Hi everyone. Here's a question for all you flautists - I'm put off playing the flute because I worry that there wil be no opportuntites to play, e.g. in groups, orchestras, and such like. Are there just too many flautists out there? Should I not let this put me off? What are anyone's opinions and experiences of flute playing? Flute societies? Flute choirs? Are there any non-flute players/conductors who are sick with the over-abundance of flautists?

I'm a clarinetist, and the clarinets outnumber every instruement except violins in one orchestra I'm in, outnumber everyone in teh school orchestra and outnumber everyone else put together in the school wind band. Flute seems like a good option from here!!

The best option is the instrument which you like the sound of, which you really want to play, which you will be inspired to practice.

Only you can answer as to which instrument that is!

Flautists are common as muck but still it's a lovely instrument*, and while people who are "reasonably good" abound, there are not many who really excel, so if you love the instrument and you get good at it, the opportunities will arise, although you will tend to find it's a popular instrument so if you want to play in ensembles, you will have to put the effort in to make the cut and be more than the average "reasonable tone, doesn't sound too bad, can play OK".

As with any instrument, it's hard work to get really good, although once the basic sound is there a lot of people find it's reasonably easy to get to the stage of playing nice tunes etc. The fingerings are, from my limited knowledge and experience, relatively simple as compared to say clarinet or the insane silverwork of the oboe. Don't be fooled, though, into thinking it's an easy option... I think one of the reasons for the surfeit of flautists is this mistaken assumption that "easy to get started on" is the same as "easy to play"... it ain't!

As a flautist, you have the advantage of having a lot of original and transcribed music available for the instrument - not as much as, say, for violin or piano, or probably clarinet(?), but a lot more than for many instruments.

In the end, the most important question, and the one only you can answer, is do you really want to play the instrument? do you really want to make that sound? will it inspire you to practice?

If the answer is yes, then don't be put off

* me, biased?

I would say flute has more original repertoire, because clarinet wasn't around in the Baroque, so anything from then has to be transcribed. And if you want to play something with your friends on flute, you won't have to worry about transposing!

I think the flute is a great instrument. We have a lot more violins and clarinets at my school. I was even accepted into our local wind band without a grade 5 because they were short of flutes. Also flutes are quiet instruments so you need a lot more of them to be heard etc in a wind band. Flute choirs offer great opportunities, and after learning the flute you have the option to go on to the the piccolo, or (if you can afford one) even the alto or bass flute - all of which are lovely instruments. The range of music thats available for flute is also very good, and flute is a good instrument for playing vocal lines in many other songs if you don't have a singer (i've even done Bon Jovi on the flute before!!)

Hope this helps a little.

Fantastic post there Sarah.

There are loads of playing opportunities for flautists:
* Orchestra
* Wind Bands
* Solo
* Duets/Trios etc
* Flute choirs (where you get the amazing alto and bass flutes)

As Sarah said, there are loads of flute players, but if you become top notch then you will easily have access to all these things. In addition, there are loads of non auditioned, free for all opportunities, so you will have lots of choice Good luck - I love the user name by the way (I have a cat called Mango!)

My youngest daughter has been playing Flute for 18 Months and Oboe for a couple of months longer. In terms of opportunity there are many more for Oboe in band and orchestra. Flute is a lovely instrument without doubt and for someone who only plays Flute I'm sure there are lots of opportunities.

At the moment my youngest plays Flute in Concert band although she has been asked to switch to Oboe(as no one else plays it(. She also plays second and alto in the Flute choir. In Concert band there are 16 Clarinets and 7 Flutes.

If you like the sound of the Flute learn to play it and worry about opportunities later.

Exactly!

Mango: just saw your post about flute pieces in another thread - sounds like you're fond of the sound of the flute - so why not just go for it, if that's what floats your boat

Hi Sarah,
The oboe keywork does look complicated (and is forever in need of adjusting) but actual fingering is not really that much more complicated than the flute. (Ok you have a few more keys for the little fingers and the fiddle initially with the half hole 'till you get used to it) but fingering is only complicated in the third octave which is pretty much the same for the flute.

Mango,
What does make a huge difference is the initial cost. Even a cheap student oboe will set you back around £800. You could get a much better quality flute for the same price.

You could play jazz on the flute as well. I don't think very many people here do jazz flute?
There are definitely loads of good opportunities to play the flute out there!

Go for it!

(I'm not biased, either! )

I play sax and love it, but there are hundreds of sax players out there, on every jazz course I do the saxes outnumber every other instrument by about 4 to 1.

If I was 7 years old again, instead of going down the woodwind route I think I'd choose trumpet. You can play all the same sort of things on trumpet as sax, most importantly for me both big band and small jazz groups but also concert/wind bands, plus there are brass bands and unlike sax regular as opposed to occasional orchestral places.

I do! (sort of ) - great fun

I've played Jazz on the flute before. In our woodwind group the only way we could get our best clarinetist to turn up was if we played jazz. I have to say though it works better on some other instruments. I felt very sorry for my friend though - I don't think jazz on a bassoon is that easy!!

I suppose the flute is a popular instrument...

Why not try applying for a Wind Band? They're quite good... Or you could always set up your own in your own area...

Sarah's post pretty much covers everything I think!

The fingerings, certainly up to two leger line C#, I find pretty logical, notes above that I find have rather more illogical fingerings.

The last sentence in the quote I've taken from Sarah's post should be read, and then re-read - it's very true!