The cork attached to the crown is intended to be set at a particular place, which varies by manufacturer and pitch of the flute. If it's not in place, the flute's will be offset and out of tune with itself throughout its range. Your flute's cleaning rod has a handy measuring line on it to let you know that the cork is in place. Insert the marked end of the cleaning rod into the end of the flute opposite the crown, and push it all the way through the flute until it gently touches the cork at the other end. You should be able to see a mark on the cleaning rod through the embouchure hole. The placement of the tick-mark on the cleaning rod when you insert in into the flute tells you whether the cork's location is responsible for your flute's scale being inconsistent and out of tune.  If the tick-mark on the cleaning rod is in the exact center of the embouchure hole, then your cork placement is not the problem and you do not need to adjust your crown. Skip on to the next step below titled "Tuning Your Flute: Adjust its Headjoint." If your tick mark is too far to the left (that is, in the direction of the crown), the tubing is too long; If the tick mark is too far to the right, the cork is screwed in too far, making the tubing too short. If your cork is not centered, your flute needs to be tuned by adjusting the cork into the correct position. Be aware that this is a difficult and delicate procedure and if it is not done correctly, it can damage your flute. Ask your music teacher or instrument repair shop to adjust it for you if you are not absolutely sure you can do it correctly.  Always measure the placement of the cork before adjusting, to be sure that you know whether you need to lengthen the flute tube or shorten it.  To shorten a flute tube and fix a flute that is playing flat, turn the crown counterclockwise a small amount. Very gently push the crown toward the tube, which moves the cork away from the crown and shortens the flute tube. Only push until the crown sits against the headjoint, and do not continue pushing if you meet any resistance.  To lengthen a flute tube and fix a flute that is playing sharp, turn the crown clockwise a small amount. Turning the crown clockwise moves the cork, so do not pull on the crown. Check the position with your cleaning rod to assure that it is now in the correct place. Once you have made the proper adjustments to your cork, don't mess with it. It should stay in place until it is serviced by an instrument repair person.  The cork will always be in the correct position when you purchase a new instrument, so there is not need ever to modify it yourself. Twisting the crown tightens and loosens the cork unnecessarily and can damage your flute, not to mention altering its tune. The flute's headjoint is not cylindrical—it is a parabolic cone—so pulling the headcork assembly the incorrect direction can irreparably damage the shape of the bore.

Summary: Measure where the cork is currently. Understand what the measurement means. Adjust a cork that is not centered. Leave the cork in place.


No matter how boring a book may seem in the moment, there's always something that makes it worth reading. Remember that any published piece of writing was deemed to be important, interesting, and well-written by someone who professionally edits books, so if you haven't found that payoff yet it's still ahead somewhere.  The payoff is coming at some point. It may not arrive until the end or near the end, but there is almost always a payoff at some point. Whether it's the thrill you experience when the action finally delivers a plot twist, the new knowledge you'll take away from the book, or the realization that the book was actually about something much deeper than you'd realized all along, there's definitely something to be gained by finishing the book. If you don't finish the book, you may never know why so many people consider it a classic. Not finishing a book is essentially a waste of money. This may not be a problem if you borrowed the book from a friend or through your local library, but if you purchased that book you're missing out on a return for your investment.  If you bought the book, you may have invested $10 to $20 in that book (possibly more if it's a hard-cover copy). If you only read the first few chapters of the book, you effectively wasted most of the money you spent on it. Try to think about the book as any other form of entertainment. You wouldn't buy tickets to a play or a sports game and leave after 10 minutes, so why do the equivalent with a book? Even if it's not a waste of money, and you are reading if for school, think of the consequences it will have on your grade if you don't read it. Working through a boring book has its rewards, and those rewards extend beyond the satisfaction of finishing the text. Think of it as training for adulthood and an exercise in maturity or self-discipline.  Think of getting through a boring book as training for life. There will be times in life when you have to do something unenjoyable. If you decided that you didn't feel like finishing your work assignments at your place of employment, you'd be fired pretty quickly. If you don't do the assignments you're given in school, your grades will suffer. If you're really struggling to finish a book, try giving yourself some kind of tangible incentive. Reward yourself with something you like at the end, or withhold something you like from yourself until you finish the book.  Having an enjoyable reward in sight might be the "carrot on the stick" you need to keep working until you reach the end. You might decide that when you finish the book you will treat yourself to a nice dinner, an ice cream treat, or a fancy bottle of wine (if you're old enough to drink). You may also want to try withholding certain unnecessary treats/perks from yourself until you finish. For example, you may decide not to have any dessert foods until you finish the book.
Summary: Know that there's always a payoff. Think about how much money you'd waste by not finishing. Try to learn dedication as a life skill. Give yourself a reward when you finish.