Flute selection. The flute is the oldest musical instrument Straight from Greece

According to the way they are held, flutes are divided into longitudinal, transverse And semi-transverse (diagonal). Longitudinal flutes come with a whistle device (mouthpiece) and without it.

A flute with the end of the barrel opposite to the performer closed ( closed flute) sounds an octave higher than a similarly sized open-ended flute ( open flute).

Story

The oldest form of flute is the whistle. Gradually, finger holes began to be cut into the whistle tubes, turning a simple whistle into a whistle flute, on which musical works could be performed. The first archaeological finds of a flute date back to 35 - 40 thousand years BC, thus the flute is one of the oldest musical instruments.

The longitudinal flute was known in Egypt five thousand years ago, and it remains the main wind instrument throughout the Middle East. It was widespread in Europe in the 15th-17th centuries. A longitudinal flute, which has 5-6 finger holes and is capable of octave blowing, provides a complete musical scale, individual intervals within which can change, forming different modes by crossing the fingers, closing the holes halfway, as well as changing the direction and force of breathing. Nowadays it is occasionally used in the performance of ancient music.

The transverse flute with 5-6 finger holes was known in China at least 3 thousand years ago, and in India and Japan more than two thousand years ago. In Europe during the Middle Ages, mainly simple whistle-type instruments were common (predecessors of the recorder and flageolet), as well as the transverse flute, which penetrated into Central Europe from the East through the Balkans, where it still remains the most widespread folk instrument.

By the end of the 17th century, the transverse flute was improved by French masters, among whom Otteter stands out, who, in particular, added valves to the six finger holes to perform the full chromatic scale. Possessing a more expressive sound and high technical capabilities, the transverse flute soon replaced the longitudinal flute (recorder) and by the end of the 18th century it took a strong place in the symphony orchestra and instrumental ensembles.

In modern orchestras they use the usual large flute (its timbre is varied, but somewhat cold, and the sound strength is low), a small flute with a sharp sound (an octave higher), less often an alto flute in the G tuning (its timbre is slightly warmer), and extremely rarely a bass flute ( an octave lower).

Longitudinal

Without whistle device

In flutes without a whistle device, a stream of air is formed and directed onto the pointed edge by the lips of the performer, his embouchure.

Kalyuka

Kalyuka(from barbed), Also forcing , thorn , overtone flute , grass pipe-, which is a type of longitudinal overtone flute, since natural overtones are blown out while playing this musical instrument. It is a hollow cylinder with special holes, made from the stem of the prickly tartar or some other plants.

The use of the instrument in Russian traditional culture became known to specialists only in 1980, after which it found quite widespread use in Russian folk ensembles. In popular culture it is considered exclusively masculine. Instruments similar to the kalyuka are found among many peoples of the world.

Playing the kalyuka is done by opening and closing the lower hole of the tube with your finger, as well as by changing the force of the air stream supplied by the mouth into the instrument. When playing, the musical instrument is held vertically downwards with both hands so that the pad of the index finger can be used to either open or close the lower hole.

The size of a musical instrument can vary depending on the height and length of the hands of the player playing it. For children it is from 25 cm to 30 cm, and for adults - from 72 cm to 86 cm. The length of the tube is also adjusted to the height of the owner. The length is considered acceptable if it was possible to close the lower hole on the pipe with the palm of the hand or fingers. Therefore, the length of the flute should not exceed the size of an outstretched arm from the shoulder to the tips of the fingers. The body of the kalyuka has a conical passage, slightly tapering from top to bottom. The inner diameter of the tubes ranges from 15 to 25 mm. The diameter of the outlet hole does not exceed 12-14 mm, and the top hole - 19-23 mm.

Dudka was opened in 1980 by students of the Moscow and Leningrad Conservatoires in the villages of Bolshebykovo and Podsredneye, located halfway from Belgorod to Voronezh.

Kena

With whistle device

Whistle device

How the whistle works

In flutes with a whistle device (whistle flutes), a stream of air is formed and directed to a pointed edge through a special channel in the mouthpiece part of the instrument.

Block flute

Whistle

Pipe

Pyzhatka

It is a wooden tube with a diameter of 15-25 mm and a length of 40-70 cm, into one end of which a wooden plug (“wad”) with an oblique cut is inserted, directing the blown air to the pointed edge of a small square hole (“whistle”).

