Thursday, December 1, 2016 by Jessica Valiente | Uncategorized

Greetings, Flutists and Parents!

Is your child excited about the flute, but a little too small to reach the keys while maintaining correct embouchure position?  Perhaps your child is taking band and struggling to produce that first sound with the flute fully assembled. Sometimes, the instrument's size is the reason.  This is very common with children, even as old as 12 years.  

Curved headjoints have existed for a long time, but they were used for adults to play low-pitched flutes (alto flute, bass flute, etc).  The headjoint is curved, usually in the shape of a candy cane, taking up some of the length, so that the performer can position her lips properly on the embouchure plate while still reaching the keys on the body of the instrument.

A couple of decades ago, the Suzuki method and other methods designed for the very young began using curved headjoints on concert flutes so that smaller children could begin younger by taking advantage of this design principal.

Sometimes a parent purchases or rents a flute for their child with a traditional, straight headjoint, only to find that the instrument is too large.  It's not always possible to get the dealer to switch headjoints without paying more.  Not to worry!  I now have a few of them in The Global Flute Studio, available for any student who needs to use one.  Use is COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE.  There's just a security deposit and a contract to sign.  The security deposit will be refunded in full when the student no longer needs to use the curved headjoint and the family returns it to me.

Don't forget, that the fife and other small instruments are available for children who are very, very young, but eager to start.  If your child wants to play the flute but you're concerned about the size, please remember to ask about curved headjoints and small flutes.

Best wishes and keep making music,

Dr. Jessica