Flute Repair Training

Wind Repair Training Academy’s Flute Courses

Embark on a transformative journey with our online Flute Repair Training courses at Wind Repair Training Academy. Learn the intricate art of flute maintenance and repair, honing your skills under the guidance of experienced master technicians.

Discover the importance of proper assembly, disassembly techniques, key adjustments, and more, as you elevate your craft to new heights. Unleash your potential and unlock exciting career opportunities in the world of music repair. Join us today and start building your music career with confidence and expertise.

Introduction

Our entry-level introduction course is designed to help you determine if you have the interest, handiness, patience and determination to succeed in flute repair as a possible career path.

Level 1

A three-month course that includes how to diagnose mechanical issues, clean, oil and adjust the flute, along with additional troubleshooting, basic repair and maintenance topics.

Level 2

A six-month course that will teach you everything you need to know to complete an economy overhaul, build speed, while improving work quality and your ability to price services.

In Person

An immersive, 3-day in-person class, will address what you most need to learn to improve following the completion of Level 1 and 2. It will also help your online learning ability to advance.

Level 3

You’ll work with a master technician one-on-one on auxiliary instruments, rounding out knowledge and skills. Advanced topics based on questions and current projects will be covered.

Level 4

You’ll continue work with an existing master technician on auxiliary instrument knowledge, advanced topics, challenges with existing client work on your way to repair mastery of advanced topics.

INTERESTED IN LEARNING TO REPAIR Flutes?

Register your interest below – we’ll reach out to guide you toward the course that’s right for you. 

Flute Repair Introduction Course:

Two weeks, but can take up to four weeks to complete.

1x Private 1:1 Lesson

Flute Repair Introduction Course

Repair tools and supplies for the entire course: $275

Repair Level 1:

3-Month Course with 4 Live Classes, 4 Private Lessons and 4 Work Alongs

Designed for private lesson teachers, musicians who want to learn more about the care and maintenance of their instruments, and for those exploring if becoming a master repair technician is a career option. All our classes include 3 components typically: Live class time, private lessons and  work-alongs so students can work alongside a tech online. Sign up times for all classes, private lessons, and your work along for Level 1 can be selected once you enroll, allowing you to find the best time for you to participate based on teacher’s availability. Level 1 is a 3-month course; however we allow you up to 6 months to complete it. It is expected that you will submit assignments via video and image assignments. It is extremely difficult to find dedicated master repair technicians willing to teach others everything they know and it is expected you will honor the opportunity with an appropriate level of effort to ensure you receive a lifetime of benefit for your investment.

Level 1 Topics:

  • Clean, Oil, Adjust Servicing 
  • Parts of the flute and related terminology
  • Tools needed and their use in flute maintenance
  • Care and maintenance of the flute
  • Disassembly & reassembly of body keywork
  • Cleaning & polishing body and keys
  • Oiling mechanism
  • Replacing head cork
  • Replacing key corks and working with related materials
    • Cork Thicknesses
  • Evaluation Methods
    • Visual inspectionTesting rods and screws for movement/addressing stuck screw and rods
    • Play-testing
    • Using a feeler gauge
    • Using a leak light
  • Replacing pads
    • Shimming Pads
    • Replacing Glued Pads
  • Specific keywork and adjustments
    • Low C# and C
    • Right hand keys
    • Adjustment screws
    • B and A
    • Thumb / 1-1 B-flat

Learning Outcomes:

Following successful completion of Level 1 Flute Repair, participants will be able to:

  • Clean, Oil, Adjust servicing of Closed-hole Flutes
  • Describe the basic construction and terminology of instruments in the flute family
  • Select and use appropriate tools and materials for repairing flutes
  • Diagnose and troubleshoot repair needs of flutes using evaluation practices
  • Disassemble and reassemble flute keywork
  • Replace & Level a glued and a shimmed pad with a light touch
  • Begin learning how shims work and how to level pads with them
  • Replace key corks & felts 
  • Apply best practices for cleaning the flute body and keys
  • Gain awareness of common problems in flutes, and troubleshoot repairs
  • Correct lost motion in keywork
  • Replace a spring
  • Remove stuck rods & screws
  • Know what tools and supplies are required for repair work
  • Introduction to instrument repair suppliers for best quality tools and supplies 

Flute Repair Level 1

$1650

Price includes repair starter tool kit and supplies for the entire course

Repair Level 2:

6-Month Course with 8 Live Classes, 4 Private Lessons and 4 Work Alongs

Pre-requisite: Level 1
Our Level 2 Repair course is designed for those who seek to refine their skills from level 1 to build speed and earn income from repair.
Level 2 is a six-month course, which you can take up to 9 months to complete.

