I purchased the EFL -2 not long after your original video. All the reviews I saw about amazon flutes were terrible and I was pretty discouraged because I wanted to get back into the flute so badly. So after I saw your video I figured I would give it a shot. I’m not trying to be a professional I just want to learn again and have a hobby I enjoy to take my mind off life stress and music is what I love. It’s a good deal to learn fingerings and such but I don’t expect to make much progress with tone until I can save up for a better flute. I appreciate that you guys didn’t immediately dismiss it as garbage like a lot of others did.
we even have a nice poster with all the fingerings and scales that would compliment your studying at our store. Im super happy you enjoyed the videos and hope to see you again in the comments! Happy practicing Monika.
@Monika Griffith You actually can make progress on any flute. As you can hear in the video there is no tone difference using Amazon flutes. It is all about flutist.
@@alexanderbelov6892 You are right but I have noticed some limitations. Especially in the higher register. I have a horrible time staying in tune no matter what I try. But I will continue to work with it and get the best out of it I can :)
@@LaMerleNoir216 If you experience some problems to be in tune in third register it may be cork position tuning problem. You may tune the flute low A into 442 Hz with sliding you headjoint back and forth in the flute body. Then move the cork in headjoint back and forth until low D and third register D will be in tune. Fix crown in proper position. Check that low A is still 442 Hz.
I don't think people in the comments really understand how a cheap instrument can unlock a whole world for a music student. A flute like this is absolutely incredible for a young middle schooler who is just starting out. With 100 bucks (this flute and some books/etc) you could change a child's life forever. How can anyone discount that?
For $300 you could buy a great student instrument like a Yamaha or Gemeinhardt that will last as long as you are willing to repair it. A cheapo Chinese junker like this in most cases cannot even be repaired at all.
The point is not all students have access to that $300.00 for a student flute (they are more in the $400-450.00 range). That is a lot of money to spend if the kid plays for a year and decides to quit. With decent pads, the $70.00 flute will last long enough to find out if the kid really enjoys learning (and give time to save up for that pricey student flute). Personally, I would look for a nice student flute for my kid.
Yeah, I would have been thrilled to have received one of these in middle school because it meant I would have been able to start earlier. As it was I didn't get to play until High School where the school provided a loaner instrument and group lessons. At that point, I was able to show to my parents that I had some talent and my dad sold some of his own personal belongings to buy me a Yamaha entry level which I still 25 years later. Before high school, I had to enjoy music through the recorder. Not everyone is going to end up being a pro. If the choice is between having some joy with a cheaper flute or none at all then I'd always err towards joy.
@@donbrown971 $300 is a lot of money for many families. Especially ones in the US. I grew up in NZ and I know my first Yamaha cost around $1000NZD and my parents were not rolling in the dough. $70 is significantly less than $300 and is something that could be bought as a more casual gift for someone. Chinese flutes aren't always the junkers they used to be. The flute is an old design that can be replicated quite well with modern manufacturing.
Most middle schoolers and beginners are better off renting a good student instrument from a music shop or teacher/school. These often go for much more affordable prices like 25$/month. And you can cancel any time if you decide you don’t like it so you’re not wasting money. The real issue with poorly made instruments is that students often dont make consistent progress and become frustrated because they don’t think they have the talent, when it’s really the instrument.
They are really good at driving students out of band because they quickly become impossible to play. They also make nice lamps if you get a lamp kit for it for when it is no longer functional. Save some time though and buy the kit at the same time as the instrument.
@Cold German Beer "Don't bother starting at all"!!...For many a cheap chinese instrument is what gets them off the starting line in the first place. Even a Yamaha student instrument is too expensive for many.
@Cold German Beer I have been playing the flute for 50 years and do understand the point you are trying to make. I have a cheap chinese flute in my collection and after 5 years it is still going strong. It doesn't compare tone wise with my better flutes but is far from being a bad instrument. If you aspire to be a virtuoso then you will need a better flute but many just enjoy playing at whatever level they can achieve on an instrument they can afford.
I have had too many students who bought this flute who quit because they blamed themselves for the fact it was hard to play. Me personally, I can play these for ten minutes then my mouth is tired. I am a regular performer, and I never get tired. if I got tired, then my beginning students will not manage. It is too much hard work. It isn't about the sound quality -- it is about ease of playing. If it is too hard, no one will play.
Your $9000 flute does sound better, much better but does it sound $8930 better for the average high school band flutist? That is the million dollar question...LOL
I believe that for most musicians this is an easy answer. Yes. Modern day manufacturing techniques have rendered better instruments for cheaper prices. But I quickly learned that "much better" sound quality cost. And sound quality is what it's all about. If you can't hear it that's fine. But for those who can, nothing less will do and they'll pay for it.
@@presbyterosBassI Recreating the Mona Lisa to essentially indistinguishable detail, is a regularly executed exercise in many advanced university fine-arts programs. Does that mean we can now unquestioningly and without any hesitation whatsoever trash & burn the original? ....And yes I do know that for some people the answer is a definite yes.
I think I agree with you. The examples I usually cite are stereo equipment and automobiles. But in art? What is the value of perfection? Each must decide, and those are the decisions which create great art.
@@icemike841 Double-blind experiments often demonstrate that even "experts" actually "can't hear it" when they don't know which instrument is which. A lot of it is unconscious priming with the knowledge that "now I'm listening to a 9k dollar flute" and "now it's a cheap 70 dollar flute".
As a band director, now retired, I was always spouting, "you get what you pay for". I think this flute would be great for those on a very limited budget. One month rental on an overpriced starter flute would purchase this one. I would recommend this one for those who have the desire but limited resources. Most band directors can fix anything anyway.
I started 25 years ago on a $99 Cheap flute off of eBay for about 3 years …. Now I’ve been playing ever since on an expensive solid Silver flute and $2500. hand made wooden irish flutes . I would have never blossomed into a flutist or a musician if I didn’t try the cheap flute , it totally got me where I am today . Worth it ! Loving my musical Journey !
THE FLUTE COURSE IS OUT! Find the course at musogy.com Learn the Flute with The Flute Channel's Amelie Brodeur. If you're a beginner these courses will help you master Tone, Breathing, Posture, Sight-Reading, Rhythm and more. This 15 lesson course will start any new flutist on the right track, even if you're starting up from a long hiatus it can be a good refresher.
I live in the Philippines. The Orchestral Instrument Market here is almost twice as expensive. I had to buy the open-hole Flute from Amazon, because a simple Yamaha Student model is 1,500 USD! It sucks being a Flautist here in the Philippines, and it's so sad that this Flute of mine isn't that......... Good (For the lack of a better word). Anyway, thanks for all your videos! I'm self-taught because there are no Flute Teachers here either, so I just watch all of your videos. Thanks! Keep it up.
The action looked crisper and shorter on your flute, I suspect that's no small part of why it sounded so much cleaner. That said: Marching with a $2000 Yamaha [1980's dollars too!] in the rain and snow. Gosh that was painful to even think about, that was YEARS of odd-job money to go trash in the elements. I'd have _killed_ for a $70 flute I could trash in marching band and save my real flute for Wind Ensemble! I could have just bought another flute every month or two and been many many dollars ahead in repairs.
Disposable Flute! Now the burning question is... *How low can you go?!* This $55 flute has some people raving about it: www.amazon.com/Closed-Tuning-Grease-Siver-More-available/dp/B00OLAJ3W6 I'll suggest you do a future video on this one. Maybe even have a _Battle of the Cheap Flutes._ And if you find that it is terrible, then there will be the urge to crush it on camera. Heh. I've been advocating low cost musical instruments for a very long time. My daughter's violin teacher freaked out on me when I explained that buying a certain one online was cheaper than renting from the music store he sent everyone to. Maybe he was on the take? Or probably just the standard snobby prejudice that so many good quality low cost instruments are up against. My favorite videos are the ones that do double blind tests with Strads. Like the $2 wines that blow away wines sold for $thousands.
Since you are saying that we don't hear a big difference because you are able to compensate, it could be interesting so hear the difference from a less advanced player. I don't know if you teach, but if so, you could ask one of your student to try the cheap flute and then their flute (or your flute if you are confortable letting this student play on your flute).
Agreed. I would be worried that a less advanced player would be frustrated by the lack of responsiveness and it might hinder their growth as an artist.
@@jlbmagee " I would be worried that a less advanced player would be frustrated by the lack of responsiveness and it might hinder their growth as an artist." - oh, how sensitive. Let's buy a 9k flute for a middle schooler so that they don't get frustrated too much. People who just start playing will get a lot of frustration anyway because playing a musical instrument is very hard repetitive boring work. I believe the difference in the frustration level would be negligible anyway.
