Exploring the array of tones and subtle characteristics of the flute is a wonderful experience. The 925 silver headjoints and additional features on Chanson flutes mean you can confidently explore trickier fingering techniques, octaves and vibrato styles safe in the knowledge that a great tone will be delivered time after time. The headjoint is the most important part of the flute as it’s where the sound originates. Certain advanced playing techniques and tonal flavours can only be achieved through the addition of a precious metal to the headjoint of your flute. 925 silver - as suggested by the name - is a metal that has a 92.5% silver content. It is this precious silver metal content that helps naturally produce a superior sound quality, perfect for adding a new range of tonal characteristics to your playing. All Chanson flutes feature 925 silver headjoints with an array of options that give you the opportunity to discover fresh sounds and playing styles as you continue your progression to becoming an advanced and performance flautist.
This Chanson flute features a CS headjoint (Enhanced Design)On the CS headjoint, the shoulders of the lip plate have been raised to facilitate a very free-blowing instrument. This makes it a little easier for you to explore the instrument’s lower registers and also offers enhanced dynamic possibilities. This flutes has holes through the centre of the A, G, F, E & D keys. Serving two general functions - they encourage correct hand positioning while also allowing you to perform advanced techniques such as note slides and quarter-tones. The embouchure hole is a very important component of any flute as it’s where air is initially blown into the tubing. This is entry point for the instrument’s energy source. If the embouchure hole is imperfect or uneven, the air cannot flow into the instrument smoothly which ultimately results in an imperfect and uneven tone. A perfectly cut embouchure hole requires an expert eye and human hands to ‘over-cut and under-cut’ the exact angles, smooth any rough edges and fill-in any irregular shapes. The good news is that all Trevor James Chanson flutes feature hand over-cut and undercut embouchure holes. This extra attention to detail ensures that from the first time you blow into your new TJ Flute, you can be confident that every subtle nuance will be within your full control.
The crown is another piece of a flute’s anatomy that plays a crucial role in the quality of the sound produced. It acts as a plug that seals the top end of the flute and directs air down the flute past the keys. A heavier weighted crown offers greater air resistance and therefore centres and focuses the airflow down the length of the flute more uniformly and efficiently - which results in a more resonant and responsive instrument. This is particularly important as your repertoire requires you to retain optimum tone when playing ever more tricky pieces. All Trevor Chanson flutes feature a heavy-weighted engraved crown as standard, plus the addition of a Yellow Pear wood crown for a wider array of sound possibilities.
Chanson flutes feature French-style pointed key arms. The key-arms are the parts of a flute which connect the keys to the body of the flute. Traditionally reserved for much more expensive flutes, French-style pointed key arms feature an arm that extends to the centre of the key and helps to strengthen the mechanism, making for a stronger and tighter key placement, which means no leaks and squeaks. These key arms also result in excellent note intonation; reward speedy playing; and aid the development of faster techniques - so you’ll be well-placed to take on those more challenging pieces.
You can be safe in the knowledge that Chanson flutes have a triple plated finish on their tubing. To ensure that the sliver-plating on your TJ flute will last a lifetime, Trevor James developed their own method of coating flutes. After much research they discovered that by copper-plating the nickel tubing first, the subsequent two layers of silver-plate are rock solid, giving you the most durable finish of any step-up flute. And don’t forget, each Trevor James Chanson Flute is crafted to exacting standards with the best components from around the world, with a final hand set-up in our UK technical workshops based in Kent, south-east England.
