Flutes

Introduction

A flute is an aerophone that is played by blowing air across a sharp edge in the mouthpiece of the instrument. The flute family is a large family of instruments that includes widely-recognized instruments such as the orchestral flute and piccolo, panpipes, and recorders, as well as unusual instruments such as nose flutes and ocarinas. Although many particular kinds of flutes are not widely known, flutes in general are probably the most common non-percussion instrument found in music traditions around the world.

Flutes are usually (but not always) long, thin cylinders that are open at both ends. (Even if the flute appears to be closed at the mouthpiece end, air can usually escape at the blow hole, making the flute effectively an open-open cylindrical tube instrument.) If the player blows into one end of the cylinder, the flute is called end-blown ; if the blow hole is in the side of the instrument, it is side-blown , or transverse . Flutes that are not cylindrical (such as ocarinas) are usually classified as vessel flutes .

Flute mouthpieces

There are many different types of flutes played around the world. Some have keys, some just finger holes, some are a collection of tubes, and some are just whistles. The one thing that classifies an instrument as a flute is the mouthpiece , where the sound originates.

Flutes have a sharp edge mouthpiece . The sound is produced by blowing a thin, concentrated stream of air at a sharp edge. The stream of air, instead of splitting smoothly at the sharp edge, vibrates back and forth between one side of the edge and the other. This vibration is picked up, reinforced, and turned into a pretty sound by the rest of the instrument (please see Standing Waves and Wind Instruments for more on this).

The two major families of flutes are the blow hole aerophones , in which the mouth must direct the air stream toward one edge of a blow hole, and the whistle mouthpiece aerophones, in which the player blows into a whistle-type mouthpiece that directs the air toward a sharp edge.

The orchestral flute

The flute most commonly used in today's Western orchestras and bands is a side-blown, or transverse flute made of metal (or sometimes dark wood). It is a concert-pitch ( non-transposing ) instrument. Its basic design -particularly its system of keys and fingerings - was developed by Theobald Boehm (1793-1881) of Munich, in the 1830's. Boehm was a concert flautist (flute player), and also a goldsmith who had some understanding of acoustics (the physics of sound). He changed the placement of the fingerholes, enlarged them, and added complex keywork mounted on rods along the body of the instrument. Boehm's design was a distinct improvement on earlier instruments, and the flute is now the most agile of the orchestral woodwinds .

The orchestral flute has a cylindrical bore . Its timbre is dominated by the fundamental harmonic , giving it a very clear, uncomplicated sound.

The flute can usually be disassembled into three sections: the head joint (which includes the mouthpiece), the middle joint , and the foot joint . It has sixteen keys padded with felt to ensure an airtight seal when the key is held down by a finger. When at rest, the key is held open by a small steel spring.