Level 2 Topics:

  • Flute Overhaul
    • Checking alignment of keys & posts
    • Replacing all pads
    • Replacing all corks & felts
    • Basics of pinning
    • Removing & installing grommets
    • Minor dent repair demonstrations
    • Different mechanism styles
  • Piccolo COA
    • Care & maintenance of piccolos
    • Different styles of piccolo
    • Disassembly & reassembly of keywork
    • Piccolo pinning
    • Replacing headcork 
    • Replacing key corks & felts
    • Piccolo Adjustments
  • Pricing your work
    • Overhauls vs COA vs adjust & regulate
    • Building speed
    • Time alotment
    • Pricing your work
    • Business topics 
    • Working with customers 

Learning Outcomes:

Following successful completion of Level 2 Flute Repair, participants will be able to:

  • Perform an economy overhaul of a open-hole flute and a COA on a Piccolo
  • Differentiate between overhaul, COA, and minor repair
  • Continue to improve work with different materials in the top and lower joint
  • Build speed while delivering clean work
  • Price your work fairly, while considering materials and labor
  • Treating rust & preventative care
  • Unpin & re-pin pinned keys
  • Cut & install open-hole pads
  • Start fully understanding the concepts behind shimming and how separate style flutes & pads affect their use 
  • Grommet fitting
  • Intro to tenon repairs
  • Minor dent repairs
  • Know best business & communication practices for working with customers

Flute Repair Level 2

$2800

Price includes repair tools and supplies for the entire course

3 Day Intensive In-Person Training:

Pre-requisites: Completion of Level 1 or Preferably Level 2

Becoming a master technician requires developing your hand-eye coordination as quickly as possible both for the benefit of learning and to build speed. An immersive in person experience will take you 50-70% of the way the being able to learn online at a more rapid rate, while also building speed.

If you are serious about making rapid progress as a master technician in training, in-person training will help tremendously. While in-person training is not required to complete Level 2, completing our 3-Day Intensive in Person Training is a pre-requisite for continuing your skills in the Master Level 3 & 4 Repair Technician course. Before our 3-day immersive, we will set up a consultation to determine personalized learning objectives, which are based on your prior successes and challenges in the course. Our 3 Day In-Person Intensive is presently offered in a variety of different locations with different instructors and partners. To inquire about becoming a partner reach out to hello@windrepairtrainingacademy.com

3 Day In-Person FLUTE Repair Training

$1750

Plus the costs of travel, food and lodging

Repair Levels 3 and 4:

Each course is a four-month class:
16 weekly 45-minute one-on-one sessions

At this stage in your development as a master clarinet repair technician, you need to continue to increase your speed and begin to routinely be paid for completed work. Our goal in both Level 3 and Level 4, is to place you with an existing master repair technician, close to where you live, if possible, who can spot check your work while you continue to learn from us. In order to accomplish this you may need to pay a bench fee to be able to work inside their shop, which could be as much as an additional $100-500 USD per month. The entire problem with learning mastery level repair skills is that those technicians who are proficient are too busy doing paid work to spend the time necessary to help you perfect your craft. However, we have found if a busy master tech knows he or she is not responsible for all your development as a technician, but instead can just comment on your work or suggest where you need to improve, they are far more willing to participate and engage with you.

This is why we advocate for students paying for a bench in a shop to review/observe their work but not be responsible for teaching you. We have found many eventually will hire you under this arrangement or recommend you eventually. When combined with our one-on-one sessions and monthly group learning, you will continue to advance rapidly as a master technician.

After the completion of Level 3 and 4, as an independent repair technician you will be able to charge between $60-80+ per hour ( in the US), perhaps less outside of the US, for your work because of the advanced techniques you will learn. If you work for a shop as an employee, you are more likely to earn $30-35 per hour in the US, and it could be less outside of the US.

Flute Repair Level 3

$2200

Flute Repair Level 4

$2200