You are here : BFP-flute-posture-assembling

Assembling, caring, maintenance Tips : Always store the instrument in its case. After use, always put the flute away in its case. This saves accidental damage, slows tarnishing and avoids tiny particles of dust getting into the mechanism. Make sure the flute is snug in its case, the right way round. Never eat, drink or run about before playing. If you do, moisture from your breath will attack pads and the silver polish. Treat the keywork with respect. Never put the flute down resting on its key work. Never grasp the mechanism or any moving parts when assembling the instrument because you can easily damage them. Always hold the joints where there are no keys, where possible. Make sure the head-joint and the body are in line before assembling them with a slight twisting motion, adjust the foot joint to a comfortable little finger position. Always dry the moisture after every use using an absorbent, like a cotton cloth, from the inside of the flute. If possible use a wooden rod. Clean finger marks and moisture from the surface after use using a soft cloth or special silver polishing cloth. Don't push your cloth between the keys ! Polishing your flute with silver polish about once a year will do nicely. More often is unneccesary. When it is difficult to assemble the instrument joints, try cleaning them inside and outside with a silver polishing cloth. Or, try polishing the tenon with a slight abrasive silver polish for several minutes. If it is still tight, take your flute to a music shop. For oil repairs and maintenance see a professional repairer ! Cigarette papers, graphite, powders, chalk, ..... should be avoided. Caring for your flute will avoid some problems ! Here you will find the Padding Technique. This is difficult, please don't try it when you are not sure of this !