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Renaissance flutes are a bit expensive, and a very inexpensive alternative would be a high quality bamboo flute. You can buy one of these in various keys at http://www.larkinthemorning.com
A solution for sticking keys is to use cigarette rolling papers. Avoid the sticky strip on the edge. Place the paper under the pad and press down lightly on the key. Be sure not to pull the paper out when the key is pressed, because doing this only a few times will ruin the pad. Pull the paper out only when the key is not pressed.
Warm up the Sound of Your Flute
Buy a wooden headjoint for your flute. It sounds great and helps the balance between the flute and guitar. Our favorite wood is Birch and an inexpensive maker would be Bob Ogren. You can reach him at Woodlight Head Joints.
Sometimes when your hands sweat when you play, it can really cut into the life of your new bass strings. The trebles are of course, unaffected. I have seen strings die within a day of playing. Well, here is all you need.
A piece of flexible plastic to put between the strings
and the fingerboard. This can even be a garbage bag.
I know this is hard to believe, but it's a trick that I learned from Jorge Morel, who learned it from Presti & Lagoya. First you put the plastec between the strings and the figerboard. Then you just lightly dampen the newspaper (has to be general black and white text, not the funnies). Once it's slightly damp, just scrub your strings with it. I usually do it it a few times, then just wipe off the strings with a dry cloth. I am amazed at how this revives the bass strings. Now of course if they are six months old, you may not see much of an improvement, but if you have moist hands sometimes, it will revive your strings.
Now I can't imagine anyone hurting themselves or their instrument doing this, but we live in an incredibly litigious society, so do this at your own risk. If you drop your guitar, if you damage the finish, if you fall off a ladder getting the newspaper or a rag, or if you do anything else that is related to this and want to sue me... forget it. I have stated this disclaimer, but I have to say it's a sad world that we live in that makes me even think of having to do this.