What are the pros and cons of a winged headjoint?
Back to FAQ Index Winged Headjoint photo: John Rayworth (From Tod Brody) The winged headjoint has a radically higher far wall or edge than more traditional designs. On a more traditional headjoint, one would need to work harder with embouchure adjustment to direct the air vertically into the flute, as is required to produce a strong low register. The high wall helps direct the air into (as opposed to over the edge) of the embouchure hole. With the winged headjoint, less embouchure adjustment is required in general to go effectively from low to high on the flute. I don’t think it will make you play flat. Disadvantages (my take only, your mileage might well vary): This smaller effort to go from high to low means that you will develop less flexibility in your embouchure. There is a smaller palette of tonal color available. And although the low register is relatively easy to produce on the winged design, a skilled player with a more traditional head can produce more sound than he/she could
