutist himself decides which sound he / she likes better. It is therefore not the case that a B-foot is by definition better than a C-foot or vice versa.

Common terms:

• Headjoint: Top of the flute. You blow through this
• Lip plate: Located on the headpiece. This is where your lip meets when playing
• Corpus: The body of the flute. This is where the mechanics are
• Mechanism: The mechanism is all valves and the connections between them
• Pedestal: The bottom of the flute. Can come in different variations.
• B-foot: Pedestal which makes the flute sound darker
• C-foot: Lighter pedestal than the B-foot. Sounds lighter too
• E-mechanism: Mechanism that makes it easier to play certain notes.
• Inline G: G valve is in line with the rest of the valves.
• Offset G: G valve is not in line with the rest of the valves and provides more playing comfort.
• Open valves: The valves have holes so they are open. This makes the flute sound different.
• Closed valves: The valves are completely closed.

Flute shop

So there is a lot you should pay attention to when you want to buy a flute. We advise everyone to visit a store in addition to online orientation. Here you can try out all flutes. You can test the different valves, bases and headers yourself. This allows you to experience the differences in sound yourself. You can always come by without an appointment our store in Noordwijk. You can also buy all flutes online on our website. We send flutes to satisfied customers every week. Throughout the Benelux. Do you have questions about flutes or perhaps a repair? Call us and we will help you quickly.