Flute Assembly, Care and Maintenance

Assembly

Be sure to hold the body of the flute where there are no keys and gently twist the head joint into place when assembling the flute. Gently twist the foot joint into place. It is important to assemble your flute carefully because the key mechanism can be easily bent. If any pieces are difficult to put together, apply some Vaseline or cork grease.

After Playing

Be sure to swab your flute every time you finish playing. Thread a small piece of lint-free cloth or a small piece of leather chamois through the slot in the cleaning rod. Twist the cloth around the end of the cleaning rod and around it. Cover as much of the rod as possible, so it won’t scratch the inside of the flute. Be sure to swab out each section of the flute. Push-through swabs are designed to be left inside the flute after swabbing with the cleaning rod and cloth.

Always keep your flute in the case when you are not playing it. Never put anything in your case that it was not designed to hold. The pressure from music or papers in your case can bend the keys and rods. Vacuum your case when necessary.

Regular Maintenance

Wash the head joint with soapy water about once a month. Never use silver polish on your flute, this can scratch the finish on the flute and ruin the pads. Do not adjust the screws on your flute- only your teacher or a repairperson will know how to use them correctly.

Under each key is a pad that seals the tone hole when the key closes. If pads start to stick, it means they are dirty. To clean the pads, place a clean cloth (muslin works really well) under the pad, close the key, and pull the cloth through. To keep pads clean, don’t eat candy or chew gum before or while playing! Rinse your mouth if you’ve been eating anything sweet.

Supplies Needed to Care for the Flute

1. Cleaning rod and small piece of lint-free cloth or leather chamois (a push-through swab- optional)

2. Clean cloth, preferably muslin (to clean pads)

3. Cork Grease/Vaseline

Handling the Flute

Don’t let anyone but your teacher handle or play your instrument. If you need to set it down during rehearsal or practice, put it on a stable, flat surface with the keys up. Never leave your flute on a music stand.

Identification

Be sure your instrument has a tag identifying that it belongs to you. Also, have a record of the serial number on your instrument for insurance purposes.