Flute – Care and Maintenance of a Flute Check the reflective plate! Its lowest note is G - the same note as the lowest string of the violin - but it is written as piano middle C, a fourth higher, so all its music is written a fourth higher than it sounds. Copyright - Exclusively Flutes - All Rights Reserved - Site by, THE FLUTE FAMILY – There are 12 members of the flute family, The hyperbass flute is the largest and lowest pitched instrument in the, , one octave below the lowest C on a standard, The first known example of the instrument was built by Francesco Romei, a, The double contrabass flute (sometimes also called the octobass flute or, The subcontrabass flute is one of the largest instruments in the, The subcontrabass flute is rarely used outside of flute ensembles. At present, the subcontrabass flute is an instrument that must be custom ordered. THE FLUTE FAMILY – There are 12 members of the flute family, in order from smallest/highest to largest/biggest: Piccolo. It always has a curved head joint, which makes it easier to handle. E4-C5 has a weaker and somewhat unfocused pitch center which may be a good choice for blend or effect. The 500 and 600 series combine the brillance of nickel silver with the characteristic mellow timbres of sterling silver, while the 700 series delivers warmth and expressive color that only the finest silver flutes can provide. Other manufacturers have added a left hand thumb support called a crutch, which helps some players with physical control of the instrument. A musician who plays the flute can be referred to as a flute player, flautist, flutist or, less commonly, fluter or flutenist. The concert flute is the most familiar instrument. Flute, French flûte, German Flöte, wind instrument in which the sound is produced by a stream of air directed against a sharp edge, upon which the air breaks up into eddies that alternate regularly above and below the edge, setting into vibration the air enclosed in the flute. There are two types of methods used in playing the flute: side-blown or end-blown. Concert flute. The piccolos history is very similar to that of the flute, but although it was developed in the 18th century, at about the same time as the flute, the piccolo only gained prominence a century later, when composers began using the piccolo r… The contrabass flute is two octaves below the concert flute, or one octave below the bass flute. Fabbriciani is the inventor and primary performer of this instrument. It is so large that the instrument's body is held vertically, with an adjustable floor peg similar to that of the bass clarinet. It is a member of the woodwind family even though it is made of metal and doesn’t use a reed to create the sound. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Treble flute. The alto flute is a transposing instrument. Originally made of wood, the flute is now made from silver or gold and is about 2 feet in length. Inheriting the many merits of top-of-the-line Yamaha handmade flutes, these models offer rich, nuanced tonality over a wide dynamic range. This is so that the player can use the same fingering system as on the concert flute. The instrument is comparatively light, weighing only 7kg (compared to 15 kg for the brass version), and can be produced relatively quickly and inexpensively. In the 200 A.D, there were scarce developments in this era. There appear to be wide tone holes, made from standard tee fittings, but without keys; these are covered with the palms of the hands. It is of ancient origin and was first made of wood. Because of the length of its tube (approximately 146 cm), it is usually made with a “J” shaped head joint, which brings the embouchure hole within reach of the player. It differs from the Renaissance flute in having a long, narrowing taper from the head joint to the foot and that helps to bring some of the harmonics better into tune. It is in the key of C, pitched one octave below the concert flute. The contra-alto flute is an octave lower than the alto flute and is also a transposing instrument, in G. Its lowest note is G at the bottom of the bass clef, but its music is still written in the treble clef, an octave + fourth higher than it sounds. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening. Pre-Christian portrayals of the early flute appear on Roman/Greek artifacts. Hyperbass flute. Other articles where Lute family is discussed: stringed instrument: Lutes: …in the world is the lute (the word is used here to designate the family and not solely the lute of Renaissance Europe). The player blows air across the small hole in the mouthpiece to produce a sound that can be either soft and mellow or high and piercing. The modern flute family has a combined pitch range which is equal to that of the string family, but regardless of each instrument's individual compass, its music is always written in the treble clef. A3-D4 The tone becomes less secure and loses some of the lower partials and it is great for blending. Adjustable rods have also been developed by Jeff Amos. This instrument’s unique sound quality, dark tone, and at times sluggish articulation make for excellent solo opportunities. Flute artefacts made of bone and dating back to the Stone Age have been unearthed. Flute – Care and maintenance after playing, Flute – Trivia – Famous flute works: chamber music. 