Andante just posted thusly:


It's suddenly occurred to me to ask something I've wondered many times!

What E-help bits do you have on your flute?

The obvious one is the E mechanism, though I've read it can make some trills more difficult (if I remember right...) and makes the F# harder (maybe pyschologically so?)

The E facilitator - is this the little metal doughnut which sits in the G hole?

Anyway... I'm curious to know, what have people tried, and what do they prefer, or do they prefer to have nothing and just learn how to make the E good anyway?

I am not sure about my first flute, though I think it probably had an E mech (it was a nickel Yamaha 211 2nd hand) but my two flutes since have both had an E mech, and for a long time I just thought it was standard and all decent flutes had them. I'm not even sure I've ever played on a flute without it!

I'd be very interested to know others' experiences and opinions.....

My Powell doesn't have a donut (American flute - American spelling!) but a thumbnail shaped bit in the hole, which covers just over 50% at a guess.

I've played flutes with all three types: the conventional split-E found on most student flutes, the Powell version, and none at all. Whilst the split-E definitely helps, it means that students don't learn the correct embouchure for top E, making the F# very prone to disaster. If you get used to a flute without one, you don't notice the difference most of the time. Danger areas are slurring from A2 to E3, and often B2 to E3 as well.

Ahhh right, so there are two in-g types.




I've often wondered if it's something that makes life easier now (with the E) only to make it more difficult later (when playing F#) - bit of a false economy learning wise?

Yet another thing I wish I'd known when buying my flute

I've taught one or two learners who don't have one, and, if I don't tell them top E is supposed to be difficult, they tend to produce good top Es from the beginning.

Interestingly, American student flutes are not routinely fitted with E-mechs. It's seen more as an advanced feature there.

As with a lot of trends, the market expects a particular set-up, and if you deviate from that then it's more difficult to sell the flute secondhand.

Just goes to show I guess!


Oh really? That is interesting - I had no idea.


It's a shame isn't it? ahh well. If I ever upgrade the body of my flute (hah!), it'll DEFINITELY have to be the last time, so I shan't have to worry about selling it on

Worth knowing for future student upgrades though... I've often wondered if it was necessary or just one of those "standard" expected things.

If you're upgrading to a semi-pro model, then it won't matter as much. It's student and step-up flutes that future purchasers want it on.

I was also curious about how this thing helped, I had an old Gem. 2sp which I hate with a passion, I never played it, just found it cheap on ebay a bought it, anyway, it has no split e nor a donut and I played C major three octaves on it alright with no difficulties or tonal issues.

Out of interest, why do you hate it?

What does the Split E do exactly? Sorry if it has already been said and I missed it.

It is supposed to facilitate top E production by making the note more responsive.

Im actually thinking about getting my next flute without it. It does add to mechanical problems in time and when you press the E key, 3 keys close rather than 2, so there is some degree of working harder in fingering notes.

Additionally, I find the balance of the flute better without the extra rod.

I think it just because it is so different to any other flute I have played. I suppose if I had the patience to sit down and spend some quality time with it I may learn to like it. I have never come across anyone who plays one and have never thought to reccomend it. I have heard that the higher models I think its called the M2?? Has had some tonal issues.

Apparently the older ones (c.1970ish) are much nicer flutes than the recent ones, but the scale is terrible.

I think they are much more common in the USA, same as Elkhart...

Yes, but the American teachers don't like the recent ones much either.

A local shop sells them and nothing else. Makes me very irritated, because they charge more for them than most shops do for a student Yamaha.