Jenna Magee - devils advocate here...I learned piano on a VERY much used and out of tune (by 1.5 half steps) upright that had 4-6 dead notes, etc but bc I was an amateur I knew nothing better thus in NO WAY was I “frustrated” or discouraged with it wanting to just throw in the gloves...hey, maybe that’s why the white, 4 fingered gloves are included in the package ;) When the time comes that I’m so utterly baffled and perplexed as to why I can’t get the PERFECT F#%*KING RESPONSE ON MY C NOTE!!!!...reach for the gloves. Genius!!! Market it as an all-in-one starter...and an ender set. LOL (I read why they’re there btw) This opinion is obviously from a well seasoned player that probably wouldn’t have even played my rinky-dink piano (if they knew piano...this is a metaphor...or simile....who the hell cares) bc it didn’t provide the nuances they required for continual playing. Not intending to bash here (though an “edit“ insert allows me the opportunity to also state that initial intention obviously DOES NOT equal original intended outcome)...but if you’re going to spit a completely biased and POMPOUS (in my opinion) opinion as such, first remind yourself of what it’s like to be a noob....then POMPOSE your remark if you still feel the need to have a POINTLESS and COMPLETELY BIASED web presence (for that post at least)...or don’t...but just be ready for multiple reminders about reflecting...then responding.
I got this flute and it lasted me 1 and a half years. It broke after. I thought it was pretty good, and was a great beginner flute. I won my school talent show with it. If your a beginner, this is good for its price, but be ready because it could break after a while
I've been playing flute for six years and am planning to continue through my last years of high school and eventually college, but my family and I can't afford a flute with everything I want. I have to resort to cheap online, cupronickel flutes, and I'm absolutely okay with that as long as I get to play music.
Would have liked you to play with exactly the same efforts in fingering, air movement, etc. on both. I think that might have highlighted the differences in a different way for those of us who don't play air instruments.
Honestly, you make any flute sound amazing! Btw, Eastar has a piccolo! I just bought it, and it would be so cool if you reviewed it! That would be amazing! Also, I got this flute and i am now learning Peter and the Wolf only because you played it so well, and I want to sound just like you! Plz keep doing what you do!
Both of my daughters have two flutes--one for marching band (in the hot sun, the rain--doesn't matter, they play) and the other for the off season when they play in the concert hall. Both are Yamaha and one is partial silver, the other is all silver (thousands--never take this to the field (dents, weather, abuse)). This would be great for the beginners and for the marching season (can't tell enough of a difference and not always in perfect tune when you're rushing up and down a field making patterns. Nice that it's an option and it costs about as much as we spend for pads alone. I know it is easier for our daughters to squeek their cheaper flutes--but hard to tell when you're cover 70 yards of a football field.
Oh yes! Marching season definitely does a number on flutes! Great point. :) By the time I reached high school, I had a fairly inexpensive Yamaha and went a long way with it.
I do the same thing! I use the EFL-2 flute for marching band season so I don't have to worry about damaging a 1000+ dollar flute. I honestly think that the cheap flute is not that much worse in terms of tone and it squeaking. I really like the split e mechanism on it which makes e not crack so easily.
Love your videos, im a beginner flute player :) im not so good but I try, You play the flute amazingly. You deserve more subs :D By the way gave like 🙂 i'm going to finish watching the video😁 I have been playing the flute for quite a while now, about 4 or 5 months. Any suggestions to improve my skills? Or to stop that minor sound it makes when I blow my flute? It would really help a lot :)
Buy it! Learn flute for a year. You decide you're not serious, turn it into a lamp, and now you own a fancy $70 lamp. NO biggie. OR, Buy it, learn flute. Realize you love practicing and playing flute and you're practicing 3 hours everyday. Buy a real flute in a year or two when you have more money, and turn this one into a lamp. Now you're a REAL flute player AND you have a fancy $70 flute lamp. Either way, sounds like a win.
they wont last a year. And you wont be able to go pro/serious because the flute just isn't capable. most students who buy these end up quitting. They are too hard to play, and they break. One of my students couldn't get through one piece without the flute going out of adjustment!
My concern is that you're a pro and going to get a great sound out on anything. Would a 10 year old have that same success? Who's going to adjust it for them properly out of the box? The inherent issues that the cheap flute has can be instantly overcome by a pro, but what about by a beginner?
I've never seen a music instrument that sounded perfect out of the box, expensive OR cheap. ALL brand new flutes will probably need adjustments, its just that they will do it in the music shop before you leave. They also periodically need adjusting just from weather, use, and environment changes.
The mechanics are less reliable and precise. However you can learn a lot rebuilding it! Still using my first cheap flute after 3 years. My technique has yet to exceed its performance! :))))
5 лет назад+19
They sounded exactly the same to me. But, when she was playing her own you could see she wasn't needing to put any effort in it at all. It was like it was part of her. The Flute and Harp are my favourite real instruments. The electronic midi keyboard is my favourite of all instruments.
One thing I remember discussing with a High School music teacher was those students that could take a piece of crap instrument and make it work actually learned some valuable lessons about control. When those students moved on to better instruments, the teacher found that not only did their sound improve but their technique became flawless (relatively speaking for a beginner, of course.) What I did notice about the cheaper flute was that the notes of the upper register were much more easily obtained than the notes in the lower register.
I play the guitar and piano, but always wanted to try the flute. After i saw the first video i immediatly bought it on amazon. Must say i'm having a great time. It 's working perfectly after some small adjusts. Maybe when it stop working i'm gonna buy a better one to continue learning. It's completely worth for those who want just have the feeling of how is to play a flute.
When you began to play the Carmen solo I immediately wondered "Is she playing in a tin pipe"? I was browsing another web site and had your video on in the background. I could hear the effort you had to put in. You still made it sound good.
As you said, the big difference quality instruments make is in the effort you have to put in to get the results you want. My experience is with guitars, but with cheaper ones it often feels like you're fighting the instrument, while better ones feel more natural to play and have better tone.
I bought the EFL-2 after seeing your previous post. I haven’t played flute in over 40 years so I figured it would be a good practice flute to have fun with. I liked the fact the EFL-2 keys had options to remove the plugs as I advanced. You clearly stated that as it wore out, it wouldn’t be worth fixing, but would be good to take it apart and understand the construction. I was very pleased with it and the sound until about 2 1/2 weeks of daily use. In the middle of playing, I couldn’t get g,f,e notes in any octave. Because I bought on Amazon Prime, I was able to return it for a full refund. I decided to replace it with the EFL-1 because I figure if it happens again so quickly, then I’m not keeping it and the EFL-2 was no longer listed. My only concern is that the EFL-1 is nickel-plated (vs silver-plated EFL-2) and I have lots of sensitivities. I’ve started playing the replacement and the sound is not as nice as the -2, but for my needs, it’s fine.
I must say, I admire the control you have playing the cheapo flute, and then your way-cool flute right after. To me, they sounded exactly the same. From my former life as a student oboist, I know more about fighting with reeds than fighting with stubborn air columns, but from hanging out in JAF's channel, I know a little bit about the way you channel that ball of air to optimize the sound in each range, and to compensate for a flute's shortcomings. Pretty cool. :)
DrQuizzler I admire the fact that you play an instrument that has such temperamental reeds. I love the sound of the oboe and has contemplated learning to play one but that reed situation is DAUNTING!
@@deegeorge5711 I'm a drummer but dabbled with bagpipes (which uses a similar double reed as the oboe/bassoon/etc)- yeah - those reeds are a pain. Much kudos to you DrQuizzler.
Yamaha!!!!!!! one of my students did her diploma on the bottom Yamaha -- obviously I would have loved her to have a better flute, but she got brilliant marks despite. The Yamaha is capable of it. once you get into higher price brackets there are others you can consider, but at the bottom -- Yamaha is the best.
I live in the Philippines. The Orchestral Instrument Market here is almost twice as expensive. I had to buy the open-hole Flute from Amazon, because a simple Yamaha Student model is 1,500 USD! It sucks being a Flautist here in the Philippines, and it's so sad that this Flute of mine isn't that......... Good (For the lack of a better word). Anyway, thanks for all your videos! I'm self-taught because there are no Flute Teachers here either, so I just watch all of your videos. Thanks! Keep it up.
I’m no flute expert (not sure how I even found these two videos, but oh well). To me, the $70 flute doesn’t have the same richness of sound to it. It’s not a huge difference, probably owing to your skill, but it seems just a bit more flat than the $9000 one. I also noticed a fair amount of bleed on notes when you did the scale on the $70 one. The notes kind of bled together, while there was a distinct start and stop of each note on the more expensive flute.
Being a metal guitarist this may sound strange but I LOVE the sound of the flute so much I actually went and bought a second hand one from a fellow musician. This informative video introduces me to aspects of caring for the flute I had not yet thought of. Wonder if I can teach myself the technique as I already know music and play four other instruments ? Much more to learn,- I can´t wait to get this party started! :)
You might like the flute from early Black Widow, might want to check out "Come to the Sabbat" from their album 'Sacrifice,' as well as other tracks on the album.
the Eastern flute it's not a playable flute for beginners. It's almost imposible to play low notes. I changed it to a Yamaha 311 and i played a low C (!) with amy efort. Thank you for your review.
