NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Flute (Western concert)

The term flute most commonly applies to the popular transverse side-blown musical instrument made of metal. The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. The flute is recognisable by its clean, pure sound. The most common variant is a Western concert flute or C flute (most flutes are tuned to the key of C). A musician who plays the flute is generally called a flautist, flutist, or flute player. Thousands of works have been composed for flute. Other types of flute exist. Uncommon varieties are the alto and bass flute. Contra-alto flutes and Contrabass flutes are rarer; the latter is only available from certain flute makers. The other varieties of flute are excessively rare, with only four double contrabass flutes and only one hyperbass flute in the world. Flutes are used in many ensembles including concert bands, orchestras, flute ensembles, occasionally jazz bands and big bands. Image File history File links Flute_1911. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... A woodwind instrument is a musical instrument in which sound is produced by blowing through a mouthpiece against an edge or by a vibrating reed, and in which the pitch is varied by opening or closing holes in the body of the instrument. ... A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator (usually a tube), in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into (or over) a mouthpiece set at the end of the resonator. ... An aerophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membranes, and without the vibration of the instrument itself adding considerably to the sound. ... The playing range of a musical instrument is the region of pitch in which it can play, i. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... The piccolo is a small flute. ... The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... The alto flute is a type of Western concert flute, a musical instrument in the woodwind family. ... A bass flute The bass flute is the bass member of the flute family. ... The contra-alto flute (also called subcontrabass flute in G or subcontrabass flute) is one of the largest instruments in the flute family. ... The contrabass flute is one of the rarer members of the flute family. ... The double contrabass flute (sometimes also called octobass flute or subcontrabass flute) is the largest and lowest pitched flute in the world. ... The hyperbass flute (sometimes spelled hyper-bass flute) is the largest and lowest instrument in the flute family. ... The term flute most commonly applies to the popular transverse side-blown musical instrument made of metal. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... A woodwind instrument is a musical instrument in which sound is produced by blowing through a mouthpiece against an edge or by a vibrating reed, and in which the pitch is varied by opening or closing holes in the body of the instrument. ... C major (often just C or key of C) is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C. Its key signature has no flats/sharps (see below: Diatonic Scales and Keys). ... â€œInstrumentalistâ€ redirects here. ... A flautist demonstrates flute-playing technique A flautist or flutist is a musician who plays the flute. ... Flute repertory is the general term for pieces composed for flute (particularly Western concert flute) and often played by flutists (or flautists). ... The alto flute is a type of Western concert flute, a musical instrument in the woodwind family. ... A bass flute The bass flute is the bass member of the flute family. ... The contra-alto flute (also called subcontrabass flute in G or subcontrabass flute) is one of the largest instruments in the flute family. ... The contrabass flute is one of the rarer members of the flute family. ... The double contrabass flute (sometimes also called octobass flute or subcontrabass flute) is the largest and lowest pitched flute in the world. ... The hyperbass flute (sometimes spelled hyper-bass flute) is the largest and lowest instrument in the flute family. ... A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, or wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family and percussion instrument family. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A flute choir is an instrumental ensemble consisting entirely of instruments from the flute family. ... A jazz band (or jazz ensemble in western dialects of American English) is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. ... A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late 1940s. ...

Download high resolution version (142x854, 11 KB)flute in C from 1917 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (142x854, 11 KB)flute in C from 1917 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ...

Description

The flute is a transverse (or side-blown) woodwind instrument that is closed at the blown end and blown on the side near the closed end. The instrument is played by blowing a stream of air over the embouchure hole (äm-bù-shəre). The flute has 16 circular finger holes closed by keys, which can be used to produce high and low sounds depending on which finger holes are opened or closed as well as the direction and intensity of the air stream.

The standard concert flute is pitched in C and has a range of about three and a half octaves starting from the musical note C4 (corresponding to middle C on the piano), however, some experienced flautists are able to reach C8. Modern professional flutes may have a longer B-foot joint, which can reach B3. In music, an octave (sometimes abbreviated 8ve or P8) is the interval between one musical note and another with half or double its frequency. ... In Western music, the expression middle C refers to the note C or Do located exactly between the two staves of the grand staff, quoted as C4 in note-octave notation (also known as scientific pitch notation). ... The musical note C8 is the C two full octaves above soprano high C. The note is one octave above the top of common musical keyboards, but the highest note of an 88-key piano. ...

