Emergency Flute Fixes You Can Easily Do Yourself
Have you ever experienced that dreadful moment when you are trying to play your flute but your flute just WILL NOT PLAY right?!
This realization is usually accompanied by a huge sense of panic, but don’t worry! While not all things can be fixed on the fly, there are some very common problems you might encounter which are not very difficult to fix on your own if you know what to look for. With just a few simple tools like a spring hook, screwdriver, tuning rod, and tape, you can fix many of the most frequently occurring issues ALL BY YOURSELF!
Springs Popping Out? Get a Spring Hook!
Keys on the flute are kept either open or closed with a spring. These springs are not the coils you probably naturally think of, but most of them are wires that are slightly bent (except for those on the thumb key which you usually shouldn’t have to worry about anyway). Yes, they are supposed to be bent, don’t try to straighten them!
Sometimes they pop out of their little hooks like if they get caught on your clothes or cleaning cloth for example. One telltale sign is when a key that is normally open does not bounce back up after being closed, or one that is normally closed does not shut again. All you have to do is push the spring back into its small cradle. However, this can be a little hard to do with your finger. You can try using something like a pen to push it in, but the best and easiest thing to use, especially for the hard-to-reach springs, is a spring hook which is similar to a small crochet hook with a notch cut in the top. You can get a spring hook on its own, but one of my favorite tools is called a Fixit Tool which not only comes with a spring hook but a screwdriver as well.
Got a Screw Loose? You Need a Screwdriver!
Shoutout to the flute tech talks, A Screw Loose, for that pun!
There are lots of screws on the flute, and sometimes they come loose. The two kinds you will likely have to deal with are the screws at the ends of the rods and adjustment screws.
All rods end with a screw, or they are made out of long pieces of steel with a slot cut into the end like a screw, and sometimes they start to come out, especially if the fit of the tubing isn’t 100% accurate. As you blow, the flute vibrates and, if the fit isn’t exactly right, then the screw starts to unscrew itself, and if it goes far enough, then the rod and its attached keys start to move. If you have a small flathead screwdriver, one like you might have to fix eyeglasses, you can just turn the screw back in. Or if you have the Fixit Tool, again it comes with a screwdriver as well as a spring hook .
However, make sure that all the keys attached to that rod with the screw still fall freely once you do. Sometimes if you tighten it all the way, a key will bind, and then you have to loosen the screw again slightly to free it up. It should not do that because, with the screw a little loose, it will just start to come out again later, but that is not something you can really fix yourself. That is not always the easiest problem for a technician to fix, so if you have a cheaper student flute, they might not fix it, and you just have to keep an eye on the screw. An alternative is to put a little bit of a kind of glue called a threadlocker on there so it doesn’t come back out, but it is best not to glue anything if possible so a technician can easily get to the screw again in the future if necessary (which would still be possible especially when it is light grade, just not easy).
Other screws you might have to adjust are adjustment screws which are found on top of or sometimes hidden behind the independent keys on the body of the flute. Independent keys are the keys that move when you press them with your finger. But most independent keys have at least one connected dependent key, a key that moves automatically when pressing an independent key. For example, when you press the A key in the left hand, the Bb key (the one immediately to the left where you do not put a finger) should close too. These keys should close EXACTLY at the same time but sometimes one will close before the other, and then the air will leak and you won’t get a note out.
Test to see if they are closing together by very slowly and gently closing the independent key. If the independent key closes first, this is called being underadjusted, and you would need to tighten the screw on the A key SLIGHTLY (remember, “righty tighty, lefty loosey”) to make the Bb key closes a little sooner. If the Bb key closes first, this is called an overadjustment, and you would have to loosen the screw JUST A LITTLE to make the A key close sooner. Do this process until the keys close exactly together.
Please note that only student and some intermediate level flutes have adjustment screws. Most professional flutes do not, using something instead called shims. These usually keep the flute in adjustment for a fair amount of time, but when it is not, it is not easy to fix this on your own and your flute should be taken to a repair technician.
Fix the Headjoint Cork with a Tuning Rod
If you ever notice that your flute is not playing well in tune, especially for octaves, then your headjoint cork might not be in the correct position. All flutes have a stopper at the end of the headjoint and for most flutes this is made out of cork with a metal plate on the bottom and a screw on the top that connects to the crown. The position of this cork is important for the tuning of the instrument.
Get your cleaning rod and insert the tuning rod side (the opposite end of the cleaning side which is the part that looks like an eye of a needle), into the headjoint. You will see a line on the rod, and if your stopper is in the correct position, it will be in the center of the embouchure hole of the flute. If it is not, then you will need to move the stopper a little.
If the line is too close to the crown-side of the hole, then unscrew the crown and push down on the screw until the cork shifts down a little. It is normal for it to be a bit stubborn to move sometimes, and it might take some effort. Actually, if it is too easy to move, that might mean your cork is old and not sealing the end of your headjoint correctly and therefore needs to be replaced by a technician. Having more of an airy sound while you play and having to blow harder is an additional sign that the cork might not be sealing.
If the line is too close to the open side of the headjoint, then you will need to push up on it from the inside to move it up. I would not recommend doing this with a metal rod as it will scratch your flute and plastic might be too flimsy, so I always recommend a wooden tuning rod. If you do not have a wooden rod or it is just too skinny, you can also try a wooden dowel that is at least half an inch in diameter.
A word of warning. You should NEVER push your cork all the way out the crown side of the flute. The headjoint is slightly tapered down at the top, and pushing your cork out that way can damage the flute. You really shouldn’t ever need to take your cork completely out anyway, but if you do, only ever push it down and out the normally open end of the headjoint. And go in from the normally open end when putting the cork back in. Note that you might need to apply some cork grease to get it to go back in. NEVER use cork grease for anything else on metal flutes.
Fit Loose Tenons with Tape
The tenons on the flute are the parts where the headjoint slides into the body and the body slides into the footjoint. Sometimes they do not fit right. If they are too tight, use your microfiber outer cleaning cloth to make sure that they are clean and do NOT add cork grease or oil or any other lubricant. That usually solves the problem but if it does not, a technician will have to fit them for you.
If they are too loose, again a technician will have to fit them for you. But a temporary fix is to put a LITTLE bit of Scotch tape on the tenon to add a little thickness. You might need to fold the tip of the tape down into the inside of the headjoint to keep the tape from moving when you assemble the flute, but do not have it go too far in or it will be hard to remove later. There is also actual headjoint fitting tape you can get that is better than regular tape, which is really just best only for when you are in a pinch. The headjoint fitting tape is a better solution, but the best solution for the long-term is to get a technician to adjust the tenons for you.
Take Care of Your Flute
The best thing to do to deal with flute repair emergencies is to simply try to prevent them to begin with. Make sure that your flute gets a COA every year and an overhaul when necessary, and if at all possible it is great to have a backup flute for when your instrument is being worked on (and you can never have too many flutes anyway!) even if it is just the most basic student flute. For more information on COAs and overhauls and for more important care tips, please see our blog, “Best Ways to Clean and Care for Your Flute“.
Want even more info on how to care and maintain your flute and on the most essential flute accessories, or even simply how to find a flute that fits your needs? Then check out our free digital course called “Finding Your First or Forever Flute (and How to Make It Last)!” Not only will you get videos guiding you through all these topics, but you will also get access to a flute community on this website where you can ask all of your questions.
Take care (of yourself and your flute) and happy fluting!