The big difference isn't the sound. The construction of cheap instruments like this one is terrible. The metal is so soft it bends just from normal playing. The keys quickly get out of adjustment resulting in frustration for the student because the instrument will no longer play properly. Any tiny bump or drop with a horn like that will most likely result in you throwing it away. I have seen tons of cheap horns like this one. You are better off buying a $300 flute from a quality manufacturer. If your kid doesn't continue you will likely be able to sell it for what you paid for it, and your student will have a quality instrument that will not frustrate them constantly due to getting out of adjustment. You need to play this horn daily like a student would for a couple of months and get back to us.
So I'm in a marching band and I have the EFL-2 and it has been great. It's definitely been put through a lot but it's held up. It has been dropped and bumped a few timesbut it seems to be fine. I've been playing on it for almost a year and it seems great. No, it's not a professional flute but I would rather use a cheap flute rather than a expensive one where it is used in extreme temperatures and such. The pads came regulated and they work great.
My thoughts exactly. The loudest, most important part of the note was exactly the same, but the subtle parts, the echos inside the instrument? The breath? Much clearer and pleasant in the expensive one. This was more pronounced in the higher range where that squeaky high note she ended on sounded less squeaky with the expensive flute, even though it was the same exact note. Plus the clickyness! I swear I could hear mr $70 flute clicking with everything she did.
As a musician I can appreciate the review and comparing something $70 to $9000 or even $900 in price, quality and specs, along with how much easier or better sounding they are to play... I think all in all that this is a great product and making instruments more affordable, we're able to teach more children to understand, love and appreciate music, in a world full of kids distracted by technology and parents with no job security to afford expensive instruments, it's a great product for $70 and hopefully more items like this will make a better world to live in. Not only for kids but there's plenty of people out there without bags of money for instruments but for $100 for a flute and music books to inspire the next James Galway or such renowned flutists alike, we are blessed.
Here's a good question: is that flute worth $70? Can you honestly say that this flute isn't as good as a $500 well known brand and highly recommended beginner flute? Is your flute truly worth $9k? Can you honestly say there isn't a $4k flute out there that isn't just as good and that you would be proud to play and own?
interesting question - no that flute isn't worth $70. It is in a way, because it took someones time and material to make it, but you are buying a headache. As for a $9000 vs $4000 flute -- it depends what you need it for. When you are trying for the top performing jobs then the quality of your flute matters. If you are teaching or playing in community bands, then a $2000 flute is good enough, but if someone can afford the extra and wants the extra richness to their sound, and the lighter mechanism, and the spot on intonation etc, then it is worth it.
An oldster now, I loved the sound of the flute even as a kid, and way back in the 70s got into Jethro Tull and got a flute. I well remember moving from my beginning Armstrong to my open-hole Gemeinhardt and the wonderful full, mellow tone it produced (with a low B!). I saved up to to get that.
Hi ... I'm ... 39 years old and got my first ever ... Flute !!! And as a starter ... My $250 is working good and ... Still long way to go to get the right way how to play with it !!! Its been my childhood dream to be a musician !!!
I found this video a bit late... my parents just bought me this flute with the opened holes,(my parents are rich, but incredibly cheap :/) and my director wants to take a look at it, and I don’t know if this is good enough for my advanced band. I’ve only been playing the flute for a year, so I’m asking is this flute okay for me?
One more comment. Not everyone is born with a big trust fund, beside being very much loved. My first flute, circa 1977 at a tender 16, was about 550 or in today's value, about 1500. My family paid for me. But is a used instrument from my professor. After 44 years I finally bought one that I paid for and arrived yesterday. One that is, well, mine from day 1. I wouldn't knock a musical instrument even if it was just 7 bucks, consider a whole new world of amazement a "$70" instrument can bring. Thank you for sharing.
Coming from someone who hasn't a clue. And never played wind instruments. You certainly make both of them sound great honestly. I hear a lil bit more quality in urs. But it's hard to detect on the first play through. What is noticeable is ur energy. And I noticed that as well in the first review of this flute u guys did. You certainly are amazing. And so the end result i would say is, durability, and quality of certain notes are not there clearly, as not even you could disguise it from me. And that is saying alot considering as you said. Experts on their instruments are great at masking bad sounding instruments sound amazing. I hope all is well for you. And you have a blessed 2019 year. ✊✊✊
Very nice, and thank you for doing this for us. Think the second piece you played on both showed the difference in depth and the overall sonic quality of them more..but again, made much smaller from your skill on the instrument. Still surprising how playable that Flute is though for the $75 it cost, and I like your idea of learning how to do your own work on them changing pads etc.. on the cheaper one. As I work on other instruments, would be something I would be interested in learning to do.
As you mentioned briefly at the end, the best part about cheap instruments is being able to pull them apart & monkey with them when they need repairs & learn how they operate without being out of pocket by hundreds of dollars if they don't go back together just right... I've learned more about instruments from cheap guitars, harmonicas, flutes & saxes than I ever did from my expensive ones because I was able to pull them apart without guilt or fear. A point worth noting, so don't sell your first instruments, dissect them & learn about them! Thanks for an interesting video.
@the flute channel Regarding the construction, the easiest way to show people the difference is to remove the head joint and flick it with a finger nail. Nickel will ring like a bell because it's not as dense as silver, which makes a dull thunk sound by comparison. The difference in density and acoustic characteristics make for differences in projection and volume. I have 2 amazon flutes, a closed and French open and both play really well for the price and I've had no problems. I don't know that I would buy a $99 clarinet though as the Boehm finger work is much more intricate and prone to adjustment issues. For comparison my clarinet is a Buffet E11 which is 6 times the cost of my flute. Also, thanks to your recommendation I picked up a thumb port and my right hand is so much more comfortable now. I have a stable instrument even with no keys pressed.
A large thing to consider is that microphones are limited in what they can actually pickup. Just because they sound similar on a recording, that does not indicate that the same will be true in person
Thanks for this. I have never owned an expensive flute (I have mostly used Pearl and Artley), but the Eastar flute I just bought yesterday seems perfect. It wants to be played. No leaks. Responds well to everything you want to do. Loud, sweet, beautiful. And less than £200 in the UK. It’s exciting because I have never had a flute this good, and have never paid so little. Thanks for posting
Hi I don't know if u remember me but yeah :) Of the problem I told u a while ago I got a new and better flute, so the problem for fixed.It turned out my flute was really messed up yeah and ur tips really helped me thx :)))
I'd say that since the cheap flute has saved the buyer $8930 (the cost of your professional flute) then you can certainly afford to maintain it when the pads wear out. An instrument technician can improve the entire feel, flatten the pads, get rid of leaks and maybe replace the odd spring (ie. regulate it) for about $100, which brings it up to the level of a decent Yamaha flute. Go for it and don't throw it away! The worlds resources are too scarce to throw away a well-designed metal body.
some technicians wont touch these. Basically because the cost of fixing them is more than the cost of replacing them with a Yamaha. replacing pads is expensive -- but that isn't all that is wrong with these flutes. The scale is wrong, the metal is soft and bends out of shape, meaning it will often leak, and be hard to maintain it (you can hear the leaks int he video by what it does to her tone). Trying to keep one of these in playing condition is a bottomless pit of funds. I agree that a performer could survive without a $10,000 flute, but it does depend who you are competing with. If you are competing for a job in the top orchestras then the difference that the better flutes make actually matters. IF you are auditioning for the school high school band then a Yamaha 221 is an absolute winner. My son uses the Yamaha 481, and will be able to use this up to diploma or university level. I use a $10,000 sankyo - but unless I start competing for performing jobs, the Yamaha 481 would have been sufficient. However, my flute is a lot less clunky, and a much richer tone than the Yamaha.
If you can find someone to replace the pads and adjust the instrument for $100, please let me know. Local music store wants $125 just for 4 pads and $50 for adjustments. Checked with Music and Arts store, and that's about the going rate today
I wonder how it would sound in an orchestra? Would the cheaper flute be flooded out or blended in, and no one notice the difference? The average listener I don't think would notice unless you told them. Maybe do a blind test. Don't tell which one your playing and stay off camera. Let the comments decide.... A flute or B flute.
thats exactly right. The more money you pay, the more time they spend cutting the embouchure hole, and the more precision in the making. This effects intonation, and projection especially. The average listener may not know why they love a performance -- I tell this to my students -- if it is effortless and the tone is beautiful the average listener will be in awe.. they may not know why. If the tone isn't so good, the intonation not so good, then the average listener will just not be 'in awe', they may even be uncomfortable, but they don't know why.
Hello! I really want to start learning to play the flute. Could you please tell me which of the flutes you showed better for beginners - the Nuvo 2.0 or the $70 one from Amazon? Which one has a nicer sound?
I am very surprised about this $70 flute!! Really glad that this flute gives the option to bring music to those who might not be able to afford the typical beginner flute options. Sounded like you had to compensate the high Eb in the Bizet excerpt. High Eb usually tends to be sharp but it sounded like maybe the Eastar tended to be even more sharp than your Sankyo. Great video illustrating the differences.
