Choosing a Flute that Fits

 Learning to play the native flute is generally pretty easy as long as you can comfortably close all the holes on the flute.

Based on this, we highly recommend playing a flute on which your fingers can comfortably cover the holes, over the years we have come up with some generalizations with respect to a person's age and the size flute that will likely work for them.

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Around this age kid's hands and attention-spans are developed enough to play a flute. The Pocket Flute "A" is a bit smaller than the Pocket Flute "G" so we would recommend the "A" for youngsters with smaller hands and the "G" for those with larger hands.

By these ages youngsters often have a strong desire to play music. Once they get the basics they often will play for hours. The Kestrel "E" and "D" are the same size but the holes on the "D" are a little further apart and it is a bit deeper in tone. Kestrel flutes are best for those in this age bracket that have smaller hands and the Merlin "C" for those with larger hands.

Young people 8 years and older usually have the hand size and the coordination to quickly learn to play the Native Flute. They are often looking for new ways to be creative and are starting to explore all the possibilities the world has to offer. Around this time is when many people truly become musicians (although most of us don't realize that until later in life). The White Tail "B" is a bit smaller than the Sparrow Hawk "A" which makes the holes closer together and easier to close. People in this age group with smaller hands will do better on Native Flutes in the key of "B".  Native Flutes in the key of "A" have a deeper voice which is often appealing. However, these are bigger flutes and the holes are further apart than those in the key of "B". We would recommend the Sparrow Hawk or another Native Flute in the key of "A" for people in this age group that have larger hands. Most people 11 years and older can play this size too. As a rule of thumb, larger flutes are more challenging than smaller ones. But larger flutes also have the deep, smooth voice many of us are attracted to. If in doubt, start with the smaller flute in an age bracket. 

Young adults over the age of 14 often have the hand size, dexterity and desire to play what we call our mid-tone flutes. This tonal range includes flutes in the keys of "A", "G", and "F#". However, the same rule of thumb still applies,  larger flutes are more challenging than smaller ones. 

If you'd like more guidance please feel free to give us a call or send us an email.