The term “pyzhatka” can also be considered as a synonym for the concept of sopel - a type of longitudinal whistle flute, which is also a traditional Russian folk wind instrument, the most ancient of those in use among the Eastern Slavs. This variety was characterized by a diatonic scale and a range of up to two octaves; by changing the strength of the air flow and using special fingerings, a chromatic scale was also achievable. Actively used by amateur groups both as a solo and as an ensemble instrument.< .

Double

Whistle flute made of two pipes.

Multi-barreled

Multi-barrel flutes consist of several tubes of different lengths, connected or unfastened to each other, each of which produces one fundamental tone. The upper ends of the tubes are located at the same level next to each other. The lower end of the tube is open or closed with a stopper. The tubes are brought to the lips in a vertical position and blown onto their upper section.

Syringa

Siringa(Greek σῦριγξ) - an ancient Greek musical instrument, a type of longitudinal flute. The term first appears in Homer's Iliad (X.13). The single-barreled syringa differed ( σῦριγξ μονοκάλαμος ) and multi-stemmed syringa ( σῦριγξ πολυκάλαμος ); the latter later became known as the Pan flute. Russian translators traditionally render σῦριγξ with the somewhat indistinct word “pipe”. The Greek word served as the anatomical name for the vocal organ of birds (see syrinx).

The syringa is known as a traditional wind instrument of shepherds and peasants in antiquity. This variety often appears in ancient Greek poetry; It was also used for musical accompaniment of stage performances, including in Ancient Rome. Subsequently, the instrument also penetrated into later European folk music.

Pan Flute

Kugikly

Kugikly (kuvikly, tarsus listen)) is a Russian folk wind musical instrument, which is a type of multi-barrel flute.

The tools are a set of hollow tubes of various lengths and diameters. Pipes are made from stems of kugi (marsh reeds), reeds, bamboo, tree branches and shrubs that have a core. The upper open ends are located at the same level, the lower one is closed by the barrel assembly.

The flute is usually made up of 3-5 tubes of the same diameter, but of different lengths (from 100 to 160 mm). The tubes of the instrument are not fastened together, which allows them to be changed depending on the required tuning. Bringing the upper ends of the tubes to the mouth and moving them (or the head) from side to side, they blow on the edges of the slices, usually producing short, jerky sounds. A set of five pipes in the hands of one performer is called a “pair”.

The modern orchestral flute (often just “flute”; Italian flauto from Latin flatus - “wind, blow”; French flûte, English flute, German Flöte) is a soprano register. The pitch of the sound on the flute changes by blowing (extracting harmonic consonances with the lips), as well as by opening and closing the holes with valves. Modern flutes are usually made of metal (nickel, silver, gold, platinum), less often of wood, and sometimes of glass, plastic and other composite materials.

The name is due to the fact that during the playing process the musician holds the instrument not in a vertical, but in a horizontal position; the mouthpiece, accordingly, is located on the side. Flutes of this design appeared quite a long time ago, in late antiquity and in ancient China (9th century BC). The modern stage of development of the flute begins in 1832, when the German master T. Boehm improved it; Over time, this variety replaced the previously popular longitudinal flute. The modern flute is characterized by a range from the first to the fourth octave; the lower register is soft and dull, the highest sounds, on the contrary, are shrill and whistling, and the middle and partly upper registers have a timbre that is described as gentle and melodious.

Piccolo flute Main article: Piccolo flute.

Piccolo flute(often called simply piccolo or piccolo; Italian flauto piccolo or ottavino, fr. petite flûte, German. kleine Flöte) is a woodwind musical instrument, a type of modern flute, the highest sounding instrument among wind instruments. It has a brilliant, forte-piercing and whistling timbre. The small flute is half as long as an ordinary flute and sounds an octave higher, and a number of low sounds are impossible to produce on it. Piccolo range - from d² before c 5(D of the second octave - up to the fifth octave), there are also instruments that have the ability to take c² And cis². For ease of reading, notes are written an octave lower.

Mechanically, the small flute is constructed identically to a regular one (except for the absence of “D-flat” and “C” of the first octave) and, therefore, is characterized by generally the same performance features. Initially, within the orchestra (starting from the second half of the 18th century), the small flute was intended to strengthen and extend upward the extreme octaves of the large flute, and it was recommended to use it in opera or ballet rather than in symphonic works. This was due to the fact that in the early stages of its existence, due to insufficient improvement, the small flute was characterized by a rather harsh and somewhat rough sound, as well as a low degree of flexibility. It should also be noted that this type of flute goes quite well with ringing percussion instruments and drums; In addition, the small flute can be combined into an octave with the oboe, which also gives rise to an expressive sound.