The piccolo is a small flute commonly used in Western orchestras. It is usually pitched an octave above the concert flute. Alto and bass flutes, pitched a fourth and an octave below the concert flute, are used occasionally. Music for the alto flute (which is in G) is more common than for the bass. Many other sizes of flute and piccolo are used from time to time. A much less common instrument in this pitching system is the treble G flute. An older pitching system, used principally in older wind-band music, includes D-flat piccolos, E-flat soprano flutes (the primary instrument, equivalent to today's concert C flutes), F alto flutes, and B-flat bass flutes. The piccolo is a small flute. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The modern professional concert flute is generally made of silver, gold, or combinations of the two. Student instruments are usually made of nickel silver, or silver-plated brass. Wooden flutes and headjoints are more widely available than in the past. Piccolos are often constructed with head and body of different materials (which may be seen as an unfavorable construction), or out of wood (often grenadilla) For other uses, see Brass (disambiguation). ... Grenadilla is a name given to a number of different African black woods, most commonly Dalbergia melanoxylon (sometimes known as Mpingo). ...

Some jazz and rock ensembles include flutes. Since Boehm's fingering is used in saxophones as well as in concert flutes, many flute players "double" on saxophone for jazz and small ensembles, and vice versa. Jethro Tull is probably the best-known rock group using a flute (played by Ian Anderson). A smaller and deeper-sounding instrument has been born of this use, the jazz-flute, which is typically used in these sorts of performances where deep tones and resonance is favored over the traditional classical pieces associated with the flute. Theobald Boehm (April 9, 1794- November 25, 1881) was a Bavarian inventor and musician, who perfected the modern flute and its improved fingering system, which has not changed since his time. ... The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family. ... Jethro Tull are a Grammy Award winning English rock band that formed in 1967-1968[1]. Their music is marked by the distinctive vocal style and lead flute work of front man Ian Anderson. ...

The flute is usually held with three points of pressure between the lower lip, base of left index finger, and right thumb. Download high resolution version (700x651, 92 KB)This photo was taken on July 21, 2004 with a Toshiba PDR-2300 digital camera. ... Download high resolution version (700x651, 92 KB)This photo was taken on July 21, 2004 with a Toshiba PDR-2300 digital camera. ...

Flutes have rather complicated sets of fingerings to produce each note, as compared to the piano, which has one key per note. Flutes often have some of the most rapidly changing parts in orchestral music. To become able to play these parts, it is generally advised that flute players practice complex scales and arpeggios in different modes and keys. In music, a scale is a set of musical notes that provides material for part or all of a musical work. ... Various arpeggios as seen on a staff Notation of a chord in arpeggio In music, an arpeggio is a broken chord where the notes are played or sung in succession rather than simultaneously. ... In music, a scale is an ordered series of musical intervals, which, along with the key or tonic, define the pitches. ... In music theory, the key identifies the tonic triad, the chord, major or minor, which represents the final point of rest for a piece, or the focal point of a section. ...

More advanced flute-players can also employ vibrato. When playing with vibrato, a player varies the amount of air blown through the instrument at a rapid rate to create a wobble in the pitch and amplitude of the tone. Most classical and some jazz flute players tend to play with a continuous vibrato, though the amount and speed of vibrato can be altered for expressive purposes. Many purists contend that Baroque music should be played without vibrato, or with vibrato only on certain notes. More specifically, most flute methods from that period call for vibrati - a finger vibrato - rather than a vibrato of breath pulsations. Eventually, when the breath attacks are too fast to be counted as separate notes, they become an instant though not yet subtle vibrato. Vibrato is a musical effect where the pitch or frequency of a note or sound is quickly and repeatedly raised and lowered over a small distance for the duration of that note or sound. ... Baroque music describes an era and a set of styles of European classical music which were in widespread use between approximately 1600 and 1750 (see Dates of classical music eras for a discussion of the problems inherent in defining the beginning and end points). ...

In outdoor playing, wind can "blow out" players' embouchures, causing the air stream to become misplaced. It is normal practice for the piccolo and flute players of a marching band to face away from the wind in heavy weather. An American college marching band on the field (University of Texas) A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who generally perform outdoors, and who incorporate movement â€“ usually some type of marching â€“ with their musical performance. ...

