My flute's really flat, I mean like a semitone-tone out even when the head joint's pushed in. And it's not exactly cold outside! My clarinet teacher said something about the flute not being in tune to concert pitch and that I should adjust the turny thing (technical!) on the top of the head joint. But which way do I twist it? Is it a case of trial end error or is there something that I could do by accident which will maje it worse!?

check for any leaks in the flute and try adjusting your lips to sharpen up to get in tune

I can reset the stopper but I'm not sure if I could describe how to do it. Can you look this up book/search online.
First though put the handle end of your flute stick into the headjoint and touching the top - the line around the end of the flute stick should be halfway along the blow hole. If it isn't halfway then it needs adjusting.

I haven't got one of those Although I should probably buy one!

I'll look it up online. It's not leaking, I;ve checked that and even if it was my embouchure that was the problem, I don't think it would be that flat!

How do you manage to swab your flute out?

It's also worth checking in a mirror that you are uncovering around two-thirds of the hole when you play. It's more likely to be the flute that needs adjusting, but if you're rolling in a lot it can make the flute very flat.

There aren't any loose screws are there?

One pupil of mine bought a lovely new "step up" flute in September. A couple of months back she started to complain that the sound wasn't so good ( and I had noticed). I looked the flute over and everything seemed fine , I then asked her if she was cleaning it regualrly and she sheepishly admitted that she hadn't been doing it at all. When we looked down the flute it almost seemed as if there were a fine growth in the head piece.
Anyway it plays fine now that she is cleaning it regularly!

I don't clean if often, and I improvise but I won't tell you how I clean it because you'll probably think it's blasphemy!

I'll buy a cleaner stick, clean it properly and see what it's like then. And if it's still not working then I'll use my cleanery thing to check!

You aren't blowing down the wrong end by chance, are you?


(serious for a mo. your cleaning method doesn't involve lots of heat, does it?)

NO! No I use a cloth and a chop stick as a cleaner stick

I guess I never really thought of cleaning it properly, properly out coz I can't see the spit coming out the bottom like I do with clarinet! But as this problem seems to be coz I'm not looking after the flute properly, I'll sort it out asap and buy a cleaner thingy!

It's strange that a flute should (as a whole) go seriously flat since it's constructed in a fixed way. Pianos go flat because the strings start to stretch, other strung instruments can be tuned easily, but a flute?

I also know that w/w instruments can be tuned slightly for orchestral playing except the oboe which is why it sounds the A in orchestras.

Does it still play in tune even in flat? I wondered if there's some component in the head joint that's 'set' by the makers to get it in tune and it's come out of adjustment? I don't know much about flutes tho. Just seems strange that it could go very flat.

A couple more semitones and you can turn it into an alto?

I solved it temporarily yesterday by transposing the piano down a semitone and tuning the flute to that instead.(I was trying to play along with the piano) That was way more successful than playing it at normal pitch! Except it sounded a bit weird

All woodwind instruments can be tuned down to an extent. With the flute it's a case of pulling the headjoint out so the overall length of the tube increases. Flutes are designed to be in tune when the headjoint is pulled out several millimetres, not when pushed completely in. The stopper in the top of the headjoint is a vital part of keeping the flute in tune, and if this is not adjusted correctly there can indeed be major tuning problems.

Oh my.... *feels slightly ill*

Just out of interest what kind of flute are you playing. If it's a trevor james they are known for being flat so that could be the problem just a thought that was all!

I have a TJ Virtuoso which is my back-up flute. It's not so much they're flat as that they are only in tune when pushed fully in, with no allowance for cold conditions, slightly sharp pianos, electronic keyboards tuned to 442 etc.