Chiff and Fipple Forums

Hello all,

My daughter wants to start learning the flute. I’m a piper/whistle player and know next to nothing about flutes and makers. Wondering if anyone here would be willing to point me toward a solid flute model for an 8-year-old girl with small (8-year-old) hands. Hole size and spacing are particular considerations. Thanks in advance!

-Joey

If you're not wed to the idea of a flute in D, you might consider a delrin F from Copley & Boegli. They go for less than $350 and she could learn embouchure, fingering, and tunes and, when her hands get bigger (assuming she wants to continue), she could transition to a D instrument.

Copleys are well respected and well made. You won't have to worry whether the instrument is faulty and you could probably make back most of you investment should you wish the sell it in the future.

Best wishes.

Steve

Steve's idea of an F flute is a good one.

8 year old hands are very small, though.

Or, start with Whistle or (sorry) Recorder. Brain-finger-breath is 90% of learning flute. Embouchure is the other 90%.

An 8 year old can start with a silver flute with a curved headjoint. The fingering is slightly different if she wants to play on a simple system later. But it is not a difficult switch. You can find a regular band teacher to give her the basics in tone production if you can't find a trad player than wants to mess around with the Boehm flute. Some trad players play both so you may get lucky with a trad teacher in Milwaukee though. The whistle is another great idea as is the F flute.

If you are getting a Boehm flute you do have make sure it is playable. There are lots of imported instruments that are not. You can rent these here in near Chicago, so you can likely rent locally too.

An 'F' flute, Damian Thompson, a high 'D' piccolo, just like a high 'D' whistle but transverse, great fun, or a Tony Dixon whistle/flute Duo, (high 'D', 'A', or, I think, low 'G').

Of low 'D' flutes, you could try her with a Tony Dixon ABS, not very expensive, & much lighter than others, with good tone.

I really like all mine, high 'D' to low 'D'.

I’d like to sincerely thank everyone for the replies. Very helpful and much appreciated. This is a new world for me.

Joey