A maladjusted flute will not play well. Loose keys caused by loose screws or wear in the key shafts make clicking noises and cause pad alignnment problems and leaks. Old pads can rot and leak, making it impossible to play certain notes. Rough handling can bend the keys and make them leak. The return springs can be dislodged or break, preventing opening or closure of the keys depending on if they are normally closed or normally open keys. Occasionally the alignment pins can fall out.

History

The flute has a long history, because it is one of the oldest wind instruments and one of the most widespread instruments in the world. The following section follows the history of the history of the western concert flute, for flutes in general see flute. The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. ...

Medieval flutes (1000-1400)

Throughout the 10th, 12th and 13th centuries, transverse flutes were very uncommon in Europe, with the recorder being more prominent. The transverse flute arrived in Europe from Asia, via the Byzantine Empire, where it migrated to Germany and France. These flutes became known as "German flutes", to distinguish them from others, such as the recorder.^[1] The flute became used in court music, along with the viol, and was used in secular music, although only in France and Germany. It would not spread to the rest of Europe for nearly a century. The first literary appearance of the transverse flute was made in 1285, by Adenet le Roi in a list of instruments he played. After this, a period of 70 years ensues, where there are few references to the flute. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Various recorders The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes â€” whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle and ocarina. ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... Various sizes of viol, from Michael Praetorius Syntagma musicum (1618) Early Italian tenor viola da gamba, detail from the painting , by Raphael Sanzio, c. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ...

Renaissance (1400-1600) and Baroque flutes (1600-1760)

Beginning in the 1470s, a military revival in Europe led to a revival in the flute. The Swiss army used flutes for signaling, and this helped the flute spread to all of Europe.^[2] In the late 1500s, flutes were beginning to be used in court music (predecessors of the orchestra), and the first flute solos. Following the 16th century court music, flutes began appearing in chamber ensembles. These flutes were often tuned to the key of D, and used as the tenor voice. However, flutes varied greatly in size and range. This made transposition necessary, which led to the development of hexachords. Hexachords were employed by flutists to transpose music more easily.^[3] With the onset of the baroque era, flutes become used in the scores of opera, ballet and chamber music. With this, composers now wrote music for the flute. These included Praetorius, Schütz, Rebillé and Descoteaux, Bach, Telemann, Blavet, Vivaldi and Handel. Because of the works of such composers, the flute was becoming popular as a solo instrument. However there were few professional flutists who had the instrument as their main instrument (many had oboe as their main instrument). In 1707, Jacques Martin Hotteterre wrote the first method book on playing the flute: Principes de la flûte traversière. The 1730s brought an increase in operatic and chamber music feature of flutes. The end of this era found the publication of Essay of a Method of Playing the Transverse Flute by Quantz, considered the greatest exposition on flute method of its time. Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance, approximately 1400 to 1600. ... Baroque music describes an era and a set of styles of European classical music which were in widespread use between approximately 1600 and 1750 (see Dates of classical music eras for a discussion of the problems inherent in defining the beginning and end points). ... Military history is composed of the events in the history of humanity that fall within the category of conflict. ... Military of Switzerland On May 18, 2003, Swiss voters approved the military reform project Army XXI that will drastically reduce the size of the Swiss Army. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer (solo is an Italian word literally meaning alone). ... Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. ... Also see: D minor, or D-flat major. ... This article or section seems to contain too many examples (or examples of poor quality) for an encyclopedia entry. ... In music transposition refers to the process of moving a collection of notes (pitches) up or down in pitch by a constant interval. ... In music, a hexachord is a collection of six tones. ... The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. ... Painting of ballet dancers by Edgar Degas, 1872. ... Michael Praetorius. ... Bach in a 1748 portrait by Haussmann Johann Sebastian Bach (pronounced ) (21 March 1685 O.S. â€“ 28 July 1750 N.S.) was a prolific German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it... Georg Philipp Telemann (March 14, 1681–June 25, 1767) was a German Baroque music composer, born in Magdeburg. ... The Blavet river flows from central Bretagne (West of France) to the Atlantic Ocean on the Breton South coast. ... Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Vivaldi (March 4, 1678, Venice – July 28, 1741, Vienna), nicknamed Il Prete Rosso, meaning The Red Priest, was an Italian priest and baroque music composer. ... HANDEL was the code-name for the UKs National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. ... The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... Jacques-Martin Hotteterre (September 29, 1674 - July 16, 1763), also known as Jacques Martin or Jacques Hotteterre, was a French composer and flautist. ... Johann Joachim Quantz (January 30, 1697–July 12, 1773) was a German flutist, flute maker and composer. ... Expository writing is a mode of writing in which the purpose of the author is to inform, explain, describe, or define his or her subject to the reader. ...

