{"id":2055,"date":"2022-12-16T19:39:17","date_gmt":"2022-12-16T19:39:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dadstuffsite.com\/?p=2055"},"modified":"2023-08-28T11:38:48","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T11:38:48","slug":"parents-survival-guide-to-the-flute-basic-care-terms-and-how-to-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dadstuffsite.com\/parents-survival-guide-to-the-flute-basic-care-terms-and-how-to-help\/","title":{"rendered":"Parent’s Survival Guide to the Flute: Basic Care, Terms, and How to Help"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A couple weeks ago your child decided they want to join band. You filled out the paperwork, signed up for the class, and their flute has finally come in. Your kid is super excited to start, but you\u2019re starting to feel the pangs of anxiety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You want your child to succeed and have fun, and you\u2019ll do anything you can to help. Except you know nothing about the flute. Chances are you know little about band and are worried you\u2019re going to do more harm than good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fear not, this guide is here for you! As a college music professor, a former band director, and a dad of two boys myself, I can give you all the flute basics you need to know as a parent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m going to explain basic flute terminology, playing fundamentals, and things to pay attention to so you can help your child do their best. By the end of this article, you\u2019ll have some lingo to use when talking to your kid and their teacher about the flute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re still deciding whether to buy or rent a flute, check out Renting vs Buying a Beginner Instrument<\/a>. It will give you everything you need to know to help you make the right decision.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First Days with the Instrument<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first days are going to be a test of patience your child. They will want to open that sucker up and jump right in. Don\u2019t let them! In fact, don\u2019t let them touch it yet (you can open it and look at it longingly, but no touching). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until your child gets instruction from the band director or private lesson teacher, they\u2019re not ready to put it together. In fact, they\u2019re more likely to do accidental damage. There are a lot of small moving parts, and grabbing it the wrong way can move a pad out of alignment. The last thing you want to do is have to make a repair before you\u2019ve even started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parts of the Flute<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start by explaining the different parts of the flute. This way you know what should be included in the case, what the pieces are called, and what they\u2019re for. <\/p>\n\n\n

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The first part we\u2019re going to look at is called the head joint<\/strong>. This is the part your child is going to blow across (not into. You create sound on a flute by blowing across the top, kind of like what you do on a beer bottle). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are three parts to the head joint: the lip plate<\/strong>, the embouchure hole<\/strong> (pronounced AHM-bo-shure. Sometimes called a tone hole<\/strong>.), and the crown<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Parts of the head joint<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The main thing to know here is to not mess with crown. The crown screws to a cork inside the end of the head joint. It\u2019s positioned in a specific spot that will help tuning later. This should already be set correctly, so don\u2019t mess with it. In fact, as long as it\u2019s set correctly (17.3 mm from the middle of the embouchure hole to be precise), you will likely never have to mess with it. <\/p>\n\n\n

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The crown unscrewed from the head joint<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The next part of the flute is called the body<\/strong>. This is the longest part with all the key<\/strong>s. One side will have no keys and has the brand name engraved on it. This end connects with the head joint. The other end connects to the foot joint. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Flute body<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

This leads to the last part of the flute, the foot joint<\/strong>. The end with all the buttons connects to the body of the flute. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Foot joint<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Some other accessories that come with the flute include a case and a cleaning rod. One side of the rod will have a long hole, and the other side should have a couple tick marks. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Cleaning Rod<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The purpose of those markings is to check the placement of the cork connected to the crown. Simply insert the rod (the part opposite the long hole) into the head joint until it touches the cork. If you look into the embouchure hole, you should see a line from on the cleaning rod exactly in the middle of the embouchure hole. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Head joint with cleaning rod showing the proper setting for the crown. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

If the line is off center for some reason, don\u2019t try to fix it yourself. Let your flute teacher or band director know. It\u2019s a simple enough adjustment that doesn\u2019t need any extra tools, but leave it to someone who knows what they\u2019re doing to make the adjustment.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frustrated trying to get your kids to practice? Check out Getting Your Child to Practice Music: 20 Tips for Motivation<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Put Together and Take Apart a Flute<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While you\u2019re not likely to ever play your child\u2019s flute (unless you\u2019re just super curious), there is a good chance you might need to help put it together or take it apart, especially in the beginning. Here are the steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Open the case correctly<\/strong>. Make sure the case is right-side-up: the latches should open upward (if it has latches), or the instrument brand should be oriented the right way. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n
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    1. Put together is the head joint and the body<\/strong>. Hold each piece in the palm of your hand with your fingers wrapped around it. Be sure to hold the body at the top part where there are no keys (usually where the brand is engraved). You want to have a good grip, but don\u2019t hold the flute too tightly.  <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n
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      \"Holding<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n