What Every Flutist Needs

Surprise!

Time is of the essence, it seems - rehearsal time, practice time, performance time. We, as flutists, are prone to having the flow of our times interrupted. For example, in rehearsal, Bb/A# becomes unpredictable as the screw adjustment loosens or the C# steel backs out. For example, we can't practice because we waited too long to get our 'ax' to the repairperson, and now the repairs will take an unspecified period of time during which we twiddle our thumbs. For example, in a performance, the right-hand section doesn't function properly because somehow the spring actuating the F# key is unhooked.

These are some of the pratfalls of playing flute that today's flutists are frequently not prepared for.

What to do

Theobald Boehm ends his technical discussion of the instrument itself with remarks including an admonition to carry screw drivers. There's a little more to it.
First, it does behoove the flutist to carry not just one, but probably two screw drivers, and possibly three. At the least, a screw driver with a 1.5mm blade is needed to deal with loose steels and pivot screws on almost all flutes. Having such a screw driver helps when such parts work loose - you can at least tighten them until you can visit the repair tech to solve any underlying problem.

Also, many flutes have steels of differing sizes, so a screw driver with a 0.7mm blade is likely useful. This will help when adjustment screws work loose or with a similar situation involving the thumb steel on some flutes.

And some Pearl flutes have special fasteners. To deal with these, both a cross-head screw driver of 1.5mm breadth and an appropriately sized Allen key (available from Pearl) may be in order.

It Can Be a Big Deal

But it's worth it!

That is, rather than waste time waiting for an instrument to be returned from repair, have a second flute - a back-up. While this can be prohibitive where a player insists on having all the qualities of their primary instrument (imagine buying two copies every time you move to a new flute!), keeping the old instrument can be very practical in this regard: while the primary is repaired, we keep moving ahead, we keep practicing, with the back-up.

And One More Little Thing

It is all too common for a flute player to be stopped in their musical tracks by a loose spring. Sometimes, we seem to inadvertantly insert a finger tip where it shouldn't go, and dislodge a spring from its arresting fixture. In so doing, a key ceases to function. This is bad, no? It happens disconcertingly (no pun!) often.

The solution is for the flutist to carry a spring hook. A spring hook is a small tool with an end notched somewhat like a crochet needle, but much finer. With the spring hook, the flutist may guide the offending spring back to its seat, properly arrested in the catches provided on the affected key or soldered to the key, and carry on.

Summary

Therefore, this writer advocates that flutists should carry certain tools with their flutes. The minimum tool set should include two sizes of screw driver and a spring hook. This writer also recommends that every flutist should have two flutes - a primary instrument and a secondary back-up.