Saturday, April 10, 2010

new Azumi curved beginner flutes


Dear Flutists,

A great piece of piping whose time has come. :>)
Just love this new kind of curved flute for beginners.
Check it out (German text and photos in pdf).

Azumi Wave-Line flute (English translation)

A perfect flute, right from the beginning
AZUMI Wave-Line flutes: opening new dimensions in young student development with excellent sound quality, richness of tone colours and ergonomic design.

AZUMI flutes offer teachers and non-professional flutists a range of instruments which individually facilitate optimal musical development through instilled motivation and success in teaching/learning. Through continual technical development and exceptional craftsmanship, the brand AZUMI has been regarded as a standard for exceptional quality in the flute market for several years. The support and levels of quality one would expect from ALTUS Handmade Flutes is inherent throughout the AZUMI product range.

Thus, flutists of all ages have the opportunity to profit directly from the innovation and knowhow of Shuichi Tanaka's ALTUS flute making tradition.

Close collaboration with experienced music educators (led by Prof. Barbara Gisler-Haase from the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna) has allowed AZUMI to innovate further than has previously been achieved resulting in individually perfect instruments for performers of any age.
This revolutionary new patent allows AZUMI to build specially designed instruments for an early start on the flute. Not only do flutes of the AZUMI Wave-Line series offer an excellent playing experience but they further provide a solution to the, previously unresolved, problems which occur when using conventional flutes with curved head joints.

The AZUMI Wave-Line flute is evenly balanced along its length, experiences no tilting and plays in every way the same as a standard concert flute.
The AZUMI Wave Line flute, with patented O head joint, permits the building of a reduced length flute for beginners of an early age whilst maintaining all the playing properties of a standard concert flute. Problems in balancing the flute, as experienced playing flutes with curved head joints now belong in the past. In addition to this, the AZUMI Wave-Line flute features the same sound quality as a concert flute - the hissing produced when using curved head joints is completely eliminated. A further design feature is the level finger buttons which are positioned as close together and are as accessible as is technically possible. Allied to this, the light build, without trill key pivot and E-mechanism, further allows neat and non-restrictive fingering for players with small hands.

The O head joint model with C Foot features finger buttons which are set a little further apart to allow every player to find an individually perfect instrument
which meets his/her personal needs.

In broadening the range of instruments, the models with V head joint and C foot now facilitate a gradual change to a standard concert flute. The finger buttons are set further apart and the resulting comfortable playing experience also allows young intermediate players to achieve musical expression supported by an ergonomically comfortable play. From the beginning on.

Models AZUMI Wave-Lie Series
Head joint: Nickel Silver 925 Sterling Silver Plated
Body: Nickel Silver 925 Sterling Silver Plated
Mechanism: Nickel Silver 925 Sterling Silver Plated
Tuning: A = 442 Hz

Model AZ-WLOD
AZUMI WAVE-LINE flute with O-head joint and D-foot joint for the perfect early start
O-head joint
Finger buttons positioned as close as is technically possible
Simplified mechanism without additional trill-key pivot and split E-mechanism for unrestricted handling for small hands
Low weight and easier balance with D-foot joint

Model AZ-WLOC
AZUMI WAVE-LINE flute with O-head joint and C-foot joint with increased button spacing for taller players for whom the weight of the flute only represents a minor concern.
O- head joint
Increased button spacing
Simplified mechanism without additional trill-key pivot and split E-mechanism for unrestricted fingering even for players with small hands
C- foot joint

Model AZ-WLVC
AZUMI WAVE-LINE Flute with V-head joint and C-foot joint for comfortable and ergonomically correct play facilitating a smooth transition to the standard concert flute.
V- head joint
Increased button spacing for an easier transition to the standard concert flute.
Simplified mechanism without additional trill-key pivot and split E-mechanism for unrestricted fingering even for players with small hands
C- foot joint

Ideal balance of the AZUMI Wave-Line flute
Stability at the embouchure

The AZUMI Wave-Line is played like a standard concert flute

Ergonomically correct and relaxed flute playing
The AZUMI Wave-Line flute allows the spine, the shoulders and the neck to relax.

No more tilting and turning as experienced with a conventional curved head joint

The right flute for any age

O- head joint with D / C - foot joint
V - head joint with C - foot joint
AZUMI Z-cut series

Excellent sound
Richness of tone colours
Ergonomically correct playing experience.


Just thought you'd all want to know about this new flute.
(I'm not related to the company or sellers in any conceivable way.)
Comments welcome.
Best, Jen
Comments (4)
Blogger D. Brian Lee said...

I am looking forward to trying one. I wonder if those rather sharp, extreme curves are detrimental to the tone? I have started little people on curved heads before and the balance with this type of head would seem to be a bit easier. Very interesting.

Saturday, May 08, 2010 2:21:00 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dean (flute teacher Oslo) writes:
---------------------
After hearing the reports from the Frankfurt Messe about the new Azumi
waveline flutes
http://www.artismusic.de/en/artis-music-news/newsdetails/article/weltneuheit-azumi-wave-line.html I have been itching to try one. I was therefore
disappointed to find out that they probably won't be shown in Manchester.
Imagine my joy and excitement then when I was at the academy here in Oslo yesterday for a teacher's convention to meet the Azumi rep. for Norway (he's
based in Trondheim, an 8 hour drive from here) on his way in to set up a display.

I can only describe the instruments as outstanding. The feel of the mechanism and the response felt just like a regular Azumi, which I regard as excellent intermediate instruments that compete well with far more expensive models. The new design of curved HJ acted as I had expected as a counterweight to stabilize the instrument so that there were none of the usual stability problems that one finds with regular curved HJs. Further, I expect that this design of HJ will make the flute more stable in the hands of a novice than a regular flute, leading to a better and more relaxed hand position. The body of the D foot model compares in design to the Jupiter Prodigy, but as stated the mech. and standard of finishing is in my opinion superior so that I experienced the response as "first-touch" (the Jupiter is good too, but in my experience there are now and again padding issues calling for the odd shim on a lesson).


All in all I am very impressed and now that all of the issues taking me in that direction have been addressed, I intend to phase out my use of theYamaha fife for young new beginners in favour of the waveline. Well Ok,there is still the issue of initial investment for the parents/bands so I might still run flute-primer groups on the fife, but these will be of apre-determined length to evaluate aptitude and motivation before the
parents/band is asked to make their mind up and invest in the child's musical joy.

Dean Stallard

Flautist, Flute teacher
http://www.fluteped.com

Sunday, August 15, 2010 6:41:00 PM

 
Blogger Ayelet HaShachar Birulin said...

Curious as to how things have panned out (so to speak) with the wave-line headjoints. Are they being used? What has been the feedback? Were they all you hoped they would be? Thanks,

Ayelet HaShachar Birulin

Monday, August 22, 2016 1:12:00 AM

 
Blogger jen said...

Hi Ayelet,
Sorry to say I never actually held one or played one.
Don't know about availability.
Jen

Monday, August 22, 2016 6:47:00 AM

 

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