Irish flute

Di

Di(笛, 笛子, from Old Chinese henchui, handy- transverse flute) - an ancient Chinese wind instrument, a transverse flute with 6 playing holes. In most cases, the trunk of the di is made of bamboo or reed, but there are di made of other types of wood and even stone, most often jade.

Di is one of the most common wind instruments in China. It is assumed that this type of flute entered the country from Central Asia in the 1st century BC. e. The hole for injecting air is located near the closed end of the barrel; in the immediate vicinity of the latter there is another hole, which is covered with a thin film of reeds or reeds (there is, however, an option without a film, which is called “mendi”). For adjustment, the remaining four holes are used, which are located at the open end of the barrel. This instrument is played in the same way as a transverse flute. Depending on its use in works of certain genres, two types of di are distinguished: quidi and baidi.

Vascular

These are flutes with a body shape that is different from most other flutes. In Russia, a traditional similar flute is a children's toy. whistle. European flutes have the greatest musical range ocarina And English ocarina.

The name “flute” unites a whole group of woodwind musical instruments. True, these days flutes have begun to be made from other materials: plastic, nickel, silver. The name of the instrument comes from the Latin word “Flatus”, which means “blow”. The flute is considered one of the oldest musical instruments on Earth. It is almost impossible to name the specific date of the invention of the flute, but judging by the finds of archaeologists, the first flutes existed 35-40,000 BC.

Flute range and registers

The lower register has a dull, full and somewhat cold sonority

The middle register is characterized by a gentle and weaker sound compared to other registers

The upper register has a clear, light and brilliant character.

There are many types of flutes, but they mainly differ in longitudinal and transverse. Longitudinal flutes have a wind hole at the end; when playing, the musician holds the longitudinal flute perpendicular to the line of the lips.

In the transverse one, the hole is on the side, so you have to hold it parallel to the lip line.
One of the most common types of longitudinal flute is the recorder. It is similar to a pipe and a whistle. The main fundamental difference between the recorder and these instruments is that in addition to the seven finger holes on the front, there is one more - an octave valve, which is located on the back.
European composers began to actively use the recorder in their works back in the 16th century. Bach, Vivaldi, Guendal and many others very often included the recorder in their works. With the advent of transverse flutes, a serious disadvantage of the recorder became noticeable - the sound was not loud enough. But, despite this, this instrument is still quite often present in the orchestra.
Despite the fact that transverse flutes appeared long before our era in China, the popularity of longitudinal flutes prevented them from becoming widespread for a long time. Only after the design of the transverse flute was improved by the German master Theobald Boehm in 1832, did it begin to appear in orchestras no less often than the longitudinal one. The transverse flute allows you to play sounds from the first to fourth octave.

Considered one of the most ancient on earth. And indeed, the first flutes, completely different from modern ones, appeared a very, very long time ago. To this day, in villages you can meet people who can make a primitive flute from dry wood in a few minutes, as was done thousands of years ago. Flutes were distributed throughout the world and went by many different names.

What's unusual?

As a rule, the sound in wind instruments is produced using a reed or reed, but not in the case of a flute. In it, music is born from the fact that the air flow is cut in two. Some types of flutes have whistles designed just like a regular sports whistle, and then the flute player just needs to blow air and play. If there is no whistle, the musician himself must direct the air stream so that it cuts on the edge. This mechanism is implemented in the orchestral transverse flute, as well as in some folk ones, for example, Japanese (shakuhachi).

Types of flutes

As a rule, folk varieties of flutes were longitudinal, that is, they were positioned vertically when played. Most often, a whistle was also present (hence the name of the whistle family). This can include Irish whistles, Slavic sopilki, pipes and ocarinas. They all have their own characteristics, but the most complex in terms of performance technique is the recorder. It has a larger range than the others, and is not tied to a specific key (for example, whistles can only play in one key, and musicians have to change several whistles from song to song).

The recorder has seven holes on the front side and one on the back. In turn, there are varieties of recorders associated with the range: bass, tenor, alto, soprano and sopranino. The technique of playing them is identical, only the tuning differs and the size of the instrument increases as the range decreases. Until the 18th century, the flute was used in orchestras, but was replaced by the transverse flute, which has a loud, bright sound and a large range.

