Yamaha YFL-222 Intermediate Student Flute
Introduction to the Yamaha Student Flute
Flutes are one of the best instruments that you can easily learn how to play. Playing the flute only requires a little bit of training and the passion to play it.
The Yamaha YFL-222 flute is great for beginners and intermediate players who may be looking for their next instrument in their journey as a flutist.
Yamaha are renown for their high quality musical instruments and the YFL-222 student flute maintains that high quality. Precision craftmanship makes for a fantastic sounding flute
Playing one by itself produces an enchanting sound. When played with other instruments, their sounds blend, creating a harmonious melody. It is one of the vital instruments in an orchestra.
Learning how to play the flute is simple. To start, you first need to find the right flute for you. But there are several makes, models and types available that choosing becomes difficult. Choosing the wrong one can hinder your learning process.Following is our review of the Yamaha YFL-222 flute.
Yamaha YFL-222 Intermediate Flute – Review
The Yamaha YFL-222 Flute is one of the most endorsed flutes for beginners. The flute’s head joint is made with nickel silver. The foot joint and the rest of the flute’s body are made with a silver-plated finish.
This makes the flute more durable and less prone to damages. The shiny silver finish gives it a professional appearance. It also makes it easier to clean and maintain the instrument.
The YFL-222 flute keys are set for beginners needs. They’re designed in a manner that provides comfort and natural playing feel while performing. Key bumpers are made of neoprene that makes it stronger and more durable than cork.
Complete with an offset G key that provides a more natural hand position while playing. It also comes with a split E mechanism the helps flutists handle the third octave E.
The Yamaha YFL-222 has covered keys and curled tone holes that make the instrument easier to play. It also features a pointed key arm A, and F, including non-fingered feature keys.
The YFL-222 comes with both B and C foot joints. With this, students can move up from a beginner instrument to an intermediate one without having to buy a new one.
The YFL-222 head joint has a unique design with a double flare taper and an embouchure hole undercut design. This allows for a quick response for all registers. It helps beginners to quickly learn how to produce beautiful and rich tones.
The YFL-222 flute comes with accessories to help keep it well-maintained and give it a longer life. It comes with a hard-protective case that makes transporting the flute easier. It also protects the flute from damages.
It comes with a complete set of cleaning materials. It has a polishing cloth, a polishing gauze and a cleaning rod. These help clean the flute and keep it shiny all the time. The cleaning rod helps clean the hard to reach areas. It also comes with a manual to help guide beginners on the step by step process to clean the instrument.
Key shapes and placement have been ergonomically placed for a comfortable, natural-feeling performance.
Additionally to assist beginners this flute has footjoint alignment marks which facilitates proper fitting by young players.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Before purchasing your flute, here’s a list of pros and cons about the Yamaha YFL-222, for you to consider:
What We liked
1. YFL-222 carries the YAMAHA brand.
Yamaha is a brand known world-wide as a maker of high quality instruments. The YFL-222 upholds this reputation with its performance, durability and playability.
Flutes, especially those made by known brands, hold their value very well. This, in turn, gives them a higher resale value.
2. Professional looking
The materials used in making YFL-222 guarantees durability and longevity. It also provides a very professional look to the instrument.
3. Amazing sound quality.
The YFL-222 produces better sound quality compared to other instruments within the same price range.
4. Key features are suited for beginners
YFL-222 is specifically designed for beginners with its split E, offset G and B and C foot joint features. It also has the capacity for advancing students to use the same instrument.
What We Didn’t Like
1. Higher Price Point
Although it has great features for beginners, some may find it prohibitive to buy one with its price range.
2. Ideal for middle skill level players only
The flute needs to be replaced if the student decides to further advance their skills. Highly skilled flutists might feel limited with this model.
3. Limited warranty
Depending on where the instrument was bought, it comes with a 1 year warranty.
Conclusion
Music can play a pivotal role in your life. Instead of just listening to the radio, you can opt to learn to play an instrument. Learning to play the flute is one of the best options for you. It can help you build new skills, create a new channel for expression and provide a new dimension to your everyday life.
But, choosing and buying a beginner’s flute can be daunting. Serious consideration needs to be given on all the options available on the market today. And there’s a lot!
There are key features, though that one needs to look out for, especially for a beginner. Some of these are – the cost of the instrument, key placement, sound quality, and accessories it comes with.
With all these to consider, the Yamaha YFL-222 appears to offer a solid beginner instrument. It comes from a known brand that produces quality and durable instruments. It has notable design features like an offset G, covered keys and curled tone holes that make it ideal for new users.
But, as with any product, it’s a good idea to compare products and find the one that offers the best value and experience for you and your money. Choose wisely!
7 Things to Consider Before Buying a Beginner Flute
There are certain elements that one needs to consider when looking for the best flute for a beginner:
Brand:
Supply is not an issue. There are many flute brands on the market today. The most popular brands are also the most expensive ones. Yamaha’s beginner flutes have set the standard in the industry. Musical educators regard Yamaha’s standard flutes as the best of the best. They would not turn away a student who will show up with one on their first day.
Today though, consumers are demanding more affordable options for musical instruments. As a result, cheap instruments of poor-quality flood the market. These purchases have no warranty and it is difficult to find replacement parts. Even repair shops refuse to work on these types of instruments. They are afraid of possible liabilities if they attempt to fix them.
Buying quality branded instruments is not to show off. It ensures that you will deliver a much better sound compared to affordable yet poorly made ones.
Budget:
Good branded instruments are quite pricey. When buying a flute, you can opt to rent or buy a used one instead. Buying a used flute is a good option for beginners. Before you do, ensure that the instrument is still in good shape as you don’t get a warranty with it.
Renting an instrument is a low-cost option for beginners and habitual players only. If you intend to play for a long time, it is more worthwhile to buy your own.
Mouthpiece or embouchre plate:
The mouthpiece is the core of the sound production.
It is ideal for beginners to choose a nickel silver flute. It is tougher and more resistant to dents compared to silver. Intermediate players prefer a silver mouthpiece for the richer and warmer sound it makes.
Head Joints:
Some beginner models have curved head joints to assist students with small hands. Flutes don’t come in different sizes but the curved head joints will bring the keys of the flute closer to the body. This will help reduce the stretch and extend their reach to help them play easier.
In-G vs. Offset G:
When buying a flute, the biggest variant is the key of G. Flutes have either an offset or inline G key. The only difference is the position of the G key. This only affects the entire position of the hand while playing but does not impact the sound made by the flute. It’s recommended to use the offset-G to better accommodate new user hands. In this case, it is best to choose the key that you’re more comfortable using.
Foot Joints (B vs. C Foot):
Flutes for students include a C-Foot. Professional flutists use flutes with B-foot. A B-foot has a longer joint that allows flutists to play a low B key. Music educators prefer that students use C-foot as they rarely use the low B key.
Open vs. Closed Hole:
A beginner’s flute will usually have closed holes on the keys. This makes the flute easier to play. More advanced flutists can opt to have open-holed flutes. This is because of their improved control over the intonation.