I've aquired a flute (Yahama YFL211) and I'm wondering if it's a good idea to try learning. My friend swapped it with me for a TV set. She bought it last year, a bit on impulse I think, at the same time I bought a clarinet. I've managed to struggle up to about grade 2 (no exams thought) on the clarinet, but she never really even played the flute, so it's brand new really.

My problem is, I've heard people say that playing the flute can affect your playing of the clarinet (embouchure and all that). But I don't like to leave it languishing, and flute would have been my second choice after clarinet, so I'd like to give it a go. However I don't want to spoil what progress I've managed to make on the clarinet.

Does anyone else here play both? What is your experience/advice?

Thanks.

Quite a few people here play both.

My clarinet teacher when I was a kid also taught flute. My flute teacher has a clarinet and can play it. I switch between both with less trouble than I have switching between other woodwinds (less tendancy to mix up the fingerings).

Sax is one of the most common doubling instruments for clarinettists, but although they're quite similar in some ways you have to be careful to use different embouchures for each. With flute it's a lot more obvious that you have to use a different embouchure! ;-) So there's probably less chance of getting it wrong.

The only thing I've heard dire warnings about mixing with clarinet is small bore brass, but even that's possible for some people.

T.

I play both and don't have any problems.

Give it a go and see how you get on.

hillyb

I play both. I do not play clarinet much and if I do My muscles tire easily then it would affect flute if i was swopping quickly between 2 but I have never had a problem in fact it makes my tone on flute sound nicer for a bit (might be my imagination though

By all means have a go, but I strongly recommend (as a flute teacher) that you get some initial lessons from a flute specialist teacher, to sort out three main areas:

1. Posture.
2. Holding the instrument securely so that all your fingers and your left thumb can move freely.
3. Embouchure.

1 and 2 are both very important if you are going to avoid unnecessary aches and pains and develop a fluent finger technique.

Enjoy!

My Oboe teacher teaches flute, sax and clarinet as well as Oboe (she only has 4 oboe students incl. me, compaired to 100s of others.), but I don't think it has an impact on any 1 instrument.

I personally found the oboe with its very tight embouchure affected my flute tone drastically. So I guess it depends on the individual

It is possible - I can get a sound from a flute, indeed spent about half an hour before a concert practising going between registers, then grabbed my clarinet and played as well as I usually do! (Accompianist messed it up, but thats another story)

Well, it's taught me one thing: why so many second-hand beginner's flutes have dents in them!

Maybe somone can tell me how you're supposed to hold the thing without dropping it? I know it's supposed to be supported by your right thumb, lower left index finger, and your chin/lip. But if I try this it just wants to rotate under my lip, slip off my chin, and fall on the floor. I've managed not to actually drop it yet thankfully.

Maybe somone can give some advice on holding it? I don't want to pay for lessons if I can't even hold the thing!

same case with me "Jon S"

my mother's friend gave me a flute, but i've decided to serious with my clarinet..
and i don't too like flute too..
(actually my parents encourage me to learn this instrument)

i can't sell it, it's a gift from someone (my parents won't allowed me to do such thing)

so, i decided to keep this flute without learn it, i just think that maybe my children in future will like it and want to learn it... hhehehhehhe

i dunno about the bad effects learning clarinet and flute simultaneously, but some people do that goodly, so if u really want to and like flute, maybe u can try that!

good luck!

Me too - and I would have posted what hillyb had posted had hillyb not already posted it!

I'd give it a go - nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Jon S

You need a teacher to show you how to hold the flute correctly-it is a little bit tricky but easy when you know how!

I don't see why it should cause problems, if you have the time to do the practice! For pit bands and big bands, I think the standard doubling is sax/clar/flute... I have played sax for a while, and am just learning clarinet and flute simultaneously. I must say, I find flute much harder to get a reasoable tone (but of course clari fingering is more difficult).

If you do take up both, I would do your flute practice before your clari practice - you need much more flexible lips!

Nick