For orchestra

In orchestral playing, as a rule, a transverse flute is used, unless the piece being performed requires another (for example, a piece for recorder). Its range is more than three octaves, starting from B in the small octave and ending with F sharp in the fourth octave. Notes for a flute are recorded in different timbres: somewhat dull, whispering in the lower part, clear and transparent in the middle, loud and harsh in the upper part... The transverse flute is a musical instrument that is used in both symphony and brass bands, and often in various chamber ensembles. The oldest transverse flute was discovered in the fifth century BC, in a tomb in China.

The first major design changes were made in the Baroque era. In the 18th century, transverse flutes of a new design began to compete with the recorders used in orchestras, and then completely replaced them. However, it was only in the twentieth century that instruments made of metal became widespread.

The melody of the flute can be very complex: it is often assigned orchestral solos, and many works require serious performance technique from the flutist. There are several varieties, also associated with lowering or raising the register: bass flute, alto, piccolo and some others, less common. Interesting fact: one of Mozart's most complex operas is called The Magic Flute.

Straight from Greece

There is another species, which has the beautiful name “syringa”. The syringa (flute) is a musical instrument of the ancient Greeks, closely related to the modern longitudinal flute. She is even mentioned in the Illiad. There were single-barreled and multi-barreled syringas (the latter later received the name “Pan flute”). As a rule, this word is translated into Russian as “pipe”. Ancient shepherds and peasants brightened up their leisure time by playing the syringa, but it was also used for musical accompaniment of various stage actions.

The pan flute is one of the most unusual folk wind instruments. It is a system of tubes of different lengths, open on one side and closed on the other. This instrument plays only in one key, but the sound is familiar to almost everyone: the famous flute melody “The Lonely Shepherd” is performed on the Pan flute.

Among other peoples

Wind instruments were ubiquitous. In China, there was a di transverse flute, which was made not only from traditional reeds and bamboo, but sometimes even from stone, mainly jade.

There is also one in Ireland, it bears the appropriate name - the Irish flute - and is mainly presented in the “simple system”, when the holes (there are six in total) are not closed by valves.

In Latin America, the longitudinal quena flute is common, in most cases having a G (sol) tuning.

Russian wooden wind flutes are represented by the flute, which can be single-barreled or double-barreled, the nozzle and its variety from the Kursk region - the pyzhatka.

A simpler instrument is the ocarina. It was made primarily from clay and played a large role in the music of Ancient China and several other cultures. The oldest examples of ocarina found by archaeologists are 12,000 years old.

Flute- a common name for a number of musical wind instruments from the woodwind group. It is one of the most ancient musical instruments in origin. Unlike other wind instruments, the flute produces sounds by cutting the air stream against an edge, instead of using a reed. A musician who plays the flute is usually called a flutist.

Types

The head of the flute family is the Great Flute. Each of the members of this instrumental family is nothing more than a reduced or enlarged copy of it. The following types are distinguished:

