Theobald Boehm invented the modern flute. He connected a bowl-shaped head to a cylindrical centre with large finger holes and open-standing keys. Several small developments have been made after that.
Flute Construction
Modern flutes are often around twenty-six inches long and 0.75 inches wide. There are two open ends which makes it an open cylinder. There are sixteen openings in total; eleven are closed by seven fingers, one is closed by the left thumb, and four can be opened or blocked by arranged keys.
Flute Categories
For most flutes, the flute player blows straight across from the edge of the embouchure. These are called end-blown. Another basic type is the side-blown flute. Here, the player blows through the hole located at the side of the tube. Another model is the fipple flute which manoeuvres the air through a duct onto the edge. Fipple flutes are easier to play and has a well defined timbre compared to other flutes. Here are the categories of flutes based on origin:
1. Western concert flutes
The western concert flute is a descendant of the German flute. It is shut at the top and the mouthpiece hole is placed near the top. Besides the piccolo, the usual concert flute can play three octaves beginning from middle C which gives it one of the highest pitches in the orchestra.
2. Chinese flute
Also referred to as di, the Chinese flute have many varieties with diverse sizes, number of holes, intonations, and structures. The majority of di are made of bamboo. The membrane on one of the holes that vibrates with the air inside is the distinct characteristic of Chinese flutes. The flute has an intense and bright sound because of this.
3. Indian bamboo flute
This instrument is essential in Indian classical music. Compared to western flutes, the Indian bamboo flute is simpler because they do not have any keys and are made of bamboo. The Bansuri and the Venu are two basic kinds of Indian flutes. The Bansuri is an eight-holed flute and has one embouchure hole near the top while the Venu has eight finger holes and requires the cross-fingering technique.
4. Japanese flute
Japanese flutes are called fue and these come in mixed kinds. Most are high-pitched and made of bamboo. There are two varieties of fue. One which has a hole on both ends is the end-blown flute. The other is the transverse flute which is held horizontally with the embouchure hole only near one end.
How does the flute work?
A rapid jet of air blown by the flute player from the mouthpiece is the source of power for playing the instrument. The blown air together with the resonances in the air inside the flute causes oscillation and thus vibration. As the air in the flute is vibrating, the energy from the jet of air is converted to sound which comes out of the end and the open holes.
Different areas in the flute's cylindrical body induce the air to oscillate more smoothly in certain areas. The pitch of the sound produced is determined when certain holes are covered.