Thank you for purchasing a flute at Okubo Wind Instrument Store. Proper daily care is essential for an enjoyable flute life. Here we summarize how to assemble your instrument and how to take care of it on a daily basis.
Red partare points that require special attention. Please read through them before using the instrument!
How to assemble the flute
Wash your hands clean before touching the instrument. If there is no washroom nearby, wipe perspiration off your palms thoroughly with a wet wipe or handkerchief. Sweaty hands are not only a source of dirt on the windpipe and damage to the plating, but can also cause key failure.
● When removing the instrument from its case,Be careful not to grip the key or lip plate area when removing the instrument from the case.
If you grip the instrument while wearing a ring, you may scratch the instrument without even realizing it.
The cork stopper and reflector are placed in the tube between the head cap and lip plate of the head tube. If the reflector is out of alignment, the balance of the pitch will be off.
A line is marked on the tip of the cleaning rod. This is an easy way to check for misalignment of the corkscrew and reflector.
Move the end of the cleaning rod with the line in it until the tip touches the reflector.Gently insert the end of the cleaning rod until the tip touches the reflector.
If the line of the cleaning rod is in the center of the lip plate hole = the middle of the mouthpiece, it is in the correct position. If it is off to the left or right, have it checked by a music store.
It is not recommended to adjust it yourself.If the head cap is loose,just close it lightly.to the head cap.
If a foreign object, even if it is a small piece of dust, remains on the joint, it may scratch the joint, make it hard to pull out or insert, or even make it impossible to pull out.
Wipe both the inside and outside of the joint with a clean cloth before each assembly.
Assemble the foot and main tubes. Hold the core of the key gently between the index finger and thumb of each hand.Be very careful not to connect from an angle. If you bring the joint part in front of your body and connect it, you can insert it straight.
The standard position is where the center of the key cup of the foot tube and the center of the key cup of the main tube line up on the same straight line.
Assemble the main pipe and head pipe. Hold the main pipe gently by the part with the smallest key, and hold the head pipe by avoiding the lip plate.Hold the instrument in front of your body and connect them straight, so as not to connect them at an angle.
The center of the singing mouth and the center of the main windpipe's key cup should be on the same straight line.
The joint is a very delicate part and will bend if it is connected at an angle. This will affect the flow of breath and make it impossible to maintain good pitch and tone quality.
After playing, please take care of the instrument.
●Disassemble the instrument in the same manner as when assembling it, paying attention to the key. When disassembling, hold the instrument in front of your body and pull it out while turning it slightly to avoid pulling it out at an angle.
Insert the end of a piece of soft, clean gauze (gauze handkerchief type with sewn edges) into the hole in the cleaning rod and cover it with the gauze so that the end of the cleaning rod does not stick out. Wrap the gauze around the cleaning rod while turning it in a certain direction so that the rod is not exposed.
Wipe off the water in the canal while turning the cleaning rod in the same direction as the gauze wrapped around the gauze. If it is difficult to remove the moisture from the head canal, take the end of the gauze that is first passed through the cleaning rod out of the gauze when wrapping the gauze around it. After turning the gauze in the same direction as the gauze roll, turn it slightly in the opposite direction, and then turn it in the same direction again to wipe off the moisture cleanly.
Gauze should be replaced regularly. If the gauze is frayed or torn, replace it with a new one.
Water droplets in the tubes will continue to accumulate during the performance. To prevent problems, please wipe the head tube, where water droplets are most likely to accumulate, even between practices.
●If water gets on the tampo after playing for a long time, use cleaning paper to remove the water from the tampo. Insert the cleaning paper between the tampo and the tone hole, and flap the key several times.
Do not pull on the cleaning paper while the key is closed. Not only will this damage the tampo, but the cleaning paper will tear off and stick to the tampo.
If you are using a cleaning paper that has powder on it, we do not recommend it.
Even if the stickiness stops temporarily, the powder left on the tampo will attract moisture and dirt, shortening the life of the tampo and causing it to go out of adjustment.
●Flute tampos are very delicate, so frequent use of cleaning paper may damage the surface of the tampo and shorten its life.
Use cleaning paper only when the tampo is moistened.
Wipe the instrument with a soft, clean cloth. Keys and cups are very delicate.
When wiping the cup part, wipe it gently in the direction of the arrow.
If it is difficult to remove sweat or grease from your hands, use a commercially available spray bottle.For disinfectionethanol (anhydrous ethanol needs to be diluted) and spray it lightly on the cloth before wiping it off.
When wiping the instrument, the cloth or your fingers may catch on the cloth and cause the spring to come off. If you suddenly hear a strange sound, the spring may have come off! If you suddenly hear a strange sound, it is possible that the spring has come off, so please have it checked at a music store.
If you want to remove dullness or blackness from the key or windpipe, use a polish, but the polish may get into the crevices of the keypipe and cause the key to malfunction, or the polish may adhere to the tampo and damage it. It is best to have your instrument polished at a music store if at all possible.
If you want to clean it by yourself, please pay attention to the following points! If you want to clean it by yourself, please pay attention to the following points.
If you want to clean the instrument by yourself, please pay attention to the following points.Use a very small amount (about the size of a grain of rice)(about the size of a grain of rice) of the polishing compound onto a soft, fine-fiber cloth before polishing.
・Special attention should be paid to polishing key areas.If even a small amount of polish gets into the crevices of the keypipe, it can cause the key to malfunction. Avoid the gaps between the pipes and do not force polish the key.
Do not allow the polish to adhere to the tampo.
Wipe dry at the end of the polishing process, and use cotton swabs or other swabs for small areas to avoid leaving polish residue.
●Gently place the instrument in the correct size case.
If there is any rattling between the instrument and the case, the instrument will be subject to vibration during transportation, which may cause it to go out of adjustment.
Are the foot and head tubes facing the right way? It is surprisingly common for the head pipe in particular to be stored in the wrong direction, perhaps because it fits inside the case when pushed in, even if it is facing the other way. Please make sure that the lip plate and the key are correctly placed in the case so that there is no stress on the lip plate and the key.
Do not close the case with sheet music or other objects on top of the instrument. It may distort the keys and cause imbalance.
Be careful not to forget to close the zipper and clasp of the case! Make it a habit to close the zipper and clasp as soon as you put the instrument in the case!
Do not leave damp gauze or other moist materials in the case or tube. Moisture can easily cause the adjustment to go awry, and it can also cause mold. Put used gauze in the pocket of the case cover.
When you are away from your instrument, wipe off any moisture before putting it back in the case. Time away from the instrument = time not to play.
Do not leave your instrument unprotected with water.
Do not leave your instrument unattended on a chair or desk. It is very dangerous.
Do not place your instrument in a bicycle basket, on the dashboard of a car, or on a train rack. Vibration may cause the instrument to go out of adjustment. Be sure to hang the instrument on your shoulder to prevent vibrations from being transmitted to the instrument as much as possible.
Even during the hot summer months, the inside of a car can become very hot. Do not leave the instrument in the car, as this may cause damage to the tampo.
How was it?
These are the basic care instructions for flutes.
Even though you know how to take care of your flute, you tend to skip taking care of it. Do you ever do that?
Depending on your daily maintenance, your flute will last longer and cost less to adjust. And you can save on the cost of adjustments.
Please learn how to take care of it properly and enjoy playing.