In the summer I purchased an open-hole Miyazawa flute, which was sold with rubber plugs. I am gradually (very slowly) dispensing with the plugs, but when I bought the instrument, I also paid for a set of silver-plated plugs at the same time, which they did not have in stock, but were arriving "any day now". Three and a half months on, I am still plugless, and my enquiries have been met with the response that they are still waiting, and about a hundred sets are needed to meet current demand. Does anyone know of any problems with these? Or whether there is anywhere else I can get them from?

If they are Powell 'Plug-Os' I'm pretty sure they don't fit Miyazawas. Not sure if any other manufacturers make them.

Don't think anyone else does make silver plated plugs. As far as I'm aware they are either rubber, plastic or cork.

Thanks for the advice. Yet another phone call looms!

Yup, Plug-O's don't fit Miyazawas
Neither do Conn silver plated plugs...

Lucky i don't really use plugs, cause i have a Miyazawa too and we don't have much choice of plugs!

How about asking for the refund and just making do with the plastic plugs? If you are training yourself off them then you wont need them, and paying the high price for the metal plugs won't really be worth it.

Also, have you tried just taking off all the plugs at once and forcing your fingers to learn the new positions to cover the holes properly? I think this is probably the best method as otherwise you tend to lengthen the process of coming off plugs.

I did not believe this when I first read it!!! I actually bought an open-holed Miyazawa flute so that I could play it either way (and being small-handed, my teacher suggests that I may not manage to dispense with all the plugs in any case). I went to a reputable wind shop and was dealt with by someone introduced to me as their "flute expert", and there was never any mention that the silver-plated plugs that they ordered for me at the point of sale (Plug'os) would not fit!

I am speechless!



(And the flute was sold on this basis!!)

What puzzles me is why anyone would want to pay for silver plugs in the first place - your fingers cover the holes anyway, so it is not as though anyone could see the difference when you are performing, and surely the plugs are a temporary fix anyway?

Some of us are just too small to play with entirely open holes. I have enough trouble down the bottom end of my (not open hole, for this reason) flute, as I have to twist my hand around alot to reach various combinations of finger positions, and catch trill keys frequently.

If you want semi open hole (I could probably manage them under my left hand) then plugs are a perminant option, in which case I'd rather prefer to have silver ones for asthetic reasons.

Large or average sized handed people have no idea just how much of a handicap small hands can be in these situations.

Never make the assumption that because you can do something, then everyone else must be able to manage the same - this is just the thing I have broken away from when it comes to teaching. One size fits all? No it doesn't. Everyone's physique is different and some of us are very much to the left-hand side of the Gaussian distribution curve.

Bag has weeny paws. I'd never go back to playing a closed hole flute and for most of the time all is skippity-hop but in certain pieces that are twiddly down the bottom I still plug the holes. This REALLY upsets my chi but it is the only way. When I upgraded my flute there were quite a few open-holed makes where my dainty digits almost fell into the holes, hence the need for my trusty, ladylike teensy-holed Altus...

B x

I couldn't agree more. So I am very happy that my Powell silver-plated plugs have arrived and fit perfectly!

I don't think I'd ever be able to play an open hole flute. I have teeny tiny hands

We ought to start a club on the forums for tiny handed people.

Suggestions for names anyone?

Who wants to join? PM me and I'll start a list.

Membership limited to those with a maximum glove size of 6.5

I have tiny hands (i'm the size of your average 12/13 year old - but im 17 ) but somehow manage without plugs - it was so hard for the first few days and i used some plugs but then i just took them out and within about 2 weeks it was perfectly comfortable. I'd say the taking plugs out and forcing yourself to get used to it is a good option unless your hands really physically don't fit.
Infact i've recently been having trouble with my low C cause i'm not covering the lowest hole properly (the key next to the footjoint) - when i realise it, i can correct it but my hands are too small to just go there so i think i may permanently put a plug there.
I quite like the rubber plugs personally cause they're see-through so it doesn't look like you're using any

I will join, although I don't know my glove size. But my hands are pretty much in proportion to my height (four feet eleven and three-quarters) so perhaps that qualifies me!

Do you also have small feet? There seems to be a correlation there. My feet are only a size 3, which is great from the cost point of view because I can fit into childrens footwear (no VAT), but I've also looked at some really lovely ladies boots/shoes in the past only to find the smallest size they make is a 4

Charity shops seem to be a good place for finding small footwear that's often unworn.

I don't know, I'm 5ft 5" and my feet are size 4-5. But my hands tiny Don't know what the glove size is, I'm afraid.

Yes - I am also a size 3, and it's so difficult to buy footwear, since I also have wide feet - for which footwear starts at size 4.

About the plugs again....

When I was removing one of the rubber-type plugs that the shop supplied as a temporary measure, one of them proved really difficult to push out (which is what they told me to do) and when I eventually managed it, a metal washer (part of the keywork, I assume) also came away with it. The flute actually seems to play fine without it, but I suppose it must have been fitted for a reason.

Any ideas? What should I do now? Help!