Basic Flute Care

Visnja Kosanovic: Hi, my name is Visnja at the International School of Music. I would like to tell you few words about the flute care, which is very important to maintain your instrument in a good shape, for that the cleaning, the swabbing the flute is the first step. You need to put your flute apart and to have the cleaning stick which is important for the two reasons.

Off course, you have here one little open hole, to put the handkerchief or something soft made by cotton which will have enough absorbent material and clean, swab the each part separately, the foot, the head-joint. There is the most of the most moisture collecting in the headjoints, so you need to swab it carefully, that any of the drops does not remain and the body of the flute.

Your cleaning stick has another very important function and that is to help you to see are your flute in tune. It has one little line, like a mark and when you put it upside down, in your headjoint that little line should be in the middle that tells you that your flute is in tune.

Another very important step for maintaining your flute in a good shape is a polishing with the special cloth for the silver or if your flute is made out of gold and or other metal, you polish like this. Then place always carefully part by part in your flute case, don t rush that you don t drop the flute and also very important, never put the flute on the keys, don t put your flute on the floor, but on the flat, firm surface.