Classical Flutes (1760-1820) and Romantic flutes (1820-1900)

The later half of the 18th century shows the first orchestras being formed, and the flute being a member thereof, featured in symphonies and concertos. Throughout the rest of the century the interest in flutes increased, and peaked in the early half of the 1800s.^[4] Friedrich Dülon was the flutist considered a great artist, and Theobald Boehm began flute making. The style of flutist changed during the classical era; keys were added to the flute to strengthen its lower register, used by all professional flutists. With the romantic era, flutes begin to lose favor. Symphony Orchestras featured brass and strings more, and many musicians did not accept Boehm’s new flute design, however they would slowly win favor throughout Europe as the century wore on, until the end of the century brought a flute revival spurred by artists such as Debussy, when the Boehm flute had won favor. The early 19th century saw a great variety in flute designs. Conical bores giving a penetrating sound were used in Vienna, English flutes had a range to low C and played best in flat keys, French flutes gave a softer tone, and German flutes blended best with orchestras. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The era of Romantic music is defined as the period of European classical music that runs roughly from the early 1800s to the first decade of the 20th century, as well as music written according to the norms and styles of that period. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The term concerto (plural concertos or concerti) usually refers to a musical work in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra. ... Fredrich Ludwig DÃ¼lon (14 August 1768 â€” 7 July 1826) was one of the most prominent flutists of the classical era, being one of the first flutists to be considered a gifted musician on flute. ... Image of a trumpet, foreground, a piccolo trumpet behind, and a flugelhorn in background. ... A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. ... Claude Debussy Claude Achille Debussy (August 22, 1862 – March 25, 1918), composer of impressionistic classical music. ... â€œWienâ€ redirects here. ...

Meyer flute

The Meyer flute was a popular flute in the mid 1800's. It was a combination of a traditional keyed flute and the Viennese flute, and became the most common throughout Europe and America. It had 12 keys, body of wood, head joint of metal and ivory, common at the end of the century.^[5] Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic - President George Walker Bush (R) - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from...

Boehm flute

The dimensions and key system of the modern western concert flute and its close relatives are almost completely the work of the great flutist, composer, acoustician and silversmith, Theobald Boehm, who patented his system in 1847. It was immediately popular, and spread worldwide in just a few years. Minor additions to and variations on his key system are common but the acoustical structure of the tube remains almost exactly as he designed it. Major innovations were the change to metal instead of wood, large straight tube bore, "parabolic" tapered headjoint bore, very large tone holes covered by keys, and the linked key system which simplified fingering somewhat. The most substantial departures from Boehm's original description are the universal elimination of the "crutch" for the left hand and the almost universal adoption of Briccialdi's thumb key mechanism instead of Boehm's. Boehm's key system, with minor variations, continues to be regarded as the most effective system of any modern woodwind, allowing trained players to perform with facility in all keys and with extraordinary velocity and brilliance. The modern flute has three octaves plus c-c#-d in the fourth octave. Many modern composers used the high dm; while such extremes are not commonly used, the modern flute can perform up to an f in its fourth octave. Theobald Boehm (April 9, 1794- November 25, 1881) was a Bavarian inventor and musician, who perfected the modern flute and its improved fingering system, which has not changed since his time. ... The Boehm System is a system of fingerings, created by inventor and flautist Theobald Boehm in the 1830s which was originally used on the flute and then on a variety of woodwind instruments, including the clarinet, bass clarinet and saxophone. ... For the numerical computation software, see GNU Octave. ...

Giorgi flute

Quite at the opposite end of the spectrum, in terms of the complexity of the key system developed by Boehm, was the Giorgi flute, an advanced form of the ancient holed flute. Patented in 1897, the Giorgi flute was designed without any mechanical keys, though the patent allows for the addition of keys as options. Giorgi enabled the performer to play equally true in all musical keys, as does the Boehm system. Giorgi flutes are now rarities, found in museums and private collections. The underlying principles of both flute patterns are virtually identical, with tone holes spaced as required to produce a fully chromatic scale. The player, by opening and closing holes, adjusts the effective length of the tube, and thus the rate of oscillation, which defines the audible pitch.