$70 is still too much. It is 2021 with very advanced manufacturing using robots and CNC machines and even robot to test it. A flute is a metal tube with some levers, nothing special, probably not even made from fine metal. It probably only costs $10 to manufacture this flute. Should be asking: Why is Yamaha so expensive at $450 when the high quality metal flute can be manufactured for maybe $40? (10x markup ! ) 💰 This is a good video for the lowest cost entry flute. Maybe I will get one. ♭
Yeah, professional level instruments aren't cheap. As a drummer you CAN get a 5 piece kit for $400 and set of beginner cymbals for about $300 - My snare runs $550 (which is on the low end of pro gear) and I have a ride cymbal I got used for $275 (new it s about $499). My kit which is in the mid range for drums (touring level not concert level) is about $8000 total (not including cases and hardware). So, yeah it's a thing. I played percussion professionally for a while and the drummer of that group had a kit that ran about $20,000 US - with hardware but again without cases. (As a percussionist I had about $4000 in gear and considered myself lucky)
THANK YOU, I was going crazy trying to play my old student flutes, your video inspired me to try a $67 Glory flute (metallic blue :) and I was able to produce my first low 'C' in many years ... PS. your playing sounded wonderful !
To be fair there is not so much difference in the sound to be heard (i think when one hears it live it might very different), but your flute does have fuller and richer sound.
I'm from Brazil and I bought my flute made by a national company thinking it was a good deal (it wasn't super cheap) but then I discovered they just import these cheap flutes from China and print their logo at the barrel... So mine it's like this one, I just didn't knew that
I must be really ignorant. but I didn't notice any difference except a minute negligible difference between your playing of the cheap flute and your playing of the $9000 flute. Your flute costs more than my car and if there's hardly a difference between them, then you probably would have done better to buy a $1000 flute at most. I would think there's no difference between them at all, unless your flute is made of solid silver, pure gold linings and some diamond encrustments. Please, educate me.
My hearing is not the best, but for quite some time I've not been able to tell much difference between flutes or guitars on RUclips. Other people have made the same comment. Yet others have stated they think one or the other instrument sounds better, but they don't agree as to which one sounds better. In blind tests on RUclips (which are all too rare), they couldn't identify the more expensive instrument. Perhaps that is because RUclips does something to the sound in the video upload and conversion. Pro after pro states there is significant difference in both playing and sound, and I trust that. We of course can't judge playing this side of the screen, but as for sound both flutes sounded pretty close to me. This is good actually, because as you stated, beginners can't afford thousands of dollars for a quality flute. It's nice to know an inexpensive flute is still playable. Same holds true with guitars: there are a number of under-$200 and even $100 guitars that sound and play fine. Beginners need such instruments. Thank you for emphasizing that... and letting us know the cheaper flutes will work at least until one is ready to upgrade. Excellent video with many good points. I really liked the mention of when the flute wears out, tearing it down so one gets some experience. : )
I'm a beginner, but I do own a solid silver Gemeinhardt. I did, however, buy an $80 flute from Amazon because if I am just going to start out on one...I don't want to yet tote around what I consider, to me, to be a Rolls Royce.
A $70.00 flute is equivalent in buying beer, for a flute beginner is a great way to investigate to decide to learn to play for the cost of beer that gives a slight buzz that leaves your body (you know what I mean). Learning to play a flute is a Betty buzz that you can do in public.
In 6th grade I got my first flute, (Mendini $50) and it lasted about a year before it fell apart, but I was able to fix it & I still have it after almost 4 years but it's out of tune and some screws become loose after playing for a few minutes. In 7th grade I got a student flute that only cost about $100. By the middle of 8th grade I became a lot better and I realized there were a lot of leaks and the cork was loose. I went to get it fixed but it turns out the flute was poorly made so not much could be done. I played every single day for hours in eighth grade but now I rarely play because I can't do much with it anymore. I can't really afford anything else which sucks 😞 i wish i were still in band
If you are going to promote Amazon products, the very least you can do, is also put into context what it entails, labor explotation, the loss of jobs in America, vendors that will close, flute repair people who will earn less money...in the mean time you get a thumbs down
I bought this cheap flute from AMZN and found it easier to play the high notes and low c than our freshly overhauled Gemienhardt. Personally, I'd rather replace than repair at this low price.
Im using a solid silver flute, $600 i guess, im from the philippines, dnt have really an easy access to good flutes, so ineed to order in usa, too costly for us..:(
I got a flute for like 70$ or 60$ in Amazon like 2 years ago, I know how to like make a weak flute sound some what strong and have a good tone, but the flute it’s self is really fragile, when I accidentally hit it w my stand the 2 foot joint key dented towards each other😔
That fact that there is minimal difference in the two flutes and an astronomical difference in price suggests to me that the higher end flutes are just a scam to rob people of their hard earned money. If 99% of the people cant tell the difference, why even bother getting a 9000 dollar flute?
I've been really looking forward to learning the flute one day! I hope I can buy this flute soon since you reviewed. Maybe use it to learn the basics of the flute before I commit to a more expensive one
I wouldn’t buy it, but I bought the Yamaha one it was 600 dollars but worth it! Some reviews said it lasted 30 years, hoping for mine to last as long. :)
The expensive one sounds very balance in every note. sound full and every notes stay steady in the Stereo image when i listen in my studio. Just my personal opinion...
This is a great option for a kid in band. I only had the options of learning trumpet or flute in school because 20 years ago, that's what we had and instruments were too expensive. Band often starts when kids are 10-12, and $70 is perfect for an irresponsible kid just trying out band and music. My mom often sourced used instruments for kids without the money to buy and this would have been a great option for them.
The Eastar EFL-1 sounds pretty good for such an inexpensive flute. The Sankyo sounds better to me in tone and looks much easier to play. However, not only does the quality of the mic recording it matter, but the quality of the speakers used to hear it back with. If someone has much better speakers connected to their computer than I do, they may notice a huge difference, but either way, for the money it is nice. Thanks.
I have a Trevor James flute. Metal and silver plated mouth piece. I thought , okay , because it's a cheaper flute (£350) , I can't reach 6th and 7th harmonics/overtones. Well - with persistence over about 6 months , I fully well can. Each and every time now. It just goes to show that one must put the effort in first - that is paramount. No luxury material can compensate. I'm a complete beginner , by the way, and I didn't want to spend too much as I was starting. Now that I am seeing (or rather hearing) results, I might do some time in the future. I tried a full silver mouth piece Pearl flute (around £700) the other day and it was a revelation. But had I not put in the effort with the cheaper flute, I guess I would not have arrived there.
How do we measure happiness? By quantitative analysis, $70 v. $9,000? Or qualitative analysis, acceptable sound quality v. acceptable .. gratification? Unlocking boundless joy in individual happiness? Thank you so much for making the comparison. The videos are at once exhilarating and educating.
Maybe I'm just hearing things, but I swear I could hear a little of the "leakage" of the pads on some of the notes when she was playing the legato part. Also, to me, the separation of the notes on the faster piece she place seemed more precise on the expensive flute. Having said both of those things, her talent makes either instrument sound amazing. The expensive flute just allows her talent to shine a little brighter...
I purchased the EFL -2 not long after your original video. All the reviews I saw about amazon flutes were terrible and I was pretty discouraged because I wanted to get back into the flute so badly. So after I saw your video I figured I would give it a shot. I’m not trying to be a professional I just want to learn again and have a hobby I enjoy to take my mind off life stress and music is what I love. It’s a good deal to learn fingerings and such but I don’t expect to make much progress with tone until I can save up for a better flute. I appreciate that you guys didn’t immediately dismiss it as garbage like a lot of others did.
we even have a nice poster with all the fingerings and scales that would compliment your studying at our store. Im super happy you enjoyed the videos and hope to see you again in the comments! Happy practicing Monika.
@Monika Griffith
You actually can make progress on any flute. As you can hear in the video there is no tone difference using Amazon flutes. It is all about flutist.
@@alexanderbelov6892 You are right but I have noticed some limitations. Especially in the higher register. I have a horrible time staying in tune no matter what I try. But I will continue to work with it and get the best out of it I can :)
@@LaMerleNoir216 If you experience some problems to be in tune in third register it may be cork position tuning problem. You may tune the flute low A into 442 Hz with sliding you headjoint back and forth in the flute body. Then move the cork in headjoint back and forth until low D and third register D will be in tune. Fix crown in proper position. Check that low A is still 442 Hz.
I am sorry but I see this flute has received glowing reviews with rating averaging 4.5 stars.
I don't think people in the comments really understand how a cheap instrument can unlock a whole world for a music student.
A flute like this is absolutely incredible for a young middle schooler who is just starting out.
With 100 bucks (this flute and some books/etc) you could change a child's life forever. How can anyone discount that?
For $300 you could buy a great student instrument like a Yamaha or Gemeinhardt that will last as long as you are willing to repair it. A cheapo Chinese junker like this in most cases cannot even be repaired at all.
The point is not all students have access to that $300.00 for a student flute (they are more in the $400-450.00 range). That is a lot of money to spend if the kid plays for a year and decides to quit. With decent pads, the $70.00 flute will last long enough to find out if the kid really enjoys learning (and give time to save up for that pricey student flute). Personally, I would look for a nice student flute for my kid.
