ALWAYS...
1) Make sure you clean your flute really well after each time you play it. Run a soft cloth through the inside of your flute and wipe the fingerprints off the outside to keep the flute clean.
2) Polish your flute with an untreated silver polishing cloth once a month or so to make sure the metal does not tarnish. You can buy a cloth at Flute World or your local music store. Untreated cloths work best.
3) Clean sticky pads with pad paper, cigarette paper, or a clean dollar bill. If you are using a dollar bill or a thick piece of paper, put the paper under the key, close the key to blot it, and lift up the key before removing the paper. If you are using thin paper like cigarette paper, it's probably ok to pull the paper out GENTLY while the pad is still closed.
4) Hold the flute by the head joint, just below the mouth plate when you're not playing it.
5) Check the position of your headjoint cork periodically by sliding the bottom end (the one without the needle eye) of your cleaning rod into the head joint. The mark on the end of the rod should line up with the center of the embouchure hole.
6) Use a soft paintbrush to CAREFULLY dust the mechanism of your flute if it gets dusty.
NEVER...
1) Put stickers or tape on your flute. Masking and scotch tape are probably ok for flutes (for correcting hand position, etc.) but it is probably best not to experiment and see if they will be ok for yours. If you do put tape on your instrument, make sure you wipe all the tape residue off of the flute after you take off the tape.
2) Polish your flute with silver polish. The polish could get onto the pads and ruin them.
3) Take your flute out in the rain, extreme heat, or extreme cold. And never, ever submerge it in water. All of these things could cause the pads to fall off. Wooden instruments should never go outside for any reason unless they are in their cases.
4) Yank thick paper out from under a flute's pads. This could damage them.
5) Eat, drink (except water), or chew gum right before you play your flute. And never chew gum while playing. This causes sugar to bulid up inside the flute and makes the pads sticky.
6) Hold the flute by the keys, especially not when you're putting it together or taking it apart. Bending and twisting the keys can cause key leaks.
7) Unscrew the cork at the end of your flute. This will mess up your intonation. Also, never twirl your flute like a flag in marching band because flutes that have been twirled tend to get loose corks, and then the corks fall out. Also, this is bad on the keys (see #6).
Problems and Solutions
1) If your flute's headjoint cork comes off, or is not aligned properly... Screw the cork on tightly and check the alignment. If it is still not aligned, unscrew the cork slightly (NOT all the way). If the cork is pushed too far in, hold the head joint with the head cork top facing up and the part that would attatch to the body of the flute facing down. If the cork is too far out, flip the head joint 180 degrees so the cork is on the bottom. Gently tap the head joint until the cork becomes aligned, then screw it on very tight.
2) If a pad is sticky... Clean the pad with pad paper, cigarette paper, or a dollar bill. Open the key, slide the paper underneath it, and close the key. Press down gently to blot it. If the paper is very thin (cigarette paper or some pad paper), it is ok to gently pull the paper out from under the closed pad. If the paper appears to be ripping or if you are using thick paper, be sure to open the key before removing the paper. If the pad is always sticky and cleaning it does not help, take it to a repair shop to be oiled.
3) If a spring or screw comes loose... If you know where the spring came from and you can reach, you might be able to put it back in yourself. Be very careful not to bend any of the mechanism. It is usually best to take the flute to a reliable repair shop.
Make a Flute Care Kit
Put the following things in a bag to make a flute care kit. You can take the kit with you wherever you take your flute, then you will always have everything you need to take care of your instrument.
- Cleaning rod and soft cloth
- Untreated silver polishing cloth
- Pad paper
- A soft paintbrush (with no paint on it)
- Small screwdriver for repairs
- Phone number of a reliable local repair shop
1) Proper Care and Maintenance of the Flute
2) Flute Care and Maintenance