20th century flutes

With the ability to record sound (beginning in the 1890s), flutes begin to regain their favorability, not seen since the classical era. Recordings of flute music become increasingly common, with professional flautists spending a great deal of time recording music. Beginning in the 1970s, models of alto and bass flutes are invented for modern music and flute ensembles. In the 1990s, the French model replaces the previously used pre-1940 Boehm model, used by professionals. The 20th century brings the first recordings of Baroque music on modern flutes. 20th century classical music, the classical music of the 20th century, was extremely diverse, beginning with the late Romantic style of Sergei Rachmaninoff, Impressionism of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, and continuing through the Neoclassicism of middle-period Igor Stravinsky, and ranging to such distant sound-worlds as the complete... Methods and media for sound recording are varied and have undergone significant changes between the first time sound was actually recorded for later playback until now. ...

Boehm-Lot-Cooper flute

In the 1950s, Albert Cooper modified the Boehm Flute to make playing modern music easier. The flute was tuned to A440, and the embouchure hole was cut in a new way to change the timbre of the flute. These flutes became the most used flutes by professionals and by amateurs. In music, timbre, also timber (from Fr. ...

Brögger flute

In the 1980s, Johan Brögger modified the Boehm-Lot-Cooper flute, by fixing two major problems that had existed for nearly 150 years: maladjustument between certain keys, and problems between the G key and the B♭ key. The result was non-rotating shafts, which gave a quieter sound and less friction on moving parts. Also the modifications allowed for springs to be adjusted individually, and the flute was strengthened.

Kingma flute

The Kingma flute was developed at the end of the 20th century by Eva Kingma and Bickford Brannen to allow the use of quarter tones. It is essentially a Boehm flute, with the ability to play quarter tones and has better capablitiy of producing multiphonics. These abilities are especially useful for those who wish to play eastern music and for jazz flutists. A quarter tone is an interval half as wide (aurally, or logarithmically) as a semitone, which is half a whole tone. ... Multiphonics are an extended technique in instrumental music in which a monophonic instrument (one which generally produces only one note at a time) is made to produce several notes at once. ...

Appearance and development

The precursors of the modern concert flute were keyless wooden transverse flutes, similar to modern fifes. Later these were modified to be well tempered, and include between one and eight keys to aid in producing chromatic notes. The most common pitch for such flutes was and remains D, but other pitches sometimes occur. These simple system flutes continue to be used in folk music (particularly Irish traditional music) and in "historically informed" performances of Baroque (and earlier) music. Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic politically divided between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. ... The historically informed performance, period performance, or authentic performance movement is an approach by musicians and scholars to research and perform works of classical music in ways similar to how they may have been performed when they were originally written. ... Baroque music describes an era and a set of styles of European classical music which were in widespread use between approximately 1600 and 1750 (see Dates of classical music eras for a discussion of the problems inherent in defining the beginning and end points). ...

Construction and materials

Concert flutes have three parts: the headjoint, the body, and the foot joint. The headjoint is sealed by a cork (or plug). It is possible to make fine adjustments to tuning by adjusting the headjoint cork, but usually it is left in the factory-recommended position around 17.3mm from the centre of the embouchure hole for best scale. Gross, temporary adjustments of pitch are made by moving the headjoint in and out of the headjoint tenon. The player makes fine or rapid adjustments of pitch and timbre by adjusting the embouchure, and/or adjusting the position of the flute in relation to the player, i.e. side to side, or rolling in and out.

Often, a different head can make the flute play like a different flute. Some flute makers sell both end blown heads and transverse heads that can be interchanged. The same flute body can be used as a whistle/recorder style instrument, or as a transverse flute.

The most common mechanical options of flutes are "offset G" keys, "split E" modification, and a "B foot". All of Boehm’s original models had offset G keys, which are mechanically simpler, and permit a more relaxed hand position, especially for younger players. Offset G keys are more common on less-expensive flutes, but available on almost all makes at every level of expense. The in-line G was originally invented because it was easier to manufacture, and was used by the better commercial flutes, though currently even the best of flute makers offer the offset G as an option on their flutes. The split E modification makes the third octave E easier to play for some players, a less expensive option is the "low G insert". The B foot extends the range of the flute down one semitone to B below middle C.