Yeah, I would have been thrilled to have received one of these in middle school because it meant I would have been able to start earlier. As it was I didn't get to play until High School where the school provided a loaner instrument and group lessons. At that point, I was able to show to my parents that I had some talent and my dad sold some of his own personal belongings to buy me a Yamaha entry level which I still 25 years later.
Before high school, I had to enjoy music through the recorder. Not everyone is going to end up being a pro. If the choice is between having some joy with a cheaper flute or none at all then I'd always err towards joy.
@@donbrown971 $300 is a lot of money for many families. Especially ones in the US. I grew up in NZ and I know my first Yamaha cost around $1000NZD and my parents were not rolling in the dough. $70 is significantly less than $300 and is something that could be bought as a more casual gift for someone.
Chinese flutes aren't always the junkers they used to be. The flute is an old design that can be replicated quite well with modern manufacturing.
Most middle schoolers and beginners are better off renting a good student instrument from a music shop or teacher/school. These often go for much more affordable prices like 25$/month. And you can cancel any time if you decide you don’t like it so you’re not wasting money. The real issue with poorly made instruments is that students often dont make consistent progress and become frustrated because they don’t think they have the talent, when it’s really the instrument.
Thanks for not immediately dismissing these cheap flutes. They have their purpose for some people.
They are really good at driving students out of band because they quickly become impossible to play. They also make nice lamps if you get a lamp kit for it for when it is no longer functional. Save some time though and buy the kit at the same time as the instrument.
I'm really glad it help. We agree!
@Cold German Beer "Don't bother starting at all"!!...For many a cheap chinese instrument is what gets them off the starting line in the first place. Even a Yamaha student instrument is too expensive for many.
@Cold German Beer I have been playing the flute for 50 years and do understand the point you are trying to make. I have a cheap chinese flute in my collection and after 5 years it is still going strong. It doesn't compare tone wise with my better flutes but is far from being a bad instrument. If you aspire to be a virtuoso then you will need a better flute but many just enjoy playing at whatever level they can achieve on an instrument they can afford.
I have had too many students who bought this flute who quit because they blamed themselves for the fact it was hard to play. Me personally, I can play these for ten minutes then my mouth is tired. I am a regular performer, and I never get tired. if I got tired, then my beginning students will not manage. It is too much hard work. It isn't about the sound quality -- it is about ease of playing. If it is too hard, no one will play.
Your $9000 flute does sound better, much better but does it sound $8930 better for the average high school band flutist? That is the million dollar question...LOL
I believe that for most musicians this is an easy answer. Yes. Modern day manufacturing techniques have rendered better instruments for cheaper prices. But I quickly learned that "much better" sound quality cost. And sound quality is what it's all about. If you can't hear it that's fine. But for those who can, nothing less will do and they'll pay for it.
@@icemike841 It's the law of diminishing returns. 50% more cost yields 10% (or less) more quality. You get less back the more you spend.
@@presbyterosBassI Recreating the Mona Lisa to essentially indistinguishable detail, is a regularly executed exercise in many advanced university fine-arts programs. Does that mean we can now unquestioningly and without any hesitation whatsoever trash & burn the original?
....And yes I do know that for some people the answer is a definite yes.
I think I agree with you. The examples I usually cite are stereo equipment and automobiles. But in art? What is the value of perfection? Each must decide, and those are the decisions which create great art.
@@icemike841 Double-blind experiments often demonstrate that even "experts" actually "can't hear it" when they don't know which instrument is which. A lot of it is unconscious priming with the knowledge that "now I'm listening to a 9k dollar flute" and "now it's a cheap 70 dollar flute".
As a band director, now retired, I was always spouting, "you get what you pay for". I think this flute would be great for those on a very limited budget. One month rental on an overpriced starter flute would purchase this one. I would recommend this one for those who have the desire but limited resources. Most band directors can fix anything anyway.
I started 25 years ago on a $99 Cheap flute off of eBay for about 3 years …. Now I’ve been playing ever since on an expensive solid Silver flute and $2500. hand made wooden irish flutes . I would have never blossomed into a flutist or a musician if I didn’t try the cheap flute , it totally got me where I am today . Worth it ! Loving my musical Journey !
THE FLUTE COURSE IS OUT! Find the course at musogy.com Learn the Flute with The Flute Channel's Amelie Brodeur. If you're a beginner these courses will help you master Tone, Breathing, Posture, Sight-Reading, Rhythm and more. This 15 lesson course will start any new flutist on the right track, even if you're starting up from a long hiatus it can be a
good refresher.
I live in the Philippines. The Orchestral Instrument Market here is almost twice as expensive. I had to buy the open-hole Flute from Amazon, because a simple Yamaha Student model is 1,500 USD! It sucks being a Flautist here in the Philippines, and it's so sad that this Flute of mine isn't that......... Good (For the lack of a better word). Anyway, thanks for all your videos! I'm self-taught because there are no Flute Teachers here either, so I just watch all of your videos. Thanks! Keep it up.
we should come visit one day! @@sketchokid6012
What About the Amazon piccolo
The action looked crisper and shorter on your flute, I suspect that's no small part of why it sounded so much cleaner.
That said: Marching with a $2000 Yamaha [1980's dollars too!] in the rain and snow. Gosh that was painful to even think about, that was YEARS of odd-job money to go trash in the elements. I'd have _killed_ for a $70 flute I could trash in marching band and save my real flute for Wind Ensemble! I could have just bought another flute every month or two and been many many dollars ahead in repairs.
Disposable Flute! Now the burning question is... *How low can you go?!*
This $55 flute has some people raving about it:
www.amazon.com/Closed-Tuning-Grease-Siver-More-available/dp/B00OLAJ3W6
I'll suggest you do a future video on this one. Maybe even have a _Battle of the Cheap Flutes._
And if you find that it is terrible, then there will be the urge to crush it on camera. Heh.
I've been advocating low cost musical instruments for a very long time. My daughter's violin teacher freaked out on me when I explained that buying a certain one online was cheaper than renting from the music store he sent everyone to. Maybe he was on the take? Or probably just the standard snobby prejudice that so many good quality low cost instruments are up against.
My favorite videos are the ones that do double blind tests with Strads. Like the $2 wines that blow away wines sold for $thousands.
Since you are saying that we don't hear a big difference because you are able to compensate, it could be interesting so hear the difference from a less advanced player. I don't know if you teach, but if so, you could ask one of your student to try the cheap flute and then their flute (or your flute if you are confortable letting this student play on your flute).
I was thinking the same thing, and my suspicion is that a less advanced player is going to sound not very good on BOTH instruments.
Agreed. I would be worried that a less advanced player would be frustrated by the lack of responsiveness and it might hinder their growth as an artist.
@@jlbmagee " I would be worried that a less advanced player would be frustrated by the lack of responsiveness and it might hinder their growth as an artist." - oh, how sensitive. Let's buy a 9k flute for a middle schooler so that they don't get frustrated too much. People who just start playing will get a lot of frustration anyway because playing a musical instrument is very hard repetitive boring work. I believe the difference in the frustration level would be negligible anyway.
Jenna Magee - devils advocate here...I learned piano on a VERY much used and out of tune (by 1.5 half steps) upright that had 4-6 dead notes, etc but bc I was an amateur I knew nothing better thus in NO WAY was I “frustrated” or discouraged with it wanting to just throw in the gloves...hey, maybe that’s why the white, 4 fingered gloves are included in the package ;) When the time comes that I’m so utterly baffled and perplexed as to why I can’t get the PERFECT F#%*KING RESPONSE ON MY C NOTE!!!!...reach for the gloves. Genius!!! Market it as an all-in-one starter...and an ender set. LOL (I read why they’re there btw) This opinion is obviously from a well seasoned player that probably wouldn’t have even played my rinky-dink piano (if they knew piano...this is a metaphor...or simile....who the hell cares) bc it didn’t provide the nuances they required for continual playing. Not intending to bash here (though an “edit“ insert allows me the opportunity to also state that initial intention obviously DOES NOT equal original intended outcome)...but if you’re going to spit a completely biased and POMPOUS (in my opinion) opinion as such, first remind yourself of what it’s like to be a noob....then POMPOSE your remark if you still feel the need to have a POINTLESS and COMPLETELY BIASED web presence (for that post at least)...or don’t...but just be ready for multiple reminders about reflecting...then responding.
@@cac1682 and @Mykola Dolgalov - valid points, of course. Thank you for sharing your opinions with respect.
the best way to test is "blind" testing...play identical pieces but dont tell us which flute is which...
I got this flute and it lasted me 1 and a half years. It broke after. I thought it was pretty good, and was a great beginner flute. I won my school talent show with it. If your a beginner, this is good for its price, but be ready because it could break after a while
I've been playing flute for six years and am planning to continue through my last years of high school and eventually college, but my family and I can't afford a flute with everything I want. I have to resort to cheap online, cupronickel flutes, and I'm absolutely okay with that as long as I get to play music.
Would have liked you to play with exactly the same efforts in fingering, air movement, etc. on both. I think that might have highlighted the differences in a different way for those of us who don't play air instruments.
The Sankyo flute sounded warmer than the the eaStar flute.
