Flute Care

Flute Care
Thank you for purchasing/renting your instrument from Ackerman Music.
Right now, it is in good working order having been checked by our specialist repairers, but it will need a little TLC to keep it that way.

Assembling your flute

When putting your flute together hold the head joint with your left hand just below the lip plate, place your right hand on the body joint and gently slide the two together. Hold the body joint on the lower section of keywork (below the G# key). To put on the foot joint hold down the C and C# keys and gently push together whilst holding the body joint in your other hand. If the joints feel tight do not force them together, check with your teacher or bring it back to us. Do not use any grease on the joints, they should be kept dry and clean.

Flute maintenance

After playing, carefully take your instrument apart and remove the moisture from the inside with a rod and cloth or flute mop. If you leave the moisture inside your flute it may tarnish and the pads will become sticky.

To clean the outside of your flute you should use a silver polishing cloth, do not use any polishing liquids. Moisture from the fingers is acidic and can tarnish the plating on the keys, so keep the outside clean. The cleaning rod has markings on it which indicate the correct position of the head-cork. When you place it into the head-joint, the markings should be in the middle of the embouchure hole. Do not attempt to adjust any screws, rods or springs yourself. Take it to a qualified repairer.

If you take the head-cork out, it needs to be pushed through the tube and be taken out from the lower end. This is because the bore is tapered. Grease the cork before re-fitting. The head-cork should be greased about every 6/12 months, but you may prefer to leave this to a repairer. Once you have cleaned your instrument put it safely back in its case. This will help to stop it tarnishing and keep it free of dust.

Flute Servicing

Flutes should be seen by a professional repairer every 12/24 months for regulation, but it may need to be seen earlier if mishandling has occurred. A full service should not be required for about 3 to 4 years (depending on the amount of use). Do not expose your instrument to extremes in temperature, like a radiator or cold garage, as this can damage the pads and the body of the instrument. If at any point your instrument needs servicing, cleaning or repairing please bring it back to us and one of our qualified repairers will be happy to give you an estimate of cost. If in doubt please do not hesitate to contact a flute teacher or us. These are guidelines only. Your teachers may have other suggestions.