January 2021
Now that all of life is shutting down again, a lot of crazy thoughts are popping up. Should I buy a new flute, or a second-hand one of higher quality? I am very sympathetic about a flute that has ring keys. But the longer I play on a flute with closed keys, the harder it will probably be for me to switch to one with open keys. I dream of a silver headjoint. It's said it has a nicer sound.
I visited two flute shops in Munich before the latest lockdown was called and looked at the flutes in the showcase. Wonderful how they shine and sparkle seductively. Testing is possible by appointment in these times.
I take catalogues with me, which I study with great devotion in bed at night. I become familiar with names like Jupiter, Pearl, Miyazawa, Tomasi, Muramatsu, TrevorJones, Powell, Altus or Sankyo. Compare the information from the catalogues, but at the same time I know that this is of no use at all. Every flute player can only tell by trying out an instrument whether he can cope with it or not.
And a beginner is not really technically able to get everything out of a very high-quality flute.
In one of the shops, they advised me with to wait with a purchase until I had learned the low "C" before buying a new one. Then I would be able to play an instrument better when testing it.
By chance, I had a very interesting and surprisingly long, almost half-hour conversation with the general representative of Miyazawa Germany. I had called shortly after 6 pm to ask if they would send me a catalogue. He had time and wanted to talk to a flute-rookie like me. It was a very informative and great conversation. It was easy to see how enthusiastic he was about his product. Afterwards, I really wanted to have exactly one from this brand.
Then there is a flute maker from Austria who is competing against the Japanese dominance with his very own concept. I'm impressed by that, and one of the shops in Munich would also have some flutes to test.
I am now browsing several flute forums, including an English one, and reading what other flutists are up to. All in all, you can say that flutists are a bit quieter than pianists. In the Pianist forum where I registered two years ago, they occasionally engage in hot-blooded small wars.
That is to say, you are spoken to in a more friendly manner there, but it's not quite as lively.
There I got the tip to go to "Flutissimo". The shop is in St. Augustin, between Cologne and Düsseldorf. They have a great service and the largest selection of used and new instruments in the country. The special thing is that there are a lot of reconditioned high-quality instruments that are interesting if you have set yourself to a price limit.
Practice now a lot in my flat and I don't mind as much from week to week. My very kind, 90-something landlady says in response to my warning, "It will be quiet enough at a graveyard in the end. Play and practise! As long as I'm alive, I'll be glad of sounds". Isn't that a wonderful encouragement?
Got myself some equipment for the flute, probably out of boredom. I've already mentioned the new music schools. Then there's a book on scales, but I can't play that yet, I can't get through it with my 8 to 10 notes.
I bought new gauze to dry the flute and powder paper because the G key keeps smacking. I also bought some cigarette paper at the tobacconist's for rolling cigarettes. I learned that there are very thin papers but also thicker ones. I bought the thickest one. I use it to soak up the moisture that can come out of the holes in the flaps.
And, as a highlight, tadam, a music stand with an extra shelf. This is a very good place to put the flute when you want to put it down for a moment.
It's not a good idea to put it down, for example, on the piano bench during a break, because you can accidentally sit on it. As almost happened to me once. Or from which it can accidentally fall down onto the parquet floor, as unfortunately happened to me. The sound was very ugly. I also had to watch the fall and could not intervene in time.
To top off the craziness, (remember, we're in Corona times, so you'd be forgiven for a lot of things), I ordered an adjustable stand to which you can easily attach a mobile phone. A ring light for illumination and an external microphone with which one can record music better than with the mobile phone microphone. I can use it to record myself and my musical attempts and upload them to Instagram on my flute account, for example.
I read a lovely saying by Kandinsky: In music, the colour light blue is represented by the flute.