Honestly, you make any flute sound amazing! Btw, Eastar has a piccolo! I just bought it, and it would be so cool if you reviewed it! That would be amazing! Also, I got this flute and i am now learning Peter and the Wolf only because you played it so well, and I want to sound just like you! Plz keep doing what you do!
Both of my daughters have two flutes--one for marching band (in the hot sun, the rain--doesn't matter, they play) and the other for the off season when they play in the concert hall. Both are Yamaha and one is partial silver, the other is all silver (thousands--never take this to the field (dents, weather, abuse)). This would be great for the beginners and for the marching season (can't tell enough of a difference and not always in perfect tune when you're rushing up and down a field making patterns. Nice that it's an option and it costs about as much as we spend for pads alone. I know it is easier for our daughters to squeek their cheaper flutes--but hard to tell when you're cover 70 yards of a football field.
Oh yes! Marching season definitely does a number on flutes! Great point. :) By the time I reached high school, I had a fairly inexpensive Yamaha and went a long way with it.
I do the same thing! I use the EFL-2 flute for marching band season so I don't have to worry about damaging a 1000+ dollar flute. I honestly think that the cheap flute is not that much worse in terms of tone and it squeaking. I really like the split e mechanism on it which makes e not crack so easily.
Im probably getting a flute cuz it cant be heard in our band in the field 😂😂😂
Love your videos, im a beginner flute player :) im not so good but I try, You play the flute amazingly. You deserve more subs :D By the way gave like 🙂 i'm going to finish watching the video😁 I have been playing the flute for quite a while now, about 4 or 5 months. Any suggestions to improve my skills? Or to stop that minor sound it makes when I blow my flute? It would really help a lot :)
Buy it! Learn flute for a year. You decide you're not serious, turn it into a lamp, and now you own a fancy $70 lamp. NO biggie. OR, Buy it, learn flute. Realize you love practicing and playing flute and you're practicing 3 hours everyday. Buy a real flute in a year or two when you have more money, and turn this one into a lamp. Now you're a REAL flute player AND you have a fancy $70 flute lamp. Either way, sounds like a win.
Ben Torres I have a small feeling that you own a flute lamp and I am intrigued... 😂
they wont last a year. And you wont be able to go pro/serious because the flute just isn't capable. most students who buy these end up quitting. They are too hard to play, and they break. One of my students couldn't get through one piece without the flute going out of adjustment!
My concern is that you're a pro and going to get a great sound out on anything. Would a 10 year old have that same success? Who's going to adjust it for them properly out of the box? The inherent issues that the cheap flute has can be instantly overcome by a pro, but what about by a beginner?
I've never seen a music instrument that sounded perfect out of the box, expensive OR cheap. ALL brand new flutes will probably need adjustments, its just that they will do it in the music shop before you leave. They also periodically need adjusting just from weather, use, and environment changes.
no, they wouldn't.
as an example, beginners usually have WAY more problems with the third register on cheaper flutes.
The mechanics are less reliable and precise. However you can learn a lot rebuilding it! Still using my first cheap flute after 3 years. My technique has yet to exceed its performance! :))))
They sounded exactly the same to me. But, when she was playing her own you could see she wasn't needing to put any effort in it at all. It was like it was part of her. The Flute and Harp are my favourite real instruments. The electronic midi keyboard is my favourite of all instruments.
yogibear2k10 makes very good sense...only any chosen instrument!
One thing I remember discussing with a High School music teacher was those students that could take a piece of crap instrument and make it work actually learned some valuable lessons about control. When those students moved on to better instruments, the teacher found that not only did their sound improve but their technique became flawless (relatively speaking for a beginner, of course.)
What I did notice about the cheaper flute was that the notes of the upper register were much more easily obtained than the notes in the lower register.
I play the guitar and piano, but always wanted to try the flute. After i saw the first video i immediatly bought it on amazon. Must say i'm having a great time. It 's working perfectly after some small adjusts. Maybe when it stop working i'm gonna buy a better one to continue learning. It's completely worth for those who want just have the feeling of how is to play a flute.
They both sound the same to my old ears.
When you began to play the Carmen solo I immediately wondered "Is she playing in a tin pipe"? I was browsing another web site and had your video on in the background. I could hear the effort you had to put in. You still made it sound good.
As you said, the big difference quality instruments make is in the effort you have to put in to get the results you want. My experience is with guitars, but with cheaper ones it often feels like you're fighting the instrument, while better ones feel more natural to play and have better tone.
The difference I hear is, yes, definitely the effort you have to put out on the $70 one, and yes you can hear the leaks when you play.
I bought the EFL-2 after seeing your previous post. I haven’t played flute in over 40 years so I figured it would be a good practice flute to have fun with. I liked the fact the EFL-2 keys had options to remove the plugs as I advanced. You clearly stated that as it wore out, it wouldn’t be worth fixing, but would be good to take it apart and understand the construction. I was very pleased with it and the sound until about 2 1/2 weeks of daily use. In the middle of playing, I couldn’t get g,f,e notes in any octave. Because I bought on Amazon Prime, I was able to return it for a full refund. I decided to replace it with the EFL-1 because I figure if it happens again so quickly, then I’m not keeping it and the EFL-2 was no longer listed. My only concern is that the EFL-1 is nickel-plated (vs silver-plated EFL-2) and I have lots of sensitivities. I’ve started playing the replacement and the sound is not as nice as the -2, but for my needs, it’s fine.
Any review a year later?
I must say, I admire the control you have playing the cheapo flute, and then your way-cool flute right after. To me, they sounded exactly the same. From my former life as a student oboist, I know more about fighting with reeds than fighting with stubborn air columns, but from hanging out in JAF's channel, I know a little bit about the way you channel that ball of air to optimize the sound in each range, and to compensate for a flute's shortcomings. Pretty cool. :)
Interesting and Thanks! Happy to have you drop in!
DrQuizzler I admire the fact that you play an instrument that has such temperamental reeds. I love the sound of the oboe and has contemplated learning to play one but that reed situation is DAUNTING!
@@deegeorge5711 I'm a drummer but dabbled with bagpipes (which uses a similar double reed as the oboe/bassoon/etc)- yeah - those reeds are a pain. Much kudos to you DrQuizzler.
The higher register on the Eastar EFL -1 sounded weaker and possibly a bit flat
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What flute would you recommend to an intermediate flute student who can't spend too much money?
all depends how much your willing to spend and stick to that budget.
Yamaha!!!!!!! one of my students did her diploma on the bottom Yamaha -- obviously I would have loved her to have a better flute, but she got brilliant marks despite. The Yamaha is capable of it. once you get into higher price brackets there are others you can consider, but at the bottom -- Yamaha is the best.
I live in the Philippines. The Orchestral Instrument Market here is almost twice as expensive. I had to buy the open-hole Flute from Amazon, because a simple Yamaha Student model is 1,500 USD! It sucks being a Flautist here in the Philippines, and it's so sad that this Flute of mine isn't that......... Good (For the lack of a better word). Anyway, thanks for all your videos! I'm self-taught because there are no Flute Teachers here either, so I just watch all of your videos. Thanks! Keep it up.
Wow really! We have to come there one day and do some summer classes! Thanks for watching!
Well, Thanks for giving me Videos to watch!
I’m no flute expert (not sure how I even found these two videos, but oh well). To me, the $70 flute doesn’t have the same richness of sound to it. It’s not a huge difference, probably owing to your skill, but it seems just a bit more flat than the $9000 one. I also noticed a fair amount of bleed on notes when you did the scale on the $70 one. The notes kind of bled together, while there was a distinct start and stop of each note on the more expensive flute.
Can you make a video on how to single tongue fast
Being a metal guitarist this may sound strange but I LOVE the sound of the flute so much I actually went and bought a second hand one from a
fellow musician.
This informative video introduces me to aspects of caring for the flute I had not yet thought of.
Wonder if I can teach myself the technique as I already know music and play four other instruments ?
Much more to learn,- I can´t wait to get this party started! :)
happy you came by and watched!
You might like the flute from early Black Widow, might want to check out "Come to the Sabbat" from their album 'Sacrifice,' as well as other tracks on the album.
the Eastern flute it's not a playable flute for beginners. It's almost imposible to play low notes. I changed it to a Yamaha 311 and i played a low C (!) with amy efort. Thank you for your review.
The big difference isn't the sound. The construction of cheap instruments like this one is terrible. The metal is so soft it bends just from normal playing. The keys quickly get out of adjustment resulting in frustration for the student because the instrument will no longer play properly. Any tiny bump or drop with a horn like that will most likely result in you throwing it away. I have seen tons of cheap horns like this one. You are better off buying a $300 flute from a quality manufacturer. If your kid doesn't continue you will likely be able to sell it for what you paid for it, and your student will have a quality instrument that will not frustrate them constantly due to getting out of adjustment. You need to play this horn daily like a student would for a couple of months and get back to us.
