Best Flutes For Students
School bands are a great way to expose kids to music and get them to learn how to play music. The problem is a lot of students will end up picking out an instrument to play at the recommendation of the band leader and what the need is, which often leaves the parents trying to figure out which one of these instruments they should be buying. This is especially true when the students have decided they want to play the flute. I mean seriously out of all the instruments they had to pick out the flute. Since this is the case, you will find this blog post, on the best flutes for students to be helpful in getting your kids the right flute for a price that you are able to afford.
How I Narrowed Down My List Of Flutes
The student flutes were a challenge to find, but it was definitely fun doing the research for this topic. I know that I took my time to look for the different flutes that were on the market, but also in reading the different reviews of these flutes. This way it helped me in getting to see the different flutes and know which of the flutes on the market would work best for the beginner. Here are the best ones that we have found and hope this helps you find the right one for your students.
Comparison Chart
| models | type of material | curved lip | good for students | inline or offset gkeys | plateau style | amazon rating | |
| yamaha yfl-221 | silver plate | no | yes | offset g keys | yes | 4.5 out of 5 | |
| etude model efl-100 | silver plate | no | yes | c-foot with offset g | yes | 4.1 out of 5 | |
| gemeinhardt 2sp | silver plate | no | yes | c foot | yes | 4.3 out of 5 | |
| prelude fl711 | silver plate | no | yes | offset g | yes | 5.0 out of 5 | |
| pearl pf500 | silver plate | no | yes | offset g | yes | 4.4 out of 5 |
The Best Student Flutes Side By Side
Overview Of The Yamaha YFL-221 Student Flute
This is one of the highest rated student flutes on the market. You will need to know about the pros of this flute to ensure you are making a good choice and here are some of those pros.
Yamaha brand – With a lot of the products that people are using for music, they will know the brand. The reason for this is the brands have worked hard at getting the product up to the right level.
Plateua Model – For a lot of students, they want an easier to use model and this is exactly what they will get with the plateau model.
Silver Plated Finish – This finish is going to allow the students to have a great looking piece that makes the flute stand out.
Includes The Case – Quite often the flute is going to need to be carried around, but without a case it is going to easily become ruined by the constant abuse the flute can take.
Unfortunately the Yamaha will have some cons, which you should be aware of and here are the cons that we have found.
Warranty Issues – As is normal with most musical instruments you need to make sure you get the instrument from an authorized dealer to ensure the warranty does not get voided out.
Overview Of The Etude Model EFL-100
The Etude is a flute that has quite a bit of history. Make sure you learn about the pros of the Etude EFL-100 before making your mind up.
Silver Plating On Entire Body – As was mentioned with the Yamaha model, this is going to allow people to have the beauty they want, but this model goes a step further and makes it to where this helps build up the strength of the piece.
C-Foot With Offset G – For an adult this may not make that big of a difference, but for students who are learning the flute this will make it easier for them to hold.
Pleasant Playing Sound – When you are listening to music you want to have something nice to listen to, which is exactly what you get here.
On Some Does Not Cause Skin Reactions – With some of the musical instruments people will find they break out from the mere mention of metal on their skin, but this model in most reviews does not have this issue.
Drawbacks happen and often they are beyond the control of the company that makes the product. This is even true when you go to use a product like the Etude.
Plastic Latches On Case Break Easily – While the cases are going to take quite a bit of abuse, you need to realize the clasp on this case is made from plastic. So it is going to easily break off if your kids are rough on items.
Overview Of The Gemeinhardt 2SP
Face it students, even if they are not your kids, can be rough on items. This even holds true if the items are not their own, so you need to make sure you consider all of the pros of a flute and with this model you will find one pro is very nice for kids.
Very Durable Music Piece – As was mentioned the kids can easily be the most destructive force on the planet, but with musical instruments they are going to be easily ruined if people are not careful. So you will find this flute generally will be very durable and not be ruined right away.
Closed Hole Keys – This is a great feature for new players as they are going to find this makes it easier for the students to play and learn on.
Used By Thousands Of Flute Players – Sometimes you will find that your kids are going to want to have something that has a good history. That is exactly what they get with the Gemeinhardt series of flutes as thousands of kids before them have used these flutes, with some of them moving onto a strong music career.
Has Extremely High Quality Sounds – The sound is where it is when you are using a musical instrument and this is going to be something that you will want to see and enjoy with this flute.
As was mentioned earlier, you will find the flutes do have some drawbacks, which is true for any item. Here is the one main drawback that we have found with the Gemeinhardt.
Has A Nickel Plate Option – Sometimes you will see these with a nickel plate option, which is nice because it is cheaper, but it does wear off the finish a lot faster.
Overview Of The Prelude FL711
Knowing the pros can easily save you a bundle is something I have found to hold true for many years, but you will want to know about the best pros with the Prelude FL711 before you decide which model you should be buying.
Offset G key – As we have mentioned before this makes it easier for the beginners to learn to play, but also makes it easier for you to avoid the annoying missed keys as well and screeching sounds.
Meant For Entry Level Students – Problems can come up with some of the products on the market being marketed to students, when it is for adults, but this is a model that is meant for the students to use and play.
Uses A Ribbed Construction – This is going to be a nice feature because it is going to make it easier for you to get the durability in the flute that you need, especially if your kids play in a school band.
Includes The Proper Case – Sometimes, you will find that the flute you are getting is not going to come with the right case. With that being the case, it often means the instrument is jammed into the case. With this, though, you will get the right case that will make it easy to get the flute in the case.
Find out the cons of the Prelude before you buy. Here is the main con that we have found with the Prelude model of flute.
Ergonomic Key Design – While this is nice and can make it easier for some of the students to play, it may not be for everyone as their larger fingers can have problems getting into the keys.
Overview Of The Pearl PF500
I can only imagine that you are getting sick of reading about flutes, but you want the best for your kids. So make sure you do not tire out and power through the pros of the Pearl PF500.
Uses Pinless Mechanism – This is a great feature as it will help reduce the maintenance and other problems with the flute that can happen.
Has Offset G – This is going to make it easier for the students to learn how to play the flute, but also is going to allow them to hold it in their hands easier.
Includes The Cleaning Rod – Sometimes you will find that it is nearly impossible to keep up with your cleaning tasks because you are lacking the right equipment to clean the piece. With this flute it includes the cleaning rod as well, but needs to get a cleaning cloth separate.
Sounds Produced Is Very Clear – With this flute, you will need to make sure the sound is clear and this is exactly what you are going to get with the PF500.
Sometimes you will find their are drawbacks to even the best models, which is why you need to know about the main con with the Pearl PF500.
Keys Can Come Loose – Sometimes you will find the keys can start to come loose over time, which requires professional repair.
Choosing Between The Features
As you can tell, their are a lot of features that you need to select from. However, you will quickly find that this does not mean that you need to go out and spend thousands of dollars on a flute for students right off the bat. Instead, you should make sure you look at the features and determine which one is going to work best for your kids and remember they may not keep with the flute the next year in band. It is important to find a flute that will look good, because you want your kids to have confidence in how they look. Just make sure that whatever flute you select for your kids, they will enjoy the look and feel for their hands.
Video Review Of The Yamaha YFL-221 Flute