Care and Keeping of your flute

Always keep your flute in its protective bag or on its stand when not in use, so that it doesn’t get scratched or damaged.

As you play your flute, moisture may slowly condense underneath the saddle piece, and inside the mouthpiece. If it reaches a certain point, it will impede the playing of the flute by clogging the narrow air channel and preventing air from hitting the sound hole, causing the flute to lose volume, squeak, or not make any sound at all. This is especially prevalent when the flute is being played in a cold environment, since condensation occurs much more rapidly.

To unclog your flute, simply remove the saddle and dry the channel, as well as the bottom of the saddle with a soft cloth. If you are in a situation where this would take too much time, another option is to simply blow very hard into the flute, which will clear the channel of moisture.

Regardless of the method used to clear out the condensation, always remember to remove the saddle and dry out the flute when you are finished playing, as excess moisture is not good for it and can cause the wood to warp or crack, even though it has been carefully sealed against moisture.

Regular application of Lemon Oil or Tung Oil from time to time will help keep your flute protected and beautiful for many years to come.

The last few things to be very mindful of are rapid temperature changes and rapid moisture changes. Since wood expands and contracts when changing temperature and humidity, it is very important to prevent these kind of rapid changes from taking place.

- First, make sure to only play for a short time when first receiving your flute. The flute will need to be 'played in' a little to allow the wood to adjust to its new owner. Play only for a couple of minutes initially, then let the flute dry out for a few minutes before playing again. Doing this for the first few times when playing a new flute will make sure that the wood has moved around to where it is happy.

- Second, be very careful to let a cold flute warm up slowly to room temperature before playing it, such as when it is brought inside from being left overnight in a cold car, or when playing it first thing in the morning while camping. It can split or crack if this is not done. Remember, your flute is a quality instrument made from wood, not plastic or metal, so it must be treated with care like any wooden instrument.

- Lastly, when the flute is kept in a very dry climate (Southwestern USA, for example), it is wise to use a humidifier of some sort to keep it from getting too dry. This can be as simple as putting the flute inside a small box or container, and placing a slightly dampened (not wet) sponge inside the container with it. This will help keep the wood in a stable environment. Once every couple of weeks or so, dampen the sponge again. This will ensure that when you play next, the flute will already have absorbed some water from the moist air inside the box, and the additional water vapor from your breath will not be a problem for it. If a very dry flute were to be played without being humidified, it could absorb the water vapor in your breath too quickly and split or crack.