• Block flute(German: Blockflöte - flute with a block) - a type of longitudinal flute. This is a woodwind musical instrument from the whistle family. The design of the head part uses an insert (block). Related instruments: pipe, sopilka, whistle. The recorder differs from other similar instruments by the presence of 7 finger holes on the front side and one on the back - the so-called octave valve. The two lower holes are often made double. 8 fingers are used to close the holes when playing. To play notes, the so-called. fork fingerings (when the holes are closed not in order, but in a complex combination). Among the varieties of longitudinal flute, the recorder is defined as the most important. In European countries it has become widespread since the 11th century; Subsequently, the popularity of this instrument increased, as a result of which, from the 16th to the 18th centuries, the recorder was the most actively used and frequently encountered type of flute. The instrument is characterized by a soft, warm, cantilena (that is, melodious) timbre, but at the same time it has limited capabilities in terms of dynamics. The recorder is often used in musical works by such composers as J. S. Bach, A. Vivaldi, G. F. Handel, etc. Due to the fact that the sound of the recorder is rather weak, its popularity gradually declined due to the spread of the transverse flute. However, this variety is currently enjoying some interest for several reasons; among them is the tendency towards the revival of ancient music and the possibility of using the recorder as a teaching instrument (since the technique of playing it is relatively simple)
• Transverse flute(often just a flute; Italian flauto from Latin flatus - “wind, blow”; French flûte, English flute, German Flöte) is a woodwind musical instrument of the soprano register. The pitch of the sound on the flute changes by blowing (extracting harmonic consonances with the lips), as well as by opening and closing the holes with valves. Modern flutes are usually made of metal (nickel, silver, gold, platinum), less often of wood, and sometimes of glass, plastic and other composite materials. The name is due to the fact that during the playing process the musician holds the instrument not in a vertical, but in a horizontal position; the mouthpiece, accordingly, is located on the side. Flutes of this design appeared quite a long time ago, in late antiquity and ancient China (9th century BC). The modern stage of development of the transverse flute begins in 1832, when the German master T. Boehm improved it; Over time, this variety replaced the previously popular longitudinal flute. The transverse flute is characterized by a range from the first to the fourth octave; the lower register is soft and dull, the highest sounds, on the contrary, are shrill and whistling, and the middle and partly upper registers have a timbre that is described as gentle and melodious.
• Piccolo flute(often called simply piccolo or small flute; Italian flauto piccolo or ottavino, French petite flûte, German kleine Flöte) is a woodwind musical instrument, a type of transverse flute, the highest sounding instrument among wind instruments. It has a brilliant, fortified, shrill and whistling timbre. The small flute is half as long as an ordinary flute and sounds an octave higher, and a number of low sounds are impossible to produce on it. The range of the piccolo is from d² to c5 (D of the second octave to the fifth octave), there are also instruments that can play c² and cis². For ease of reading, notes are written an octave lower. Mechanically, the small flute is constructed identically to a regular one (except for the absence of “D-flat” and “C” of the first octave) and, therefore, is characterized by generally the same performance features. Initially, within the orchestra (starting from the second half of the 18th century), the small flute was intended to strengthen and extend upward the extreme octaves of the large flute, and it was recommended to use it in opera or ballet rather than in symphonic works. This was due to the fact that in the early stages of its existence, due to insufficient improvement, the small flute was characterized by a rather harsh and somewhat rough sound, as well as a low degree of flexibility. It should also be noted that this type of flute goes quite well with ringing percussion instruments and drums; In addition, the small flute can be combined into an octave with the oboe, which also gives rise to an expressive sound.
• Syringa(Greek σῦριγξ) - an ancient Greek musical instrument, a type of longitudinal flute. The term first appears in Homer's Iliad (X.13). A distinction was made between single-barrel syringa (σῦριγξ μονοκάλαμος) and multi-barrel syringa (σῦριγξ πολυκάλαμος); the latter later became known as the Pan flute. Russian translators traditionally render σῦριγξ with the somewhat indistinct word “pipe”. The Greek word served as the anatomical name for the vocal organ of birds (see syrinx). Syrinx is known as a traditional wind instrument of shepherds and peasants in antiquity. This variety often appears in ancient Greek poetry; It was also used for musical accompaniment of stage performances, including in Ancient Rome. Subsequently, the instrument also penetrated into later European folk music.
• Pan Flute(panflute) - a class of woodwind instruments, a multi-barreled flute consisting of several (2 or more) hollow tubes of various lengths. The lower ends of the tubes are closed, the upper ends are open. The name is due to the fact that in antiquity the invention of this type of flute was mythologically attributed to the deity of forests and fields, Pan. When playing, the musician directs a flow of air from one end of the tubes to the other, as a result of which the air columns contained inside begin to oscillate, and the instrument produces a whistle of a certain height; Each tube produces one basic sound, the acoustic characteristics of which depend on its length and diameter. Accordingly, the number and size of the tubes determine the range of the panflute. The instrument may have a movable or fixed plug; Depending on this, various methods of fine-tuning it are used.