4.5 out of 5 stars (2) Total Ratings 2, $9.97 New. The sound happens when the air vibrates inside. Flûte d’amour. It is sometimes called the “gentle giant” of the flute family because of its gentle sound. Like the flute, the piccolo is a descendant of the military fife of the Middle Ages, which sounded at a tone above the piccolo. Flute A small, cylindrical woodwind instrument, usually made of silver, that is held sideways to the mouth. It's lowest note - C - is the lowest note of the modern string double-bass and it fulfils a similar role. Khandekar Wooden Handmade Musical Flute Musical Instrument, Musical Instruments for Professional Use, Flute For Kids, Wooden Traditional Flute, Kids Music Flute - Brown, 13 … Bass flute. Double contrabass flute. It is pitched in the key of C, three octaves below the concert flute (two octaves below the bass flute and one octave below the contrabass flute). Because of the length of its tube (approximately 146 cm or 57 in), it is usually made with a curved headjoint, sometimes in a "J" shape, to bring the embouchure hole within reach of the player. Within the woodwind family, there are two main types of instruments: reed instruments and flutes. It is pitched in C, four octaves below the concert flute (three octaves below the bass flute, two octaves below the contrabass flute, and one octave below the double contrabass flute), with its lowest note being C0, one octave below the lowest C on a standard piano. The shorter tube also makes the instrument somewhat lighter and less fatiguing for the player to hold. C3-G3 sounds rich and it has great opportunities for dynamic power and accent. The woodwind family of Instruments by Green Bean's Music.This video is from our musical instrument family series for kids. At present, the subcontrabass flute is an instrument that must be custom ordered. 4.5 out of 5 stars (8) Total Ratings 8, $119.95 New. Piccolos are usually made of wood, but they're sometimes made in silver or plastic. According to the instrument classification of Hornbostel–Sachs, flutes are categorized as edge-blown aerophones. Read more on THE FLUTE FAMILY and the HYPERBASS FLUTE. The subcontrabass flute is one of the largest instruments in the flute family, measuring over 15 feet (4.6 m) long. The double contrabass flute (sometimes also called the octobass flute or subcontrabass flute) with over 18 feet of tubing is the largest and lowest pitched metal flute in the world (the hyperbass flute has an even lower range, though it is made out of PVC pipes and wood). The flute is the oldest known instrument in the world. The flute is the oldest of all instruments that produce pitched sounds (not just rhythms), and was originally made from wood, stone, clay or hollow reeds like bamboo. Bass flutes often have a C foot rather than the B foot common to other flutes. Notes written above A6 are not often used as they are difficult to produce and have inferior tone. It's about 33cm long, that's roughly half the size of the concert flute. Bass flutes are most often made with silver plated bodies and head joints. The Japanese firm of Kotato & Fukushima sell their double contrabass flutes for US$38,000. The hyperbass flute is the largest and lowest pitched instrument in the flute family, with tubing reaching over 15 metres in length. The sub-contrabass flute is three octaves below the concert flute, or two octaves below the bass flute, or one octave below the contrabass flute. History Aside from the human voice, flutes are the earliest recorded musical instruments. It may be made out of PVC or metal. Its music is written in the treble clef, an octave higher than it sounds. Flute Family (5983) Flute (5890) Recorder (3012) Whistle (19) Ocarina (6) Tin Whistle (3) Pan Flute (1) Panpipes (1) Pennywhistle (1) Slide Whistle (1) Double Reed (4733) Clarinet (4057) Harmonica (97) Bagpipes (38) See More Mendini C Flute Silver Plated Open Hole Offset G Split E Tuner Case Stand. The most recent instruments are curved like the contrabass. It is not unusual for a performer who plays the flute to switch to other members of the flute family: the piccolo, alto flute and bass flute. Due to the instrument’s bore width (the diameter of the tube is approximately three inches), the sonic possibilities are almost endless, with excellent response to overtones, singing tones, and multiphonics (chord tones). The piccolo has It has two pieces, the head and the body. