Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the headjoint of the flute so important?

Why is regulation so important?

How do you know if any of the flute is made of a precious metal?

Why are the pads of the flute so important?

What is a B footjoint?

What is the difference between tone and intonation?

What is the difference between open hole and closed hole flutes?

What is a split E mechanism?

What on earth is the meaning of the text under MAGIC FLUTES INTERNATIONAL on the top of the home page?

Why is the headjoint of the flute so important? (top) Answer: The most important parts of the headjoint are the edge and the chimney. The material that these are made of affects the sound quality because this is where the sound is produced.

Why is regulation so important? (top) Answer: Regulation means ensuring that when two or more keys close together, they seal the tone holes at exactly the same time.

How do you know if any of the flute is made of a precious metal? (top) Answer: Most manufacturers will identify the areas of the flute that have a silver precious metal content by stamping the numbers 925. A precious metal content means that the piece of the flute that is stamped is solid silver, not just silver-plated.

Why are the pads of the flute so important? (top) Answer: An incorrectly seated pad will cause an air leak from that key which affects that note, as well as every note below that pad.

What is a B footjoint? (top) Answer: A B footjoint has an extra key on it and is a little bit longer than the C footjoint. It means that the B below the C can be played. The image to the left is a B footjoint, whilst the image to the right is a C footjoint.

What is the difference between tone and intonation? (top) Answer: The tone of the instrument refers to the quality of the sound produced. An instrument with good intonation produces the correct pitch on each and every note when played correctly. Of course, it can also be said that a musician has good tone or intonation, or not, as the case may be.

What is the difference between open hole and closed hole flutes? (top) Answer: The example on the top right is of a closed hole flute. The example on the bottom right is of an open hole flute.There is no difference in sound between open and closed hole flutes. Open holes are needed for more advanced techniques such as tone effects. They are often more expensive. Click here for a review of open and closed flutes by Thomas Pinschof.

What is a split E mechanism? (top) Answer: The note E3 is difficult to play in tune and it cracks easily when first attacked. The split E mechanism closes an extra tone hole on the flute when this fingering is played, so it is easier to play this high note.

What on earth is the meaning of the text under MAGIC FLUTES INTERNATIONAL on the top of the home page? (top) Answer: Good question: It is Latin and translates something like: SILVER, GOLD, PLATINUM AND WOOD SOUND LOVELY