Hello all flautists!!!!!!I have just done my grade 6 and am about to work towards grade 7. I have a perfectly decent silver plated yamaha at the mo, but loads of people have mentioned upgrading to a solid silver head at least. Is it worth upgrading when you have got to grade 6 quite happily on your first ever flute (a yamaha 225s, like a 211 but slightly older)Help please!!thank you from anna

Hi Anna,

First of all, what does your teacher think about you upgrading? He or she will be in the best position to advise, as s/he regularly hears you play on your Yamaha. If your current flute is in good order, even if its fairly old, it should take you through to Grade 8.

If you do want to upgrade, you need to think about how much you can afford to spend. Again, if the Yamaha is in good working order, upgrading the headjoint is a possibility, and a cost-effective option. A word of warning, however. Don't assume that because a headjoint is solid silver it will automatically be better than the one you play on at the moment. A lot depends on the manufacture (whether hand-made or factory-made) rather than the material. Some of the best step-up flutes (eg Miyazawa 101 and Altus 807) are silver-plated.

Probably the best advice I can give is to go to a flute specialist shop and try out different flutes and headjoints. If your teacher is able and willing to go with you to listen to how you sound so much the better. If not, then see if you can borrow a mini-disc player and microphone and record yourself playing on the different instruments. You can play the recording to different people, including your teacher, and see if they agree on the best sound.

Good luck with your flute-playing and research.

I happily got to Grade 7 on my first flute but I did begin to struggle with it so invested in a Yamaha 411 (All Solid Silver) It was well worth the money and is alot easier to play. It also sounds so much nicer. I now don't have to use so much air too! Hope this helps

Hi I got a Yamaha YFL-311uk for Christmas last year as I didnt own my own flute and I was leaving school at the end of this year and was going to need one anyway. I got up to grade 6 quite happy on a 211 which I thought was a brilliant flute. If you are going to go the whole way up to grade 8 or diploma it would be worthwile upgradeing. I find the 311 a lot nicer to play. I have been able to get a nicer tone on it and now i find that i can hardly play the 211 when i play it in school. Go to a music shop and try out some of the flutes. See if you notice a difference in any of them from your one you have now.

Matt

hi anna
i feel the same way as u. I would really like to upgrade my current 3 year old very well used yamaha 211 for something better. I have tried my friends 311 and found it very good but i think i would prefer a complete change from a yamaha although i would like a flute with at least a silver head joint. It was my teacher that recommended i get a new flute as im sitting my grade 8 in april will leave school in june and hope to go on to study music in some shape or form. She says ive almost out grown my yamaha anyway so im abit stuck! help!!!

Thank you, i think i will go to my music shop and try out different headjoints and a 311, because to honest, its probly goint to cost about the same to buy a really nice headjoint as it would to buy a 311 - also thanks andante in c for the silver plated/solid silver advice - ill bear that in mind!You all have very useful advice, and ill bear it all in mind when i next go to the music shop.Thanks again, Anna xx