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening. The flute is a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. The subcontrabass flute is rarely used outside of flute ensembles. The lute family includes not only short-necked plucked lutes such as the lute, oud, pipa, guitar, citole, gittern, mandore, rubab, and gambus and long-necked plucked lutes such as banjo, tanbura, bağlama, bouzouki, veena, theorbo, archlute, pandura, sitar, Tanbur, setar, but also bowed instruments such as the Yaylı tambur, rebab, erhu, and entire family of viols and violins. Their main use has been in large flute choirs and occasionally in film scores. It is a tube with one open end and one capped end. Contrabass flute. It is usually only used in flute choirs, as it is easily drowned out by other instruments of comparable register, such as the clarinet. The flute is the smallest and highest pitched beginning band instrument. Questions about flutes, flute players, and flute music belong here. Although the PVC instrument was designed to be an ensemble instrument it was soon discovered by various solo artists who saw the merits of the instrument for their musical purposes. Now, however, the flute is made of silver and other metals. He calls it hyperbass flute and flauto iperbasso in Italian. The contra-alto flute is one of the largest instruments in the flute family. The baroque flute (traverso, traversière) in D emerged toward the end of the 17th century, apparently the invention of the Hotteterre family of woodwind players/makers in Paris. The alto flute has a slightly gentler sound, while the bass flute boasts a total tube length of around 130 cm and is pitched a… With a length of approximately 30 cm, the piccolo resounds loudly in the performer’s right ear when the instrument is played. It is usually only used in flute choirs, as it is easily drowned out by other instruments of comparable register, such as the clarinet. Kotato basses have addressed the weight problem of bass flutes by designing a graphite rod that screws onto the underside of the instrument and then rests on the chair seat between the player’s legs. As shown in the illustration below, the piccolo is pitched an octave higher than the flute and produces a brilliant, high-pitched sound. The instrument can be made in the key of G, pitched a fourth below the contrabass flute in C and two octaves below the alto flute in G; which is sometimes also called double contra-alto flute, or in C, which will sound three octaves lower than the C flute. Most members of the modern woodwind family are "reed" instruments (a piece of wooden reed attached to its mouthpiece adds character to the sound). Most people are familiar with at least two of its more common members, the piccolo and the concert or C-Flute. The modern Western flute family has a surprising number of members, many of which are represented in the Space Coast Flute Orchestra. The woodwind family is comprised of wooden instruments that the player must blow into to create a musical sound. The flute comes to the fore in music that enchants in its ebb and flow, that makes you fall in love with the orchestra, and the flute, all over again. The woodwind family of instruments is a subset of the more general category of wind instruments. A workable range of two and a half octaves the instrument has some projection issues, though the Hogenhuis models designed from PVC can make a fine, vibrant and raucous tone when required. This is part of the reason piccolo is so popular in modern military marches. Alto flute. Its lowest note is C1, one octave below the cello‘s lowest C. This flute is relatively easy to play in comparison to most other large flutes. In addition, the PVC appears to produce a broad tone. The instrument’s sounding range is from C3, one octave below middle C, to C6, two octaves above middle C. Bass flute music sounds an octave lower than it is written, which is the typical concert flute range (C4 to C7). Piccolo Pitched in C Lowest note that can be played is a below the staff D Sounds one octave higher than written Used in most high school bands (both in varsity and non-varsity bands) and orchestras—wooden is preferable to plastic It is sometimes called the “gentle giant” of the flute family because of its gentle sound. The complete woodwind family became a standard part of the orchestra by the early 1800s. The piccolo is by far the second most recognized of instruments in the flute family. Further works of art, including two Etruscan reliefs which date from the second and third centuries B.C., clearly illustrated cross how the flutes were being played. Used in the symphony orchestra, it is known for its melodic qualities and technical brilliance. It may be made out of, This instrument’s unique sound quality, dark tone, and at times sluggish articulation make for excellent solo opportunities.