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The flute is a woodwind instrument that
dates from ancient times. Sound is produced from a flute by
blowing onto a sharp edge, causing air enclosed in a tube
to vibrate. Many types of primitive flutes are known throughout
the world. In tropical regions and in the Orient, they are
commonly made from bamboo tubes. End-blown flutes may be simple
tubes with a sharp edge or notch, or they may have an inserted
block, as in RECORDERS and whistles. The widespread side-blown
or transverse flute is now common in the West. The term flute
also refers to certain ORGAN pipes.
Evidence of the side-blown flute in Europe is sporadic until
the later Middle Ages, when it was cultivated chiefly by the
minnesingers in Germany. Shrill, narrow-bored flutes (FIFES)
became common as military instruments, and one-handed, narrow-bored
pipes played together with small drums accompanied dancing
in southern France and are still used in northern Spain. By
1500 both recorders and keyless, six-holed, cylindrical transverse
flutes were familiar instruments--the tenor transverse flute,
pitched in D, was the ancestor of the modern instrument. About
1670 the transverse flute, like the other basic woodwinds,
underwent a transformation. The instrument emerged in three
sections--the cylindrical head joint, the middle joint, and
the foot joint with inverse conical bore--and had six finger
holes plus one closed key for D sharp in the foot section.
It was usually constructed of boxwood, the joints and ends
strengthened by decorative ivory rings. The instrument's lovely,
mellow tone was capable of sensitive nuances and inspired
a large solo literature, including more than 500 compositions
by Johann Quantz and the concertos and chamber music of Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart. Nevertheless, chromatic notes (sharped and
flatted tones) were difficult to play in tune in tonalities
other than D Major and those closely related. With the addition
of more keys late in the century, however, the flute of the
baroque and classical eras reached its peak.
Theobald Bohm experimented with the flute from 1832 to 1847,
desiring to give it a bigger tone. He finally produced a parabolic
(bowl-shaped) head joint attached to a cylindrical body with
open-standing keys and finger pads to cover large finger holes.
Since then, other minor improvements have been made. The modern
flute has a range from middle B(b) upward for about three
octaves. The basic instrument (without B(b) key) is approximately
66 cm (26 in) long. In Europe flutes are often constructed
of wood; silver is commonly used in the United States.
Other orchestral flutes are the PICCOLO, a brilliant instrument
pitched an octave higher than the standard flute, and the
alto flute, pitched a fourth lower than the standard instrument.
The rare bass flute, pitched an octave below the standard
instrument, is not a regular member of the orchestra.
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