• Di(笛, 笛子, from the Old Chinese hengchui, hendi - transverse flute) is an ancient Chinese wind instrument, a transverse flute with 6 playing holes. In most cases, the trunk of the di is made of bamboo or reed, but there are di made of other types of wood and even stone, most often jade. Di is one of the most common wind instruments in China. It is assumed that this type of flute entered the country from Central Asia in the 2nd-1st centuries BC. e. The hole for injecting air is located near the closed end of the barrel; in the immediate vicinity of the latter there is another hole, which is covered with a thin film of reeds or reeds (there is, however, an option without a film, which is called “mendi”). For adjustment, the remaining four holes are used, which are located at the open end of the barrel. This instrument is played in the same way as a transverse flute. Depending on its use in works of certain genres, two types of di are distinguished: quidi and baidi.
• Irish flute(English: Irish flute) is a transverse flute used to perform Irish (as well as Scottish, Breton, etc.) folk music. It is a transverse flute, the so-called. a simple system - its main 6 holes are not closed by valves; when playing, they are closed directly by the performer’s fingers. The Irish flute is found in versions with valves (from one to ten), and without. Despite the corresponding name, the Irish flute, by its origin, has no direct connection with Ireland. It is essentially an English version of the transverse wooden flute, which for quite a long period of time was known as the "German flute"; the British subjected it to certain modifications, and the most significant of them were introduced by the English inventor and performer C. Nicholson Jr. Many classical and some modern variations on this flute's theme include the use of metal valves and additional tone holes, allowing partial or full chromatic scales to be achieved.
• Kena(Quechua qina, Spanish quena) is a longitudinal flute used in the music of the Andean region of Latin America. Usually made from reed. Has six upper and one lower finger holes. Typically made in G tuning. The quenacho flute (Quechua qinachu, Spanish quenacho) is a lower-sounding variant of the quena, in D tuning. In the 1960s and 1970s, the quena was actively used by some musicians working within the nueva canción movement . In most cases, the instrument was used in specific song compositions, but certain groups, such as Illapu, used its capabilities regularly. Subsequently, in the 1980s and 1990s, the quena was also used by rock bands - for example, Soda Stereo or Enanitos Verdes. The instrument is also found in ethnic music.
• Pipe- Russian wind instrument, a type of longitudinal flute. Sometimes it can be double-barreled, with one of the barrels usually having a length of 300-350 mm, the second - 450-470 mm. At the upper end of the barrel there is a whistle device, at the lower part there are 3 side holes for changing the pitch of sounds. The trunks are tuned to a fourth and give a generally diatonic scale in the volume of a seventh. In addition, a pipe can also be understood as an outdated wind instrument, which was characterized by a double reed inserted into a special cup; Subsequently, on its basis, by somewhat simplifying the design (in particular, eliminating the use of a cup), the oboe was developed. In this meaning, the flute is related to the bombarda, a woodwind instrument that was the predecessor of the bassoon. The flute was historically its first and smallest type.
• Pyzhatka- Russian folk musical instrument, wooden flute, traditional for the Kursk region of Russia. It is a wooden tube with a diameter of 15-25 mm and a length of 40-70 cm, into one end of which a wooden plug (“wad”) with an oblique cut is inserted, directing the blown air to the pointed edge of a small square hole (“whistle”). The term "pyzhatka" can also be considered as a synonym for the concept of sopel - a type of longitudinal whistle flute, which is also a traditional Russian folk wind instrument, the most ancient of those in use among the Eastern Slavs. This variety was characterized by a diatonic scale and a range of up to two octaves; by changing the strength of the air flow and using special fingerings, a chromatic scale was also achievable. It is actively used by amateur groups both as a solo and as an ensemble instrument.
• Whistle(from the English tin whistle, literally translated as “tin whistle, pipe”, pronunciation options (Russian): whistle, visl, the first is more common) - a folk longitudinal flute with six holes on the front side, widely used in Irish folk music, Scotland, England and some other countries. The most popular are small whistles in the key of D. They are tuned an octave higher than other wind instruments (a regular flute, for example, or bagpipes), and the notes for them, accordingly, are written an octave lower. However, the popularity of the so-called is also increasing. low whistle - a longer modification of the instrument that sounds in approximately the same range as a regular flute. There are whistles in other keys; they are defined as transposable (that is, all whistles are considered instruments in the key of D, even if they actually sound higher or lower).
• Ocarina- an ancient wind musical instrument, a clay whistle flute. It is a small egg-shaped chamber with holes for fingers ranging from four to thirteen. Multi-chamber ocarinas may have more openings (depending on the number of chambers). Usually made of ceramic, but sometimes also made of plastic, wood, glass or metal.