So I'm in a marching band and I have the EFL-2 and it has been great. It's definitely been put through a lot but it's held up. It has been dropped and bumped a few timesbut it seems to be fine. I've been playing on it for almost a year and it seems great. No, it's not a professional flute but I would rather use a cheap flute rather than a expensive one where it is used in extreme temperatures and such. The pads came regulated and they work great.
Your flute has more rounded tone and fluid fingering.
I thought the $70 flute was a little on the sharp side.
My thoughts exactly. The loudest, most important part of the note was exactly the same, but the subtle parts, the echos inside the instrument? The breath? Much clearer and pleasant in the expensive one. This was more pronounced in the higher range where that squeaky high note she ended on sounded less squeaky with the expensive flute, even though it was the same exact note.
Plus the clickyness! I swear I could hear mr $70 flute clicking with everything she did.
As a musician I can appreciate the review and comparing something $70 to $9000 or even $900 in price, quality and specs, along with how much easier or better sounding they are to play... I think all in all that this is a great product and making instruments more affordable, we're able to teach more children to understand, love and appreciate music, in a world full of kids distracted by technology and parents with no job security to afford expensive instruments, it's a great product for $70 and hopefully more items like this will make a better world to live in.
Not only for kids but there's plenty of people out there without bags of money for instruments but for $100 for a flute and music books to inspire the next James Galway or such renowned flutists alike, we are blessed.
Wonderfully said Grae! Thanks for watching!
Here's a good question: is that flute worth $70? Can you honestly say that this flute isn't as good as a $500 well known brand and highly recommended beginner flute? Is your flute truly worth $9k? Can you honestly say there isn't a $4k flute out there that isn't just as good and that you would be proud to play and own?
interesting question - no that flute isn't worth $70. It is in a way, because it took someones time and material to make it, but you are buying a headache. As for a $9000 vs $4000 flute -- it depends what you need it for. When you are trying for the top performing jobs then the quality of your flute matters. If you are teaching or playing in community bands, then a $2000 flute is good enough, but if someone can afford the extra and wants the extra richness to their sound, and the lighter mechanism, and the spot on intonation etc, then it is worth it.
An oldster now, I loved the sound of the flute even as a kid, and way back in the 70s got into Jethro Tull and got a flute. I well remember moving from my beginning Armstrong to my open-hole Gemeinhardt and the wonderful full, mellow tone it produced (with a low B!). I saved up to to get that.
Hi ...
I'm ...
39 years old and got my first ever ...
Flute !!!
And as a starter ...
My $250 is working good and ...
Still long way to go to get the right way how to play with it !!!
Its been my childhood dream to be a musician !!!
I found this video a bit late... my parents just bought me this flute with the opened holes,(my parents are rich, but incredibly cheap :/) and my director wants to take a look at it, and I don’t know if this is good enough for my advanced band. I’ve only been playing the flute for a year, so I’m asking is this flute okay for me?
the cheaper flute obviously responds so much slower
I didn’t know what you meant by leaks because I’m planning to get one because I’m a begginer
One more comment. Not everyone is born with a big trust fund, beside being very much loved. My first flute, circa 1977 at a tender 16, was about 550 or in today's value, about 1500. My family paid for me. But is a used instrument from my professor. After 44 years I finally bought one that I paid for and arrived yesterday. One that is, well, mine from day 1. I wouldn't knock a musical instrument even if it was just 7 bucks, consider a whole new world of amazement a "$70" instrument can bring. Thank you for sharing.
Coming from someone who hasn't a clue. And never played wind instruments. You certainly make both of them sound great honestly. I hear a lil bit more quality in urs. But it's hard to detect on the first play through. What is noticeable is ur energy. And I noticed that as well in the first review of this flute u guys did. You certainly are amazing.
And so the end result i would say is, durability, and quality of certain notes are not there clearly, as not even you could disguise it from me. And that is saying alot considering as you said. Experts on their instruments are great at masking bad sounding instruments sound amazing.
I hope all is well for you. And you have a blessed 2019 year.
✊✊✊
thanks so much for your comment and thanks for watching!
Very nice, and thank you for doing this for us. Think the second piece you played on both showed the difference in depth and the overall sonic quality of them more..but again, made much smaller from your skill on the instrument. Still surprising how playable that Flute is though for the $75 it cost, and I like your idea of learning how to do your own work on them changing pads etc.. on the cheaper one. As I work on other instruments, would be something I would be interested in learning to do.
I want a flute
As you mentioned briefly at the end, the best part about cheap instruments is being able to pull them apart & monkey with them when they need repairs & learn how they operate without being out of pocket by hundreds of dollars if they don't go back together just right... I've learned more about instruments from cheap guitars, harmonicas, flutes & saxes than I ever did from my expensive ones because I was able to pull them apart without guilt or fear. A point worth noting, so don't sell your first instruments, dissect them & learn about them!
Thanks for an interesting video.
@the flute channel Regarding the construction, the easiest way to show people the difference is to remove the head joint and flick it with a finger nail. Nickel will ring like a bell because it's not as dense as silver, which makes a dull thunk sound by comparison. The difference in density and acoustic characteristics make for differences in projection and volume. I have 2 amazon flutes, a closed and French open and both play really well for the price and I've had no problems. I don't know that I would buy a $99 clarinet though as the Boehm finger work is much more intricate and prone to adjustment issues. For comparison my clarinet is a Buffet E11 which is 6 times the cost of my flute. Also, thanks to your recommendation I picked up a thumb port and my right hand is so much more comfortable now. I have a stable instrument even with no keys pressed.
As a flutist myself I would recommend this flute for marching band!
A large thing to consider is that microphones are limited in what they can actually pickup. Just because they sound similar on a recording, that does not indicate that the same will be true in person
I would say that the Eastar flute is has a very slightly sharp, tinny tone when it's played compared to the Sankyo flute.
Thanks for this. I have never owned an expensive flute (I have mostly used Pearl and Artley), but the Eastar flute I just bought yesterday seems perfect. It wants to be played. No leaks. Responds well to everything you want to do. Loud, sweet, beautiful. And less than £200 in the UK. It’s exciting because I have never had a flute this good, and have never paid so little. Thanks for posting
Hi I don't know if u remember me but yeah :)
Of the problem I told u a while ago I got a new and better flute, so the problem for fixed.It turned out my flute was really messed up yeah and ur tips really helped me thx :)))
I'd say that since the cheap flute has saved the buyer $8930 (the cost of your professional flute) then you can certainly afford to maintain it when the pads wear out. An instrument technician can improve the entire feel, flatten the pads, get rid of leaks and maybe replace the odd spring (ie. regulate it) for about $100, which brings it up to the level of a decent Yamaha flute. Go for it and don't throw it away! The worlds resources are too scarce to throw away a well-designed metal body.
some technicians wont touch these. Basically because the cost of fixing them is more than the cost of replacing them with a Yamaha. replacing pads is expensive -- but that isn't all that is wrong with these flutes. The scale is wrong, the metal is soft and bends out of shape, meaning it will often leak, and be hard to maintain it (you can hear the leaks int he video by what it does to her tone). Trying to keep one of these in playing condition is a bottomless pit of funds.
I agree that a performer could survive without a $10,000 flute, but it does depend who you are competing with. If you are competing for a job in the top orchestras then the difference that the better flutes make actually matters. IF you are auditioning for the school high school band then a Yamaha 221 is an absolute winner. My son uses the Yamaha 481, and will be able to use this up to diploma or university level. I use a $10,000 sankyo - but unless I start competing for performing jobs, the Yamaha 481 would have been sufficient. However, my flute is a lot less clunky, and a much richer tone than the Yamaha.
If you can find someone to replace the pads and adjust the instrument for $100, please let me know. Local music store wants $125 just for 4 pads and $50 for adjustments. Checked with Music and Arts store, and that's about the going rate today
I'm just curious if you could compare this $70 flute vs the $300 flute.
will try that eventually
I wonder how it would sound in an orchestra? Would the cheaper flute be flooded out or blended in, and no one notice the difference? The average listener I don't think would notice unless you told them. Maybe do a blind test. Don't tell which one your playing and stay off camera. Let the comments decide.... A flute or B flute.
thats exactly right. The more money you pay, the more time they spend cutting the embouchure hole, and the more precision in the making. This effects intonation, and projection especially. The average listener may not know why they love a performance -- I tell this to my students -- if it is effortless and the tone is beautiful the average listener will be in awe.. they may not know why. If the tone isn't so good, the intonation not so good, then the average listener will just not be 'in awe', they may even be uncomfortable, but they don't know why.
I think her own flute sounded clearer in sound and didn't have these 'puh' -sounds (sounds like when people pronounce plosives too close to a mike).
Hello! I really want to start learning to play the flute. Could you please tell me which of the flutes you showed better for beginners - the Nuvo 2.0 or the $70 one from Amazon? Which one has a nicer sound?
I am very surprised about this $70 flute!! Really glad that this flute gives the option to bring music to those who might not be able to afford the typical beginner flute options. Sounded like you had to compensate the high Eb in the Bizet excerpt. High Eb usually tends to be sharp but it sounded like maybe the Eastar tended to be even more sharp than your Sankyo. Great video illustrating the differences.
that excerpt is definitely The Entr'acte from Bizet's Carmen!
