Western concert flute

The Western concert flute can refer to the common C concert flute or to the family of transverse (side-blown) flutes to which the C flute belongs. Almost all are made of metal or wood, or a combination of the two. A musician who plays the flute is often called a "flautist" in British English and a "flutist" in American English.

This type of flute is used in many ensembles, including concert bands, military bands, marching bands, orchestras, flute ensembles, and occasionally jazz combos and big bands. Other flutes in this family include the piccolo, the alto flute, and the bass flute. A large repertory of works has been composed for flute.

Predecessors

See also: Flute

The flute is one of the oldest wind instruments. The early versions of the modern concert flute were simple wooden flutes, similar to today’s fifes. Over time, these flutes were changed to include up to eight keys for playing many different notes.

Partita for solo flute (BWV 1013) by Johann Sebastian Bach performed on an 18th-century traverso by Alex Murray

1. Allemande

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2. Courante

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3. Sarabande

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4. Bourrée

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Six-holed flutes in D are common wooden flutes. They are used in Irish traditional music and historically informed performances of early music, including Baroque music. During the Baroque era, the old transverse flute was changed and developed into the modern traverso.

Medieval flutes (1000–1400)

In the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries, the recorder was popular in Europe, while transverse flutes were rare. The transverse flute came to Europe from Asia through the Byzantine Empire, then spread to Germany and France. These were called "German flutes" to differ from others, like the recorder. The flute was used in court music, along with the viol, and in secular music in France and Germany. It didn’t spread to the rest of Europe for nearly a century. The transverse flute was first mentioned in writing in 1285 by Adenet le Roi in a list of instruments he played. After this, there were few mentions of the flute for about 70 years.

Renaissance to 17th century

Starting in the 1470s, the flute was used in military settings (like in the Swiss army for signals), which helped it spread across Europe. By the late 16th century, flutes began appearing in court and theatre music and the first flute solos were written.

After this, flutes started being used in chamber ensembles, often as the tenor voice, though flutes came in many sizes and ranges. This made transposition necessary, so flautists used Guidonian hexachords to make transposing music easier.

In the 16th and early 17th centuries in Europe, the transverse flute was made in several sizes, forming a consort, similar to recorders and other instruments. The transverse flute was usually made in one section (or two for larger sizes) and had a cylindrical shape. Because of this, it had a soft sound and was used mainly in "soft consorts."

Traverso

"Traverso" redirects here. For other uses, see Traverso (disambiguation).

During the Baroque period, the transverse flute was redesigned. Now often called the traverso (from the Italian), it was made in three or four sections and had a conical shape from the top down. This conical shape gave the flute a wider range and a stronger sound without losing its soft, expressive qualities. The top part of the traverso has one hole for blowing air, and the two middle parts each have three finger holes of the same size. There was one key on the baroque flute, usually made of metal and located on the bottom part. The traverso was made from various materials including wood (most often boxwood), ivory, and metal. While few flutes from the Renaissance and Medieval eras survive, many Baroque flutes have been kept.

While the flute was mostly used in groups during the Renaissance and Medieval times, Baroque composers began writing more music for the flute in operas, ballets, and chamber music. The traverso also started to play solo parts. The first known piece for solo traverso was written by Michael de la Barre in 1702 called “Pièces pour la flute traversiere avec la basse-continue”. Other famous baroque flute composers include Praetorius, Schütz, Rebillé, Quantz, J.S Bach, Telemann, Blavet, Vivaldi, Hotteterre, Handel and Frederick the Great. Several books about Baroque flute playing were written during this time. In 1707, Jacques Martin Hotteterre wrote the first instruction book for playing the flute: Principes de la flûte traversière. In the 1730s, the flute became more common in opera and chamber music, and Quantz published his Essay of a Method of Playing the Transverse Flute near the end of this time.

The Baroque flute needs less breath than the modern flute and makes softer, mellower sounds, often blending well with other orchestra instruments. Playing the Baroque flute also needs more adjustment of pitch than modern flutes. Extra adjustments are needed when playing notes outside the D major scale. The flutist can change the pitch by moving the mouth and turning the flute towards or away from them.

