Fluting in the Wild: Best Tips for Playing Outdoors

One of the fantastic things about playing flute is that it is very portable (unless you are playing contrabass of course 🙂), so you might sometimes want to go outside with your flute.  It can be a wonderful experience, but you should make sure you prepare before you go.  Here are some tips for getting yourself, your flute, and your accessories ready to make the most of your time playing outdoors.

Think About What to Wear

Temperature control is obviously not possible outdoors, so make sure that you dress accordingly.  Dressing in layers is usually a good idea in case the weather changes.  I have played outdoors for weddings when it wasn’t particularly cold but then had to sit in the shade, and then it was freezing!  One thing that has saved me during playing breaks was holding onto HotHands which kept my fingerings from going numb.  

But most of the time when I am playing a lot, I tend to have the opposite problem and get hot, especially living in the south.  In that case, make sure you wear something airy.  And if you start to sweat, it can be nice to use a lip patch to keep your flute from sliding off your face.  Of course, make sure you bring water as well to stay hydrated.

And don’t forget shades!

Choose Your Flute (or Piccolo) Wisely

We all have our favorite flute, but it is probably not the best idea to play it outdoors as too many things (dirt/sand getting in the mechanism, temperature/humidity fluctuations affecting the body material or pads, etc.) can go wrong.  Having a cheap backup flute is a great idea so not only can you use it when you are playing outside, but you can also have it to play in case your regular flute is being repaired.

NEVER use a wooden instrument outdoors as the changes in temperature or humidity can expand or contract the wood and make it crack.  You should use a metal or even a plastic/composite instrument instead.  For example, there is a plastic flute by Nuvo called a jFlute which would be perfectly safe outdoors, or for professional instruments, you could try a Guo grenaditte flute or piccolo.  There are also many plastic/composite or metal piccolos you could use if you prefer, but again, do not use your nice wooden concert piccolo for marching band or any other outdoor performance (…Stars & Stripes at patriotic concerts…).

Beware of Wind!

When I first started to play more regularly outdoors, I was pretty shocked at how much wind affected my sound.  It felt like it was just blowing all my notes away, and I could barely get a sound to come out with any kind of volume.  I now always play outdoors with a WinDefender, a shield you put on your headjoint to block wind from affecting your tone production, and it truly helps a lot.

Also, make sure you have a heavy-duty music stand.  I once played on a very windy beach, and my flimsy stand would keep toppling over.  So always use a solid metal stand, and if possible try to get one that was made to be portable like the Manhasset Voyager stand which also has a nice tote bag.  And don’t let your sheet music fly away!  Make sure you hold your paper to your stand desk with wind clips.

Be Prepared with Any Other Needed Accessories

There are a few other aspects of playing flute outdoors to take into consideration.  

For instance, what time of day will you be playing?  Is there a chance of it getting dark?  If so, you will need a stand light if you are not using an Ipad/tablet for reading sheet music.  

Or how large of an audience are you trying to reach?  If you need to project your sound to a large area, you might consider in investing in a microphone and amp.

If you are playing outdoors, especially someplace very sandy or humid (aka the beach), make sure that you bring pad paper, and if you will be playing for a while without disassembling your instrument, you might get a flute flag with a handle extension to clean your flute out.  These accessories make it much easier to just keep on fluting!

More Tips!

If you need more help picking out an instrument and accessories as well as how to best care for your flute, check out the free digital course, “Finding Your First or Forever Flute (and How to Make It Last)”!