Flute Repair

Why should you have your flute serviced?
Unable to play low notes as easy as you could last week?

• Unable to play 3rd octave as easy as last week?
• Either thumb Bb or Long Bb speak poorly?
• Pads are sticky?
• Key noise seems to be getting louder?
• When you play some notes it feels like the key tension varies?
• Sounds like something vibrating?
• Metallic clicking sounds when you’re playing
• You find yourself having to press the keys harder and harder?

All of the above things mean your flute is overdue for a service. Flutes are extremely fine pieces of mechanical equipment that show wear quicker than all the other standard wind instruments, and they are the most sensitive to air leaks. I believe that high end flutes should be checked over by a Flute technician every three months to enable the player to perform to level of the instrument.

For beginner flautists, of any age, it is very important that your flute is serviced because flutes that are not working correctly are uneconomical in their use of your air. Even a small air leak makes your flute much harder to operate. While I’m on the “soap box” about this I will add that with every musical instrument, good quality is of the utmost importance. The easier the instrument to play the easer it is for you to learn. Please take the time to read how to chose your flute.

On average, your flute needs to be serviced every 12 months, so when should you have this done? Many people purchase their instrument either around their birthday or Christmas so this is an easy way to remember when you should have it serviced. If you are doing exams I believe you should have your instrument serviced about 6 weeks prior to your exam. This way you can get the final sections of your exam criteria learnt with out having to compensate for an instrument that is not operating to the fullest of your potential. You should try to book your instrument in advance for its service. This way you will not be with out your instrument for too long. Most repair workshops have a system to enable you to put your instrument into their repair queue without actually having it on their site. They may (like we do) run an appointment book. This way you get a time and date to drop your instrument off and will be given a time to return to collect it - generally the same day. There are always exceptions to this happening like the requirement of large numbers of pads for replacement. Under these circumstances the technician should contact you quickly and inform you of a possible delay.