• Do plenty of research on the different brands available
• Be careful of flutes which look too cheap…
• But don’t buy something that’s not designed for a beginner
• Stick to ‘traditional’ specifications
• Get the right size

There’s a whole raft of options available on flutes. Open holes, C# trill keys, E mechanism, B footjoint, D# roller, silver this or that.

In our opinion, a beginner should start on a silver-plated flute with closed holes, E mechanism (sometimes called a Split E) and C footjoint. If you want to know what these terms mean, read our Jargon Buster, but basically a flute with these specifications will be (a) easier to play and (b) easier to re-sell at a higher value when the time arises.