Would you suggest playing the flute?

Answer 1

As a flute player myself, I'd have to say I'm pretty biased. However, I would greatly recommend the flute as a first time instrument for anybody interested in learning to play. Here are some pros and cons to consider:

Pros to Playing Flute:

- Flute is much easier for most people because fingerings are equivalent to only one

pitch. On brass instruments, one fingering can lead to an infinite number of notes in

the instrument's range.

- Playing on the headjoint of the flute generally does not lead to soreness or calluses.

Because you have to vibrate your lips to create sound in brass instruments, players

"lose their chops" (become very exhausted and numb in the mouth) after playing for

too long. With reed instruments like the Clarinet and the Saxophone, the vibration of

the reed in one's mouth can result in calluses.

- Flutes are much quieter than brass instruments and can be practiced indoors without

too much noise. They are also much easier to bring from school to home (or any other

place you need to take it).

- Flutes are generally much less expensive than brass instruments, especially on a

professional level.

- As a high school flute player, I've played many solos. Some pieces of music included as

many as three solos. This makes parents taking videos of their children's concerts very

happy. :)

- It is much easier to clean and care for woodwind instruments than it is to clean a

brass instrument. No harsh, strong-smelling chemicals or elaborate string-pulled

cleaning methods are required. All you need is a cleaning cloth and a cleaning rod, and

maybe a polishing cloth and sanitizing spray if you prefer.

Cons to Playing Flute:

- Playing flute is not easily transferable to playing other instruments. A brass player may

be able to switch from trumpet to euphonium to tuba without much trouble, but the

only other instrument that uses a headjoint like the flute is the piccolo, which is

basically the same thing but smaller (and higher-pitched).

- More difficult band pieces require much more difficult flute parts than brass parts due

to its ease of switching between notes. This results in difficult sixteenth-note runs and

many high notes that are challenging to flute players, and also applies to all flute

literature.

- Most professional and college Marching Bands do not march woodwind players

because they cannot be heard on the football field. You may have to switch

instruments if you would like to do college marching band or drum corps.

- Because they are smaller than many instruments, flutes are easy to steal.

- Flutes are generally only played in two contexts: jazz and classical. If you would like

some more flexibility, try a different instrument. For example, trumpets, trombones,

and saxophones all enjoy popularity in ska bands in addition to orchestras.