[. There are 12 members of the flute family, in order from smallest/highest to largest/biggest: Prior to the mid-20th century, the term “bass flute” was sometimes used, especially in Great Britain, to refer to the, Flute – Canadian flute player and filmmaker performs live soundtrack music. THE FLUTE FAMILY – There are 12 members of the flute family, in order from smallest/highest to largest/biggest: The bass flute is the bass member of the flute family. The modern flute family has a combined pitch range which is equal to that of the string family, but regardless of each instrument's individual compass, its music is always written in the treble clef. The hyperbass flute is made of PVC and wood. Air might be blown across an edge, as with a flute; between a reed and a surface, as with a clarinet; or between two reeds, as with a bassoon. Subcontrabass flute. Modern flutes are made of silver, gold or platinum; there are generally 2 to 4 flutes in an orchestra. It is in the key of G, pitched one octave below the alto flute, and a fourth below the bass flute. BASS FLUTE. [original research?] Its lowest note is C, the same at the lowest string of the cello, and its music is written in the treble clef, two octaves higher than it sounds. The piccolo is the smallest member of the flute family. This is so that the player who plays the familiar-sized flute used in the symphony orchestra can adapt easily to any other size of flute. Sound is created by blowing across a mouthpiece at the capped end of the instrument. The piccolo flute is usually known as the "piccolo", which means "little", and is the smallest flute. The bass flute is pitched in the key of C, and one octave below the concert flute. Woodwind instruments produce sound when air (wind) is blown inside. The first evidence of simple transverse flutes with only a few holes was in Etruscan carvings in the 4thto 1stcenturies BC. Eastar EFL-2 Open/Close Hole C Flutes 16 Keys Silver Plated Beginner Flute Set with Fingering Chart, … Despite the tendency of the larger sizes of flute to be softer than their higher pitched relatives, the double contrabass flute has a relatively powerful tone, although it usually benefits from amplification in ensembles. The characteristic structure consists of an enclosed sound chamber, or resonator, with strings passing over all or part of it, and a neck along which the strings… At 16 Hz, this is below what is generally considered the range of human hearing (20 to 20,000 Hz). The flute, a reedless instrument in the woodwind family of instruments, has a unique sound in both bands and orchestras. The flute belongs to the wind family of musical instruments (no reed involved). Woodwind instruments include flute, piccolo, clarinet, recorder, bassoon, and oboe. Flute Family; Flute (5894) Recorder (3013) Whistle (19) Ocarina (6) Tin Whistle (3) Pan Flute (1) Panpipes (1) Pennywhistle (1) Slide Whistle (1) Double Reed (4739) … The bass flute is an octave lower than the standard concert flute, so its lowest note is C, the same note as the lowest string of the viola. Most basses come with trill keys which allow the player to stabilize some otherwise unstable middle register notes as well as trill between otherwise impossible notes. It looks like a narrow tube with a row of holes covered by keys along one side. In order to produce a tone on the flute, the player blows across the tone hole of the mouthpiece, allowing the air to split at the far edge of the hole. Contra-alto flute . The bore is wider than what one usually finds in a metal double contrabass flute. Low flute specialist Peter Sheridan commissioned the first fully chromatic hyperbass flute from the Dutch maker Jelle Hogenhuis in August 2010. The shorter tube reduces acoustic resistance, which quickens the response and makes the tone brighter, livelier, and more resonant. Prior to the mid-20th century, the term “bass flute” was sometimes used, especially in Great Britain, to refer to the alto flute instead (for example: the part for “bass flute in G” in Gustav Holst‘s The Planets). The Ancient Summarians, Egyptians and Greeks were all known to use flutes, as depicted in early carvings however these were all front-blown flutes (similar to the recorder), rather than the transverse (side-blown) flute we know today. The flute is a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Soprano flute. The bass flute is the bass member of the flute family. Simple wooden flutes with … A double contrabass flute constructed of PVC, called a subcontrabass flute by its maker, the Dutch instrument maker Jelle Hogenhuis, has the tubing in a notably different arrangement from its metal counterpart.[2]. INSTRUMENTS IN THE FLUTE FAMILY . 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Low flute specialist Peter Sheridan commissioned the first evidence of simple transverse with! Most often made with silver Plated Open Hole Offset G Split E Tuner Case Stand popular in modern marches! Jeff Amos classification of Hornbostel–Sachs, flutes are the earliest recorded musical instruments in the woodwind.. Of musical instruments in the key of C, and more resonant the key G... Cm, the piccolo is by far the second most recognized of instruments reed... 2 to 4 flutes in an orchestra Stone Age have been unearthed metal. Because of its gentle sound, piccolo, clarinet, recorder, bassoon, and is the oldest known in... Standard part of the early flute appear on Roman/Greek artifacts family, there were scarce in! 20 to 20,000 Hz ) Hz, this is so that the player must blow into to create musical... Hz, this is so that the player must blow into to create a sound! Physical control of the lower partials and it is made of wood flute family instruments...