I get a lot of questions about the C# trill key and what its uses are. I have heard varying opinions from teachers and players. Some say it’s not worth the extra weight it adds to the flute and it isn’t that helpful. Others say that if they could only have one option on their flute at all, it would be the C# trill. I fall into the latter of these two groups.
Yes, it does add some weight to the instrument and it can take some getting used to so that you aren’t hitting the C# trill when you mean to hit the Bb lever. But it’s well worth the effort and the extra money you have to spend on a flute to get it. It’s often not available on some of the lower end models from a manufacturer, but it’s becoming more common on many intermediate flutes. For example, Yamaha is making it standard on their 500 and 600 series flutes.
One resource regarding the C# trill that I have found incredibly valuable is from Larry Krantz’s website. This article explains the many uses for the C# trill. Many people think it’s only good for B to C#, but there are so many others that it’s helpful for; high F# to G#, high G to A, and high Ab to Bb are among the trills that I use the C# trill key for all the time. In addition to trills, it can also improve clarity and color on a couple of other notes as well.
Hopefully this is some helpful information for you. As I wrote in our most recent newsletter, I’d like to write about features, products, playing tips, flute maintenance, and other tidbits. The blog has fallen by the wayside a little bit, but I’d like to make it a good resource for flutists out there. Let me know what you’d like to read about!