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Encyclopedia > Bass flute
A bass flute
A bass flute

The bass flute is the bass member of the flute family. It is in the key of C, pitched one octave below the concert flute. 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 is usually only used in flute choirs, as it is easily drowned out by other instruments of comparable register, such as the clarinet. It is rarely found in scores today. Image File history File links Bass_Flute. ... Image File history File links Bass_Flute. ... â™  This article is about the family of musical instruments. ... The Western concert flute is a tranverse (or side-blown) flute, a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... The embouchure is the use of facial muscles and the shaping of the lips to the mouthpiece of a wind instrument. ... Two soprano clarinets: a Bâ™­ clarinet (left, with capped mouthpiece) and an A clarinet (right, with no mouthpiece). ...

Contents

Alternate terminology

Prior to the mid-20th century, the term "bass flute" was sometimes used, especially in Great Britain, to refer to the alto flute instead (e.g., the part for "bass flute in G" in Gustav Holst's The Planets). The alto flute is a type of Western concert flute, a musical instrument in the woodwind family. ... Gustav Holst Gustav Holst (September 21, 1874, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire - May 25, 1934, London) [1] [2] was an English composer and was a music teacher for over 20 years. ... This page is about the orchestral suite by Gustav Holst. ...


Tone

The bass flute has a lush, velvety, round tone that can become slightly harder than that of a regular flute in the upper octaves. Although the bass flute is generally regarded as a fairly quiet instrument, a few skilled professional flautists are able to produce a tone of considerable volume on the instrument.


Range and construction

The instrument's range is between C3 (the viola's lowest note) to F#6 (three ledger lines above the treble clef). This is the range at which the bass flute actually sounds. Bass flute music is usually written an octave higher so as written it has the same range as the concert flute, C4 to F#7. As with the concert flute, notes above C6 / C7 are considered beyond the normal range. They are not often used, may be difficult to sound with inferior tone or intonation, and require alternate fingerings. The Western concert flute is a tranverse (or side-blown) flute, a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... The Western concert flute is a tranverse (or side-blown) flute, a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ...


Bass flutes are often made with silver plated bodies and head joints. Some companies, such as Emerson Flutes, allow for options such as trill keys, solid silver head joint, and also a low B foot that is normally only available on concert flutes. The C foot is usually used on bass flutes because it tends to be more lively and resonant, helping the bass flute project better and respond faster. The B foot allows the bass flute to be more versatile in the music world, allowing it to do more of the techniques that the Concert flute can do. The B foot also makes the flute more resistant, slightly dampening its tone and response.


Repertoire

Many composers are beginning to write more for the bass flute, not only for ensemble work, but also for solo works, as well as with duets and other ensembles. Tristan Murail's Ethers, for instance, is scored for solo bass flute and small ensemble. Tan Dun's Paper Concerto for Paper Instruments and Orchestra has a major bass flute part. . Tristan Murail (born March 11, 1947 in Le Havre, France) is a French composer associated with the spectral technique of composition (along with Jonathan Harvey and the late Gérard Grisey), which involves the use of the fundamental properties of sound as a basis for harmony, as well as the... Tan Dunn (pinyin: Tán Dùn, 譚盾; born August 18, 1957) is a Chinese composer, most widely known as the Grammy and Oscar award winning composer for the soundtracks of the movies Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero. ...


  Results from FactBites:
 
Big Flutes (745 words)
Bass flutes are available from a number of makers, including Eva Kingma, Gemeinhardt and Emerson.
The modern bass flute in C (not to be confused with the Renaissance or Baroque-era "bass flute" pitched in G - the counterpart of the modern alto flute) is usually made with a "J"-shaped head joint, which brings the embouchure hole within reach.
The bass flute should be renamed "tenor", with the sub-bass in F considered a "baritone" flute.
Alto and bass flutes (417 words)
The modern bass flute in C came into being in the 1920's as an extension of the flute family.
The nature of both alto and bass flutes, with the larger bore and less penetrating sound, dictates that the music cannot be as technically demanding as that written for the C flute.
The possibilities of the alto and bass flutes are that they extend the flute range in the lower sounds, and are especially interesting for flute ensembles and flute choirs.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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