My Miyazawa came to live with me last summer. We have quite a good relationship, and are moving in the rough direction (with detours) of Grade 5. However, recently I find myself having to make more and more effort to hit the higher notes, and it doesn't seem as responsive in the higher registers as it used to.

I am finding this very discouraging and depressing, since I have been working to try and improve my tone. Usually after a bad practice session, I have less bad ones. Now they all seem to be bad. Is it likely that some of the mechanism may need some adjustment? And if so, is it safe to send it (bubble-wrapped in a hard case of course) in the post for a service?

Please help.

When I started playing notes in the third register I had real trouble It was only during a lesson when suddenly one of my Es wouldn't come out when my teacher realised that one of the screws was coming out of my flute and that it was very wobbly. The high notes were a bit easier once that was fixed

I think it would be safe enough in the post if well wrapped (and suitably insured, special delivery etc). It does sound as though there may be a problem if things are getting worse, not better. Could be leaky pads, maybe? Flutes do seem to need fairly regular maintenance to avoid problems..

I'd get your teacher to try your flute first. He/She would be able to tell you whether it is a problem with how you're playing the notes or a problem with the flute.

It may be the the other notes have improved, making it appear that there is more of a problem with the higher notes.

And make sure you warn the postman by writing FRAGILE in big letters. Our postman chucked my brand new (not really suitably wrapped) piccolo over our brick wall and onto concrete I was not happy when I then had to take it back to get fixed, especially as it had been sent off to the repairer's to start with...

Miyazawa's would be one of the brand's I'd have thought would not suffer the usual 'warranty period failures', and certainly not within less than a year! Could be pad leaks or as mentioned a screw loose. From above and experience so far, I'd say check with the teacher, but certainly take it back to the shop you bought it from as consumer act states it should effectively be 'what you bought should be worth what you paid for it".

Alternatively, I'd say from knowledge up to now, try practicing long tones as in Trevor Wye's omnibus book, especially in the section on Gnomes (You don't mention if your Miyazawa has the E-mech?)

Well, my teacher played it in today's lesson, and of course it sounded fine in his experienced hands! He did, however, adjust the head joint slightly, and that seemed to help. The rest, it seems, is down to me although he did mention that he thought I was trying too hard.

It's very frustrating though, when I struggle to get a good tone, and people like Robodoc (no offence, Robodoc, if you are reading this!) leap from beginner to Grade 5 in two minutes! By the way, if you are reading this, Robodoc, how much practise did you do to get so far so quickly?

[Goes to get out Trevor Wye (why, oh wye?) yet again.]

Edit: yes, Judster, it has the E mech.

Hi Misterioso,

I suspect that you may be trying too hard and the flute is reacting to tension in what you are doing. Advanced flutes such as the Miyazawas are very sensitive to this kind of thing.

This isn't what you want me to say, but it may simply be a case of being patient until you grow into your flute. Miyazawa flutes are advanced instruments, rather than beginner or upgrade models (and if I remember correctly you've posted before saying that you have a solid head Miyazawa). You've upgraded at pre-grade 5 level to a flute which would normally be played by grade 8 and diploma standard players. Advanced flutes are capable of greater flexibility and a broader tone palette compared with beginner/upgrade models but they also require greater precison with things like your embouchure and are far less forgiving of a less-developed technique - meaning that mistakes and problems will show up more with the flute you have than if you were playing on a beginner or upgrade model. This shouldn't be a problem in the long term, but may mean that you sound less good until you have the technical ability which your instrument expects.

The fact that you've changed to an advanced flute so early makes comparison with other players more difficult because at your level it is easier to get a good sound out of a beginner or upgrade instrument (and these are the flutes which most people of your standard will be playing). Please don't be discouraged if you think that people like Robodoc are doing better, it will probably even itself out in the end and you won't have to spend time adjusting to a new flute later on (which can take ages).

You probably will also find as you improve that you keep running into patches where you feel like your tone on certain notes is getting worse. Often it will actually be a case of you going from a point where all your notes were of a similar standard to one where some notes have improved and others are yet to do so. This makes the notes which haven't improved yet sound worse in comparison to the ones which have - even if you have in fact improved on everything.

Hi Flossie,

Thanks for your reply. Yes, my Miyazawa has a solid head. I was actually looking at upgrade models when I bought it (because my teacher agreed with me that I had outgrown my standard student flute) but when I tried it, the sound was quite obviously superior to any of the others (even given my lack of technique). I did explore other options - such as buying one without a solid head, and changing the head later on, but abandoned that idea because it would have been more expensive in the long run.

However, we are now exploring a broader tone palette and, as you say, I will avoid amy problems associated with another change later on. And in the meantime, I am sure that Trevor Wye will keep me on track.

Sadly, tension is another story, and it's something I am very good at!