Story

The flute is one of the oldest musical instruments; official sources date its appearance to 35 - 40 thousand years BC. But perhaps this amazing musical instrument is much earlier.
The prototype of the flute is an ordinary whistle, the sound of which appears when a stream of air oscillates, which is cut by the sharp edge of a tree or other material.
There were different types of whistles; they were made of clay, stone, and wood. They existed among most peoples as various signaling devices, children's toys and as musical instruments.
Later, holes were cut in the whistle tube, by clamping which it was possible to adjust the pitch of the sound. Chromatic frets were formed using finger combinations and closing the holes halfway or one-quarterway. An increase in sound by an octave occurred by increasing the strength and/or direction of breathing. Gradually, the whistle tube became longer, and there were more holes. The sound range expanded, the melodies and playing techniques became more complex.
The Middle Ages period is characterized by the emergence of instrumental ensembles at courts. Longitudinal and transverse flutes were in fashion. During the Renaissance, the best wind instruments were made in Venice and Bologna. Until the end of the 16th century, performers used longitudinal flutes of various sizes - treble, alto, tenor, bass. Their range ranged from 2 to 2.5 octaves. Their sound was pleasant, soft, but very weak, inexpressive, uneven in strength and not always accurate in pitch. The reason was that the playing holes were located where it was convenient to close them with your fingers, and not based on acoustic requirements. Ensembles of 20 people were made up of flutes.
The first orchestras appeared in the 17th century. Monteverdi in the opera “Orpheus” introduced only one small flute into the group of wind instruments of the orchestra, which played serene shepherd’s tunes, creating a pastoral flavor for a number of scenes. As the orchestra developed, the role of flutes increased, and in the operas of the German composer G. Schutz they no longer only accompanied singing, as in others, but enriched it, complemented it and competed with it. There is an assumption that the transverse flute originated in Germany. It was made from one piece of wood, had 6 holes covered with fingers and one for blowing air. The Old German flute covered 2.5 octaves - from D first to A third. The bore of the barrel was conical, tapering towards the end, due to which the sound was soft, gentle, but not strong (although louder than that of the longitudinal one), and most importantly, more expressive. The lowest sound was obtained from shaking the air column in the flute tube; others shortened it, i.e. all sounds corresponded to the main holes, and intermediate “chromatic” steps were obtained using “forked fingering” or “fork grip”. The drilling of the tube of the old German flute had a reverse-conical drilling, in which the largest diameter span was at the “head” of the flute, and the smallest at its “foot”, i.e. the drilling tapered towards the bottom of the instrument, allowing fingers to be comfortably placed on the surface of the flute. In Renaissance England, theater orchestras used the flute in wedding scenes. At the same time, the famous English composer Purcell wrote the Flute Sonata for the first time.
The most significant works for flute at the beginning of the 12th century were created by J. S. Bach. He wrote a large number of works for the flute and with its participation. The composer had an excellent knowledge of the technique of playing the flute, its timbre and color capabilities, and loved its light, silvery, singing tone. The flute sonatas of J. S. Bach stand out, written under the influence of the playing of the famous virtuoso flutist Johann Joachim Quantz, who introduced Bach to all the techniques of playing the flute.
Working on improving the flute. Quantz made an adjusting screw for the plug of the head of the instrument. In 1770, P. Florio made an additional valve, and he was so afraid that someone would find out about it that he covered this part of the flute with a case. Additional valves for the flute were invented at different times by other masters (D. Tessit in England. I. Tromlitz in Germany, P. Pegersen in Denmark, etc.). This made it possible to obtain halftones, making it easier to play, but did not rid the flute of the shortcomings that still exist: inaccurate intonation, uneven sound in different registers.
The 19th century became a huge laboratory for the constructive improvement of the flute, which affected the development of performance, pedagogy and repertoire. This was also facilitated by the emergence of professional orchestras in the USA and Western Europe.
The most significant figure in the field of flute playing in the 19th century was Theobald Böhm (1794-1881). A famous German musician, he toured extensively throughout Europe and his performances were a great success. Boehm is the author of many works (for example, 24 capriccio etudes) and textbooks for the flute. His musical talent was combined with passion and ingenuity. Once in London, Boehm met with the English flutist W. Gorden, who amazed him with his playing. It turned out that Gorden had developed a new flute design, but was unable to complete it. This is what Boehm did, proposing in 1832 a new model equipped with ring valves. But the designer himself did not like it, because... was imperfect. Second model (1846-1847). embodied everything. what was required of the flute in terms of its acoustic, expressive and virtuoso abilities. Boehm made a revolution in the design: he replaced the conical bore of the barrel (reverse-conical drilling) with a cylindrical one, improving the quality and fidelity of the sound, greatly expanding the boundaries of the instrument to three full octaves or more, positioning the playing holes in exact accordance with the acoustic calculation, making their diameter large ( on the ancient flute the holes were very small), and all the holes were equipped with conveniently located plate-shaped and ring valves, which made it possible to achieve even sound and the ability to more easily perform various complex gamma-shaped and arpeggiated passages, trills, and tremolos. Now, by closing one valve, you can at the same time open the auxiliary hole. A complex valve system made it possible to close several holes at once by pressing the lever of one valve. Boehm based his calculations not on the convenience of the arrangement of holes and valves, but on the “acoustic principles of better resonance,” precisely establishing the scale length (the ratio of the length to the diameter of the tube). The performer's finger no longer completely closed the holes, which led to an ingenious system of valves located so conveniently that it became possible to cope with the most difficult technical constructions.
Although the flute has not yet been freed from some annoying flaws in its design, due to only partial use of the proposals of outstanding flute masters. But these shortcomings are not so significant - a few unplayable trills and especially difficult moves. Supporters of the old German flute complained that the Boehm flute destroyed the beauty of sound characteristic of the old flute (and this is partly fair). But the sound of Boehm's flute is fuller, richer, rounder, the most complex technical patterns are accessible to her, which she overcomes with amazing ease and outward ease. Its sound is crystal clear, melodious, but rather cold. As a result of all the improvements, the flute received even greater recognition from major composers, enriching their work and decorating orchestral scores with new timbre colors.
The main development paths in the history of performance were determined by the famous works for flute by G. Fauré (“Fantasy”). S. Chaminade (“Concertino”), A. Dvorak (“Serenade”) and others.