Flutes became less popular in the early Romantic era as symphony orchestras focused more on brass and strings. In the 21st century, the Baroque flute has become popular again, performed by flutists like Barthold Kuijken, Frans Bruggen, Emi Ferguson, and Peter Holtslag.

Development

Partita for solo flute (BWV 1013) by Johann Sebastian Bach performed on a modern flute by Scott Goff

1. Allemande

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2. Courante

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3. Sarabande

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4. Bourrée

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Boehm flute

Main article: Boehm system

In the 1800s, a musician named Theobald Boehm made changes to the flute. He added keys and changed the shape to make the lower notes stronger. Today’s flutes are mostly based on his design from 1847. He changed the material from wood to metal, made the tube wider, and added a special head shape. He also added big holes covered by keys and a system that made finger movements simpler. Even with small changes, his design is still used today. The modern flute can play three octaves plus some extra notes. Many composers use very high notes, but these are not used often.

19th-century variants

Meyer and Giorgi flutes

In the mid-1800s, the Meyer flute was popular. It had up to 12 keys and was made from wood and metal. It became common in Europe and America.

The Giorgi flute, made without keys, was patented in 1897. It let players change the pitch by covering holes. Giorgi flutes are now rare and found in museums.

Modified Boehm flute

In the 1950s, Albert Cooper changed the Boehm flute to make it better for modern music. He tuned it to a specific pitch and changed the way the mouthpiece was made. These flutes became very popular.

In the 1980s, Johan Brögger fixed some problems with the flute’s keys. His changes made the sound quieter and the flute stronger. Only a few makers now produce the Brögger flute.

Characteristics

The flute is a woodwind instrument played by blowing air over a hole. By opening and closing keys that cover tone holes, players can change the pitch. Higher pitches can also be made by over-blowing.

The piccolo is commonly used in orchestras and bands. Alto flutes, pitched a fourth below the standard flute, and bass flutes, an octave below, are also used sometimes.

The standard concert flute, also called the C flute, is pitched in C and can play three and a half octaves starting from middle C. More experienced players can reach even higher notes.

Flutes come in many sizes, from the piccolo, which sounds one octave higher, to the subcontrabass flute, which is much lower. Each size has its own range of notes.

Construction and materials

Concert flutes have three main parts: the headjoint, body, and foot joint. The headjoint has a cork seal and a lip plate where the player blows. The body has most of the keys, and the foot joint completes the instrument.

Flutes can be made from brass, silver, or wood. African blackwood is common for wooden flutes. More expensive flutes are often made from sterling silver or even gold. Some unusual materials like glass or carbon fiber are also used.

Mechanical options

Flutes can have different features like open-hole keys or offset G keys, which make playing easier for some people. Trill keys help players quickly switch between notes, and a B foot extends the flute’s range lower. Some flutes also have special keys to make high notes easier to play.

Composition

Main articles: List of compositions for flute and Flute choir § Repertoire

See also: Flute concerto, Flute quartet, and Flute sonata

An early version of Antonio Vivaldi's La tempesta di mare flute concerto was possibly written around 1713–1716. This could have been the first concerto for the flute and included a high F₆, which was difficult for flutes at that time.

Flutes were not often used in early jazz. Drummer Chick Webb was one of the first to use flutes in jazz in the late 1930s. Frank Wess became a well-known flute player in jazz during the 1940s. Since the same finger system is used for both saxophones and concert flutes, many flute players also play saxophone in jazz bands.

Since 1950, many famous musicians have used flutes in jazz. These include Frank Foster, Frank Wess, Jerome Richardson, and Lew Tabackin in big bands, and Bud Shank, Herbie Mann, and others in smaller groups. The rock band Jethro Tull, led by Ian Anderson, is perhaps the most famous for using the flute regularly. The Beatles used flutes in songs like "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" and "Penny Lane". Other pop and rock groups that have used flutes include The Moody Blues, Chicago, Men at Work, and many more.

American singer Lizzo is known for playing the flute. Her flute, named Sasha Flute, even has its own Instagram account.