Trill keys permit rapid alternation between two notes. Fingerings using the trill keys also permit a skilled player to reach four octaves of range, though the commonly used range is three octaves. The C# trill key, an increasingly popular option available on many top-end professional flutes, allows many trills and tremolos that would otherwise be difficult or impossible.

Less expensive flutes are usually constructed of silver-plated nickel silver (nickel-bronze bell metal (63%Cu, 29%Zn, 5.5%Ni, 1.25%Ag, 0.75%Pb, alloyed:As, Sb, Fe, Sn)). Flutes that are more expensive are usually made of more precious metals, most commonly solid sterling silver (92.5 % silver), and other alloys including french silver (95%Ag, 5%Cu), "coin silver" (90% silver), or [Britannia silver] (95.8% silver). It is reported [1]that old Louis Lot French flutes have a particular sound by nature of their specific silver alloy. Professionals tend to play more expensive flutes made from more expensive materials. Nickel silver is a metal alloy of copper with nickel and often but not always zinc. ... Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92. ... Millesimal fineness is a system of denoting the purity of platinum, gold and silver alloys by parts per thousand of pure metal in the alloy. ...

Instruments with corrosion-prone metals are normally polished and then lacquered to prevent corrosion. Some quality instruments use gold plating to prevent corrosion. In a general sense, lacquer is a clear or coloured coating, that dries by solvent evaporation only and that produces a hard, durable finish that can be polished to a very high gloss, and gives the illusion of depth. ... See corrosive for the hazard. ...

Most alloys used contain significant amounts of copper or silver. These alloys are all biostatic because of the oligodynamic effect, and thus suppress growth of unpleasant molds, fungi or bacteria. General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Standard atomic weight 63. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Standard atomic weight 107. ... The oligodynamic effect (greek oligos = few, dynamis = force ) was discovered in 1893 by the Swiss KW NÃ¤geli as a toxic effect of metal-ions on living cells, algae, moulds, spores, fungi, virus, procariotic and eukaryotic microorganisms, even in relatively low concentrations. ... It has been suggested that Toxic mold be merged into this article or section. ... Divisions Chytridiomycota Zygomycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota The Fungi (singular: fungus) are a large group of organisms ranked as a kingdom within the Domain Eukaryota. ... Phyla Actinobacteria Aquificae Chlamydiae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Lentisphaerae Nitrospirae Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Verrucomicrobia Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are unicellular microorganisms. ...

The tubes are usually drawn, especially in student flute models. Soldered tubes are thought by some to improve tone. Tone-holes may be either drawn or soldered, more often soldered in more expensive instruments. The rest of the mechanism is constructed by lost-wax castings and machining, with mounting posts and ribs silver-soldered to the tube. On the best flutes, the castings are forged to increase their strength.

The head joint tube is tapered slightly towards the closed end. Boehm described the shape of the taper as parabolic. Examination of his flutes did not reveal a true parabolic curve, but the taper is more complex than a truncated cone. The head joint is the most difficult part to construct, because the lip plate and tone hole have critical dimensions, edges and angles, which vary slightly both between manufactureres and in individual flutes especially where they are hand-made. Head joint geometry appears particularly critical to acoustic performance and tone,^[6] but there is no clear consensus on a particular shape amongst manufacturers. Acoustic impedance of the embouchure hole appears the most critical parameter.^[7] Critical variables affecting this acoustic impedance include: chimney length (hole between lip-plate and head tube), chimney diameter, and radiuses or curvature of the ends of the chimney. Generally, the shorter the hole, the more quickly a flute can be played; the longer the hole, the more complex the tone. Finding a particularly good example of a flute is dependent on play testing. Head joint upgrades are usually suggested as a way to improve the tone of an instrument. Theobald Boehm (April 9, 1794- November 25, 1881) was a Bavarian inventor and musician, who perfected the modern flute and its improved fingering system, which has not changed since his time. ...

Tone holes are stopped by pads constructed of fish skin (gold-beater's skin) over felt, or in some very low-cost or “ruggedized” flutes, silicone rubber. Accurate shimming of pads on professional instruments to ensure pad sealing is very demanding of technician time. In the time-honored method, pads are seated on paper shims sealed with shellac. A recent development is "precision" pads fitted by a factory-trained technician. Student model flutes are more likely to have pads bedded in thicker materials like wax or hot melt glue. Larger sized closed hole pads are also held in with screws and washers. Synthetic pads appear more water resistant but may be susceptible to mechanical failure (cracking).

