Flute

From Music-Web Encyclopedia

The flute is a metal tube approximately 27 inches in length and is made in three pieces. It is commonly made in a variety of alloys with nickel-silver being the most common in student models. In more advanced models precious metals such as silver, gold and platinum are commonly used. The piccolo is half the size of the flute, being about 12.5 inches in length, and is only two pieces. It is made of either metal, ebonite or grenadilla wood. The piccolo is one octave higher than the flute. They are generally shaped as a cylindrical bore with the headjoint in a parabolic curve but the piccolo is often has a conical bore.

The standard flute is prominent in chamber and orchestral music. The piccolo is the smallest instrument in the orchestra. The alto and bass flute are only used in quiet passages because they can not be heard.

[edit] The Flute Family

Flutes come in many shapes and sizes from tiny high pitched piccolo to the largest Hyperbass flute. The Standard Concert Transverse Flute (pictured) is in C. The modern flute as we know it has been developed over thousands of years.

• Piccolo in C or D-flat
• Treble flute in G
• Soprano flute in Eb
• Concert flute (also called C flute, boehm flute, silver flute, or simply flute)
• Flûte d'amour (also called tenor flute) in B-flat or A
• Alto Flute in G
• Bass Flute in C
• Contra-alto flute in G
• Contrabass flute in C (also called octobass flute)
• Subcontrabass flute in G (also called double contra-alto flute) or C (also called double contrabass flute)
• Double contrabass flute in C (also called octobass flute or subcontrabass flute)
• Hyperbass flute in C (also spelled hyper-bass flute)

[edit] Sound Production

Sound is produced by the player directing the air stream across the hole of the mouthpiece. The player's breath is deflected against the sharp edge, setting the air in the column in motion.

The notes are produced by changing the length of the tube. This is accomplished through the use of keys. An open key permits air to escape the tube. A depressed key causes the air to continue through the tubing. This lengthens the air column.

[edit] Famous Players

• Philbert Rebillé (1667-1717)
• René Desconteaux (d.1728)
• Michel de la Barre (c.1675-1743)
• Jacques Hotteterre ‘le Romain’ (c.1680-1761)
• Johann Christoph (1655-1707)
• Johann Quantz(1697-1773)
• Michel Blavet (1700-1768)
• Frederick the Great of Prussia (1712-1786)
• Johann Wendling (1723-1797)
• Johann Tromlitz (1727-1805)
• Charles Nicholson (d.1837)
• Louis Fleury (1878-1926)
• Jean-Pierre Rampal (b.1922)
• Aurèle Nicolet (b.1926)
• James Galway (b.1939)

[edit] Famous Makers

The most significant development in the history of the flute was its complete redesign by Theobald Boehm in the mid-19th century, which led to the concert flute and piccolo of today. A jeweller and goldsmith, as well as a professional flautist himself, he introduced the use of a conical and, later, cylindrical flute with larger holes. This allowed for a much broader tone but also required a complex mechanism of levers and pads to enable the player to cover the holes. In more recent developments the Brogger meckanic has been introduced and is a common feature on Miyazawa I-SS AND II-SS models. The new mechanism utilises a pinless system.