Student Flutes
A student flute is the first one that you will buy when you are first starting out. In general, these flutes are designed to be durable and easier to play than flutes for more advanced flutists. Even though these flutes will not respond as well as a professional instrument, they will play fine for any beginner flutist. (It took me about 4 years to "outgrow" my student flute) Almost all student flutes have closed holes, which makes the instrument easier to play. An open hole instrument will be harder to play but will promote perfect hand position. C footjoints will also work fine for all beginner flute music. Most student flutes have an offset G, because this makes the flute easier to play for people with smaller hands. I still play on a flute with an offset G, and this does not affect my playing in any way. To make the flute more sturdy, most student flutes will be made out of a more durable silver-like metal with relatively thick springs and mechanism. Again, this should not be noticeable for the first several years of playing. I would strongly recommend the Yamaha student flutes. I liked mine so much that I bought a second flute from Yamaha. It always sounded great, and I hardly ever had to take it in for repairs. Stay away from flutes that you can buy from non-music sources (ie J.C. Penney Catalogue, local, non-music store, ebay), and also brands like Jupiter and Armstrong.
Intermediate Flutes
An intermediate flute is the next step up from a student flute. Most flutists will buy a second flute in their third to fifth year of playing, but this depends on the player as well as the quality of the first flute. When buying an intermediate flute, quality, rather than durability, becomes much more of a concern. Many intermediate flutes have open holes because they increase the tone quality of the instrument as well as promoting great hand position. A B footjoint may become necessary for intermediate level flute literature. The metal of the instrument also plays a huge part in the overall tone quality. For more on metals, see the flute features page. In general, it's important to comparison shop for the features and to play test several flutes before buying. Again, I recommend Yamaha. I really like my Yamaha 581. There are many other good brands out there, so be sure to check out my links page of instrument makers and stores. Private Teachers can also make good suggestions about which brands are good and which brands to avoid.
Advanced Flutes
An advanced flute is the next flute you will buy after your intermediate flute. They are designed to play incredibly well, but the price makes one a huge investment. Advanced flutes can sometimes be custom made or ordered with a ton of different features that would take up way too much room to list here. Make sure to play test many different flutes and seee which features and combinations you like best.
Piccolos
~ Metal- these piccolos are great for marching band because they won't get in too much trouble outside. They don't have the greatest tone for concert band or solo work, though.
~Plastic- plastic piccolos are a good compromise for marching and concert band players. They sound almost like a wood piccolo, without the care or hastle of a wood piccolo. They can be taken outside.
~ Wood- these piccolos have the best sound and are good for concert and solo players, serious piccoloists, and professionals. They require special care because they are made out of wood, and can not be taken outside for marching band.
~ Some piccolos are made out of two of these materials (ie metal head, plastic body). Try these piccolos out before buying them- I found that they had intonation problems and did not play as well as the piccolos made out of just one material. Also, beware- the headjoint of the piccolo makes up 90% of the tone quality, so a metal head/ plastic body piccolo will still sound 90% like a metal one.
Good luck with your instrument search! To start,
Click here for a list of links to Instrument Makers and Stores!
1) Flute Makers- Compares some common flute brands in each category.
2) Makers of Finely Crafted Flutes- Contact info for tons of companies, arranged by country.
3) Finding Your Flute- Detailed explanation of how to buy a flute with pictures.