The previous statement on open and closed holes was qualified by
the word nearly because of the issue of C footjoints and B
footjoints. The former facilitates playing down to middle C, and
the latter gives an extra semitone enabling a B to be produced.
Again, this division is seen as largely dependant on the
standard of the player - a flautist moving up from a closed-hole
student instrument with a C footjoint, will usually move up to
an open-holed instrument with a B footjoint. | Again, simply put
- a flute with both open holes and a B footjoint has the
capability of playing everything that has ever been written for
the instrument, whereas even a flute with open holes but with a
C footjoint, does not. Furthermore, a B footjoint helps promote
better playing - Middle C appears regularly in the flute
repertoire, and is often a problem note for aspiring young
flautists to produce comfortably. In the same way that if one is
used to running 10Km races and then runs half the distance, the
5Km race will seem much eas