Flutes etc. Is there a reason why I shouldn't play sax and flute? If not, which to choose as a beginner?

[Di in France]

Sorry for the long title, but I'm thinking I'd like to try flute and wondered if there are any reasons why not. I'd like some recommendations please of good quality budget flutes (if that's possible). Thanks.

 

[Sue]

Hi Di, nice to see you again 🙂 I think there's a fair few sax players who double on flute (not me) and I'm sure some of them will chip in with good advice. I just wanted to say hello 🙂

PS How's the little sop?

 

[Ads]

I have one (A USA made silver plated Emerson) but I can`t get a tune out of the thing , nor could I last time I tried with a Japanese one (Pearl ?) a few years back . it must be me as quite a few here seem to have flutes

 

[Di in France]

Hi Sue,
The sop is still sitting in it's case, only had chance to blow it a few times. I like it though, but I've been rehearsing for a few gigs that we've got coming up, so concentrating on the alto and tenor. I will get to it though and try to get it to sound decent! lol

 

[Di in France]

Hi Adam,
I see that quite a few sax players also play flute, so perhaps it won't affect my sax playing. I just quite fancy it!

 

[dooce]

I started out playing flute, got to a good standard at school, didn't do much with it for 20-odd years then took up the sax, and have never found the flute particularly easy or enjoyable since. Having said that, there are countless players who double on both and the flute is closest of all the woodwinds to the sax in terms of playing - when I started on sax, the transition was a doddle.
There are plenty of good student flutes around for 100 quid or so - just check out Gumtree. I have an old Hammerschmidt half-timbered thing from school days, but prefer the Pearl student model I picked up on a whim from the local paper. Needless to say, Yamaha are also a safe bet.

 

[ArtyLady]

No reason not to at all! I've played flute since I was 11 ( took up sax much later in life) very similar fingering so easy to double on without getting confused. I've always had Yamahas, can't go too far wrong 🙂

 

[BigMartin]

Sorry for the long title, but I'm thinking I'd like to try flute and wondered if there are any reasons why not.

Yes, you'll probably be better at it than me, and I'll get upset 🙁.

I managed to pick up a Buffet-Crampon 6020 (I think) for £75 on ebay. It seems to do the job as far as I can tell, and I believe Stephen Howard quite likes them.

 

[Ads]

I .......and the flute is closest of all the woodwinds to the sax in terms of playing - when I started on sax, the transition was a doddle..

The only connection I can see between the flute and sax is that both have solid keys (and only then on a closed hole one) , I`ve found the actual playing is completely unrelated from the holding position to even more so the embouchure . being a sax player hasn`t helped me with the flute one iota though it did help with the clarinet (which also shares the fingering to a large degree) . I`m not much cop on clarinet but I can bash out tunes on one (can on Brass too after a fashion) , I`m pretty conviced I`ll never be able to play the flute .

 

[Colin the Bear]

No reason I can think of to not add flute to your collection. They play in C too, so no transposing. The embouchure for flute makes you a better kisser. lol

 

[Di in France]

lol, I like that Colin! Will it make me a better sax player though?

 

[Colin the Bear]

The more instruments you play, the less time you have for each one. I tend to play the alto and just have show pieces on the others. Having said that playing different instruments does expand your musical mind and ear. It's swings and roundabouts. See if you can have a blow before you buy one. If you can get the basics more or less straight away then it bodes well. Struggling with a new instrument may absorb more time than you have and the other instruments may suffer.

 

[ProfJames]

I double on mandolin and sax.....

 

[jbtsax]

A student Yamaha is an excellent entry level flute to begin to learn on. The flute embouchure is said to be an "outside embouchure" rather than an "inside embouchure" like on clarinet and sax. Going from sax to flute is not difficult, but players generally need to watch out for not keeping the embouchure "relaxed" in the bottom lip and watch out for using too much finger pressure on the keys (gorilla grip). Playing flute can improve your saxophone playing by forcing you to breathe more effectively, giving you more control of your airstream, and by teaching you to develop a lighter, smoother technique.

 

[old git]

Flute and sax doubles well. Bill Basie had a couple of good tenor/flautists in the two Franks. See if you can find "Flute Juice" on the Tube.

 

[ArtyLady]

A student Yamaha is an excellent entry level flute to begin to learn on. The flute embouchure is said to be an "outside embouchure" rather than an "inside embouchure" like on clarinet and sax. Going from sax to flute is not difficult, but players generally need to watch out for not keeping the embouchure "relaxed" in the bottom lip and watch out for using too much finger pressure on the keys (gorilla grip). Playing flute can improve your saxophone playing by forcing you to breathe more effectively, giving you more control of your airstream, and by teaching you to develop a lighter, smoother technique.

Yes, and I would add that when first starting out, have your flute practice session before the sax so you don't have fatigued lips - flute embouchure is quite sensitive. You do have to breath more efficiently controlling your air flow from the diaphragm as you have no resistance as you do with a reed instrument. 🙂

 

[Di in France]

Thanks for all your replies guys. I'm going to see if I can borrow a flute to try before I decide.

 

[aldevis]

I pfind pflaying pflute quite pfrusrtating.
It requires a solid routine do develop an embouchure, then playing sax kind of pushes you back to square one. At least in my case.

Please note the line "I double"

 

[Targa]

No reason I can think of to not add flute to your collection. They play in C too, so no transposing. The embouchure for flute makes you a better kisser. lol

If it is thought that playing an instrument might enhance personal relationships perhaps ladies should consider the cello.

 

[ProfJames]

If it is thought that playing an instrument might enhance personal relationships perhaps ladies should consider the cello.