Choosing a Flute Head Joint

[DrDavidandJudiKlee]

Hi!
The more silver in the head joint the more response in tone. You can play a nickel head joint side beside a silver head joint and hear the difference instantly. The silver head joint has a deeper, richer tone with more variety of colors. It also offers a more focused pure sound. Theobald Böehm, the inventor of the modern flute, experimented with all the known metals of the time (1840s), and determined that platinum, gold, and silver gave the best sound. Flutes forever! David

[robstevens]

I have a Yamaha & a Gemeinhardt (both nickel plated), but am considering getting one of the head-joints silver plated. Would you recommend this? (At present I cannot afford to buy a new silver flute).

[TechTins_Projects]

Thanks for a great video. I have a problem. Purchased a entry level Dixon irish flute. But I have no idea if it is my technique or the head joint is at fault. I can get a good tone without it attached. But nothing when joined with body. I suspect the head joint is not good. But my question is, how do you find out without wasting hours on what might possibly be a bad head joint?

[hilaryweiner]

Thank you for the great information on headjoint design.  I am a serious adult amateur and found a Powell Soloist headjoint that works great for me.  Unfortunately, I'm having severe neck and shoulder problems, so am thinking about trying one of the vertical headjoints.  I am now better prepared to examine the properties of the tone hole and figure out whether it is right for me.

[DrDavidandJudiKlee]

Hi Aaron! Thanks for checking in! The opening song to the video is my original song "Mi Bonita" from my "Mi Bonita" album. Glad you like it! If you want to listen to more from that album, check out the MP3s at the website URL added to the video description above. Thanks! David

[fluteputter]

Colored flutes are usually beginner to intermediate level flutes that are made of a brass-like alloy and are lacquer colored. Many beginner-intermediate flutes are also silver lacquer colored. They would all sound the same because they are all made of a brass-like alloy. A truly professional flute is made of solid silver, not lacquer over brass. David

[kaylivelazquez]

What's the difference of a sliver plated and a solid silver head joint? I have a professional flute, so my head joint is solid silver, and I know for a fact it sounds better than my nickel, silver plated one. But what are some specific differences?

[DrDavidandJudiKlee]

Thank you very much! Glad it helps! David

[noam]

Never thought so much about the headjoint, but I compared two and found one to be more responsive than the other, but also the responsive one was more out of tune.  This is wonderful information.  Thank you.

[pony]

Hi my friend have a color flute is a color flute a good quality like a sliver one ?

[Ether-pbgb]

my beginner mind has exploded !!!! It makes sense, but holy cow !! I didn't realize how complicated it could be !!!

[nicci]

Hi Doctor, i take private lessons and i have finished more or less  the first cycle. I wanted to know if it can be worth to replace my head joint (i have a study flute) by a same model silver head joint. Could it be interesting? Thx for your videos.

[kacey_cat]

I was just wondering, have you ever worked with a wooden head joint? I'm a senior in high school (going to college in the fall) and have started looking into getting a wooden head joint for my flute. I've heard that they're very different to play with, but are really good for things like traditional Celtic music, which is what I've started to lean toward. What I have now is a solid silver head joint that came with my flute. The flute itself is a Gemeinhardt Custom V, with a B-foot joint and inline (not off-set) open holes. I also play piccolo (wooden body), with both a metal head joint, and a wooden one, so I feel switching to a wooden one on flute should be a bit easier than it is for others. Anyway, I just thought I'd ask your opinion on wooden head joints and see if you have any advice or input for me. Thanks!

[ronrobbins]

Hi Doctor Klee, I'm a wind instrument doubler, going from sax to flugelhorn to flute on any given day.  Lately I've
been trying to improve my "legit" "classical" sound from my usual jazz-whatever-works approach.  I have a Yamaha 321
and wonder if a different headjoint might help me get a more consistent pure tone, or am I forever doomed by all my 
doubling which seems to mess up my flute embouchure.  Thanks!!

[johnnypooncy]

What do you think about wood headjoints?