$70 is still too much. It is 2021 with very advanced manufacturing using robots and CNC machines and even robot to test it. A flute is a metal tube with some levers, nothing special, probably not even made from fine metal. It probably only costs $10 to manufacture this flute. Should be asking: Why is Yamaha so expensive at $450 when the high quality metal flute can be manufactured for maybe $40? (10x markup ! ) 💰
This is a good video for the lowest cost entry flute. Maybe I will get one. ♭
I KNOW THE EXCERPT!! It’s Entr’acte from Carmen by George’s Bizet!!!
$9,000 US or Canadian for a flute...? It must be made of sterling silver forged by hand and tuned by the gods of the Sirens of ancient Greece.
indeed it was! :)
Yeah, professional level instruments aren't cheap. As a drummer you CAN get a 5 piece kit for $400 and set of beginner cymbals for about $300 - My snare runs $550 (which is on the low end of pro gear) and I have a ride cymbal I got used for $275 (new it s about $499). My kit which is in the mid range for drums (touring level not concert level) is about $8000 total (not including cases and hardware). So, yeah it's a thing. I played percussion professionally for a while and the drummer of that group had a kit that ran about $20,000 US - with hardware but again without cases. (As a percussionist I had about $4000 in gear and considered myself lucky)
YOUR Flute was: "made of sterling silver forged by hand and tuned by the gods of the Sirens of ancient Greece." ..?? Really, now?
@@ladyactor It is definitely sterling silver. Sirens were not applied to it
Alex is right @@alexanderbelov6892
THANK YOU, I was going crazy trying to play my old student flutes, your video inspired me to try a $67 Glory flute (metallic blue :) and I was able to produce my first low 'C' in many years ... PS. your playing sounded wonderful !
aww thanks!
To be fair there is not so much difference in the sound to be heard (i think when one hears it live it might very different), but your flute does have fuller and richer sound.
Thanks John!
I'm from Brazil and I bought my flute made by a national company thinking it was a good deal (it wasn't super cheap) but then I discovered they just import these cheap flutes from China and print their logo at the barrel... So mine it's like this one, I just didn't knew that
I must be really ignorant. but I didn't notice any difference except a minute negligible difference between your playing of the cheap flute and your playing of the $9000 flute. Your flute costs more than my car and if there's hardly a difference between them, then you probably would have done better to buy a $1000 flute at most. I would think there's no difference between them at all, unless your flute is made of solid silver, pure gold linings and some diamond encrustments. Please, educate me.
I had a blue cheapo flute the eflat was off and the b flat sucked. I started on a 1,000 dollar flute
My hearing is not the best, but for quite some time I've not been able to tell much difference between flutes or guitars on RUclips. Other people have made the same comment. Yet others have stated they think one or the other instrument sounds better, but they don't agree as to which one sounds better. In blind tests on RUclips (which are all too rare), they couldn't identify the more expensive instrument. Perhaps that is because RUclips does something to the sound in the video upload and conversion. Pro after pro states there is significant difference in both playing and sound, and I trust that. We of course can't judge playing this side of the screen, but as for sound both flutes sounded pretty close to me. This is good actually, because as you stated, beginners can't afford thousands of dollars for a quality flute. It's nice to know an inexpensive flute is still playable. Same holds true with guitars: there are a number of under-$200 and even $100 guitars that sound and play fine. Beginners need such instruments. Thank you for emphasizing that... and letting us know the cheaper flutes will work at least until one is ready to upgrade. Excellent video with many good points. I really liked the mention of when the flute wears out, tearing it down so one gets some experience. : )
I'm a beginner, but I do own a solid silver Gemeinhardt. I did, however, buy an $80 flute from Amazon because if I am just going to start out on one...I don't want to yet tote around what I consider, to me, to be a Rolls Royce.
I found the original film by random reccomendation .
I just had to see the follow up one.
It's such a great set, I just had to subscribe
thanks for watching and subbing Richie!
A $70.00 flute is equivalent in buying beer, for a flute beginner is a great way to investigate to decide to learn to play for the cost of beer that gives a slight buzz that leaves your body (you know what I mean). Learning to play a flute is a Betty buzz that you can do in public.
Cool! Who else notices how calming her voice is, is it just me?
😂
In 6th grade I got my first flute, (Mendini $50) and it lasted about a year before it fell apart, but I was able to fix it & I still have it after almost 4 years but it's out of tune and some screws become loose after playing for a few minutes. In 7th grade I got a student flute that only cost about $100. By the middle of 8th grade I became a lot better and I realized there were a lot of leaks and the cork was loose. I went to get it fixed but it turns out the flute was poorly made so not much could be done. I played every single day for hours in eighth grade but now I rarely play because I can't do much with it anymore. I can't really afford anything else which sucks 😞 i wish i were still in band
No offence.....but flute pads are not that difficult to change.....and if you learn to do it yourself....the cheap flute never dies :D :D :D
If you are going to promote Amazon products, the very least you can do, is also put into context what it entails, labor explotation, the loss of jobs in America, vendors that will close, flute repair people who will earn less money...in the mean time you get a thumbs down
Playing the scale on the $70 flute sounded a bit forced while your flute was smoother. The less expensive one wasn't too bad.
Behringer just made one for like 50 bucks 😁
Both instruments is not sounds good haha
I bought this cheap flute from AMZN and found it easier to play the high notes and low c than our freshly overhauled Gemienhardt. Personally, I'd rather replace than repair at this low price.
Im using a solid silver flute, $600 i guess, im from the philippines, dnt have really an easy access to good flutes, so ineed to order in usa, too costly for us..:(
I got a flute for like 70$ or 60$ in Amazon like 2 years ago, I know how to like make a weak flute sound some what strong and have a good tone, but the flute it’s self is really fragile, when I accidentally hit it w my stand the 2 foot joint key dented towards each other😔
That fact that there is minimal difference in the two flutes and an astronomical difference in price suggests to me that the higher end flutes are just a scam to rob people of their hard earned money. If 99% of the people cant tell the difference, why even bother getting a 9000 dollar flute?
I've been really looking forward to learning the flute one day! I hope I can buy this flute soon since you reviewed. Maybe use it to learn the basics of the flute before I commit to a more expensive one
They are no difference, physical lows do not change 😅
Thank you 😊
I wouldn’t buy it, but I bought the Yamaha one it was 600 dollars but worth it! Some reviews said it lasted 30 years, hoping for mine to last as long. :)
Its quite a nice sounding flute, doesn’t have the same resonance/depth as yours but for what is cost its brilliant
The expensive one sounds very balance in every note. sound full and every notes stay steady in the Stereo image when i listen in my studio. Just my personal opinion...
This is a great option for a kid in band. I only had the options of learning trumpet or flute in school because 20 years ago, that's what we had and instruments were too expensive. Band often starts when kids are 10-12, and $70 is perfect for an irresponsible kid just trying out band and music. My mom often sourced used instruments for kids without the money to buy and this would have been a great option for them.
The Eastar EFL-1 sounds pretty good for such an inexpensive flute. The Sankyo sounds better to me in tone and looks much easier to play. However, not only does the quality of the mic recording it matter, but the quality of the speakers used to hear it back with. If someone has much better speakers connected to their computer than I do, they may notice a huge difference, but either way, for the money it is nice. Thanks.
I have a Trevor James flute. Metal and silver plated mouth piece. I thought , okay , because it's a cheaper flute (£350) , I can't reach 6th and 7th harmonics/overtones. Well - with persistence over about 6 months , I fully well can. Each and every time now. It just goes to show that one must put the effort in first - that is paramount. No luxury material can compensate. I'm a complete beginner , by the way, and I didn't want to spend too much as I was starting. Now that I am seeing (or rather hearing) results, I might do some time in the future. I tried a full silver mouth piece Pearl flute (around £700) the other day and it was a revelation. But had I not put in the effort with the cheaper flute, I guess I would not have arrived there.
I want one just so I can learn more about the anatomy. Glad you said what you said in this video!
How do we measure happiness? By quantitative analysis, $70 v. $9,000? Or qualitative analysis, acceptable sound quality v. acceptable .. gratification? Unlocking boundless joy in individual happiness? Thank you so much for making the comparison. The videos are at once exhilarating and educating.
Is it ok if you hear the keys click on your flute? Or does that mean somethings wrong? Thanks.
your flute notes come out easily? Even C#/Db? wow...
do you think this would be a good flute to purchase for someone to double on flute? I play saxophone in college but I want to learn to play flute
I can hear a little difference
The amazon flûte it's actually a bit more brighter
Oioi.. sou brasileiro e estou começando a estudar flauta transversal. Acho os vídeos bem interessantes (mesmo não sabendo falar inglês kkkkkkkk)
Hi
Maybe I'm just hearing things, but I swear I could hear a little of the "leakage" of the pads on some of the notes when she was playing the legato part. Also, to me, the separation of the notes on the faster piece she place seemed more precise on the expensive flute. Having said both of those things, her talent makes either instrument sound amazing. The expensive flute just allows her talent to shine a little brighter...