Many more types of flutes are used in folk and then professional music. Meet some of them and listen to their wonderful sound.

or small flute; (Italian flauto piccolo or ottavino, French petite flûte, German kleine Flöte) - a type of transverse flute, the highest sounding instrument among wind instruments. It has a brilliant, fortified, shrill and whistling timbre. The small flute is half as long as an ordinary flute and sounds an octave higher, and a number of low sounds are impossible to produce on it.

- An ancient Greek musical instrument, a type of longitudinal flute. The term first appears in Homer's Iliad (X.13). There were single-barrel and multi-barrel syringa.

The latter later became known as the Pan flute.

(panflute) - a class of woodwind instruments, a multi-barreled flute consisting of several (2 or more) hollow tubes of various lengths. The lower ends of the tubes are closed, the upper ends are open.
The name is due to the fact that in antiquity the invention of this type of flute was mythologically attributed to the deity of forests and fields, Pan.

Di(from the Old Chinese henchui, handi - transverse flute) is an ancient Chinese wind instrument with 6 playing holes. In most cases, the trunk of the di is made of bamboo or reed, but there are di made of other types of wood and even stone, most often jade. Di is one of the most common wind instruments in China.

(English: Irish flute) - a transverse flute used to perform Irish (as well as Scottish, Breton, etc.) folk music. The Irish flute is found in versions with valves (from one to ten), and without. Despite the corresponding name, the Irish flute, by its origin, has no direct connection with Ireland. In essence, it is an English modification of the transverse wooden flute, which for quite a long period of time was known as the "German flute."

(Quechua qina, Spanish quena) - a longitudinal flute used in the music of the Andean region of Latin America. Usually made from reed. Has six upper and one lower finger holes. In the 1960s and 1970s, the quena was actively used by some musicians working within the nueva canción movement.

- Russian wind instrument, a type of longitudinal flute. Sometimes it can be double-barreled, with one of the barrels usually having a length of 300-350 mm, the second - 450-470 mm. At the upper end of the barrel there is a whistle device, at the lower part there are 3 side holes for changing the pitch of sounds. The trunks are tuned to a fourth and give a generally diatonic scale in the volume of a seventh.

- Russian folk musical instrument, wooden flute. It is a wooden tube with a diameter of 15-25 mm and a length of 40-70 cm, into one end of which a wooden plug (“wad”) is inserted.

- a type of longitudinal whistle flute, which is also a traditional Russian folk wind instrument, the most ancient of those in use among the Eastern Slavs. This variety was characterized by a diatonic scale and a range of up to two octaves. Actively used by amateur groups both as a solo and as an ensemble instrument.

(from the English tin whistle, literally translated as “tin whistle, pipe”, pronunciation options (Russian): whistle, visl, the first is more common) - a folk longitudinal flute with six holes on the front side, widely used in Irish folk music, Scotland, England and some other countries.