Flutes may have open or closed tone holes (ring keys). Student models generally have closed holes for ease of playing. Flutes for more advanced players generally have open-holed, "French" keys in order to facilitate alternate fingerings, "extended techniques" (e.g. quarter-tones, glissando) and multiphonics. Multiphonics and microtones are possible on closed-hole flute, but not on entire register and are hard to get; glissandos are limited to half tone only in this kind of flute). Many flute-players prefer these open-hole keys (some say that open-holes create a better projection of the sound). Closed holes permit a more relaxed hand position for some players, which can help their playing. Plugs can be used to seal off the open holes of learning students. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1112x560, 417 KB) Take-down flute in case. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1112x560, 417 KB) Take-down flute in case. ... Cover of Henry Cowell: Piano Music, with Henry Cowell demonstrating the longitudinal sweeping string piano technique Extended technique is a term used in music to describe unconventional, unorthodox or improper techniques of singing, or of playing musical instruments. ... A quarter tone is an interval half as wide (aurally, or logarithmically) as a semitone, which is half a whole tone. ... Glissando (plural: glissandi) is a musical term that refers to either a continuous sliding from one pitch to another (a true glissando), or an incidental scale played while moving from one melodic note to another (an effective glissando). ...

Flutes' key axles are typically made of drill rod steel or stainless steel. Flutes' steel axles and mechanisms need periodic cleaning and relubrication for optimal performance. Trained technicians are skilled at this. Oil should only be applied to a disassembled flute. (Phelan^[8], a flute maker and engineer, recommends motor oil as a key lubricant for superior performance and reduced wear, in preference to commercially available "key oil".)

Most flute keys have needle springs, made of phosphor bronze, stainless steel, beryllium copper, or a gold alloy. The B thumb keys typically have flat springs. Phosphor bronze is by far the most common material for needle springs because it is relatively inexpensive, makes a good spring, and is resistant to corrosion. Unfortunately, it is prone to metal fatigue. Stainless steel also makes a good spring and is resistant to corrosion. Gold springs are found mostly in high-end flutes because of its cost.

In jazz

Flutes were rarely used in early jazz. Drummer and bandleader Chick Webb was among the first to use flutes in jazz, beginning in the late 1930s. Since then, a number of notable performers have used flutes in jazz, including Eric Dolphy, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, (fictional character) Ron Burgundy and Herbie Mann. Many saxophonists take up flute as a second instrument, and vice versa. For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... A drummer in Action A drummer is a person who plays the drums, particularly the drum kit, marching percussion, or hand drums. ... A bandleader is the director of a band of musicians. ... William Henry Webb, usually known as Chick Webb (February 10, 1909â€“June 16, 1939) was a jazz and swing music drummer as well as a band leader. ... Eric Allan Dolphy (June 20, 1928 â€“ June 29, 1964) was a jazz musician who played alto saxophone, flute and bass clarinet. ... Rahsaan Roland Kirk (August 7, 1936 - December 5, 1977) was a blind American jazz multi-instrumentalist. ... Portrayed by Will Ferrell in the 2004 American comedy Anchorman: the Legend of Ron Burgundy, Burgundy is the main character of the film. ... Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), better known as Herbie Mann, was an American jazz flutist and important practitioner of world music. ... A saxophonist is a musician who plays the saxophone. ...

Contents

Description

History

Medieval flutes (1000-1400)

Renaissance (1400-1600) and Baroque flutes (1600-1760)

Classical Flutes (1760-1820) and Romantic flutes (1820-1900)

Meyer flute

Boehm flute

Giorgi flute

20th century flutes

Boehm-Lot-Cooper flute

Brögger flute

Kingma flute

Appearance and development

Construction and materials

In jazz

See also

Notes

References

External links

Contents

Description GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

History

Medieval flutes (1000-1400)

Renaissance (1400-1600) and Baroque flutes (1600-1760)

Classical Flutes (1760-1820) and Romantic flutes (1820-1900)

Meyer flute

Boehm flute

Giorgi flute

20th century flutes

Boehm-Lot-Cooper flute

Brögger flute

Kingma flute

Appearance and development

Construction and materials

In jazz

See also

Notes

References

External links

Description