1.
Flute
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The flute is a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening, according to the instrument classification of Hornbostel–Sachs, flutes are categorized as edge-blown aerophones. A musician who plays the flute can be referred to as a player, flautist, flutist or, less commonly. Flutes are the earliest extant musical instruments, as paleolithic instruments with hand-bored holes have been found, a number of flutes dating to about 43,000 to 35,000 years ago have been found in the Swabian Jura region of present-day Germany. These flutes demonstrate that a musical tradition existed from the earliest period of modern human presence in Europe. Flutes, including the famous Bansuri, have been a part of Indian classical music since 1500 BC. A major deity of Hinduism, Krishna, has been associated with the flute, the English verb flout has the same linguistic root, and the modern Dutch verb fluiten still shares the two meanings. Attempts to trace the word back to the Latin flare have been pronounced phonologically impossible or inadmissable, the first known use of the word flute was in the 14th century. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, this was in Geoffrey Chaucers The Hous of Fame, today, a musician who plays any instrument in the flute family can be called a flutist, or flautist, or simply a flute player. Flutist dates back to at least 1603, the earliest quote cited by the Oxford English Dictionary, flautist was used in 1860 by Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Marble Faun, after being adopted during the 18th century from Italy, like many musical terms in England since the Italian Renaissance. Other English terms, now obsolete, are fluter and flutenist. The oldest flute ever discovered may be a fragment of the femur of a cave bear. In 2008 another flute dated back to at least 35,000 years ago was discovered in Hohle Fels cave near Ulm, the five-holed flute has a V-shaped mouthpiece and is made from a vulture wing bone. The researchers involved in the officially published their findings in the journal Nature. The flute, one of several found, was found in the Hohle Fels cavern next to the Venus of Hohle Fels, on announcing the discovery, scientists suggested that the finds demonstrate the presence of a well-established musical tradition at the time when modern humans colonized Europe. Scientists have also suggested that the discovery of the flute may help to explain the probable behavioural and cognitive gulf between Neanderthals and early modern human. A three-holed flute,18.7 cm long, made from a mammoth tusk was discovered in 2004, the earliest extant Chinese transverse flute is a chi flute discovered in the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng at the Suizhou site, Hubei province, China. It dates from 433 BC, of the later Zhou Dynasty and it is fashioned of lacquered bamboo with closed ends and has five stops that are at the flutes side instead of the top
2.
Western concert flute
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The Western concert flute is a transverse woodwind instrument made of metal or wood. It is the most common variant of the flute, a musician who plays the flute is called a flautist, flutist, flute player, or fluter. This type of flute is used in ensembles including concert bands, military bands, marching bands, orchestras, flute ensembles. Other flutes in this include the piccolo, alto flute. A large repertory of works has been composed for flute, the flute is one of the oldest and most widely used wind instruments. The precursors of the concert flute were keyless wooden transverse flutes. These were later modified to include one and eight keys for chromatic notes. The most common pitch for keyless wooden traverse flutes is six-finger D, keyless traverse flutes continue to be used in folk music and in historically informed performances of Baroque music. Throughout the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, transverse flutes were very uncommon in Europe, 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 them from others. The flute became used in music, along with the viol. 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, 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 spread to all of Europe. In the late 16th century, flutes began to appear in court and theatre music, following the 16th century court music, flutes began appearing in chamber ensembles. These flutes were used as the tenor voice. However, flutes varied greatly in size and range and this made transposition necessary, which led flutists to use Guidonian hexachords to transpose music more easily. At this stage, the flute was usually made in one section and had a cylindrical bore
3.
Bansuri
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A bansuri is a side blown flute found in many parts of India and Nepal, and a musical instrument that is common in the North Indian or Hindustani classical music. It is an aerophone produced from bamboo, and a flute is called Venu in the South Indian or Carnatic classical music. The bansuri flute is an ancient musical instrument of the Indian subcontinent and it is called nadi and tunava in the Rigveda and other Vedic texts of Hinduism. Its importance and operation is discussed in the Sanskrit text Natya Shastra, a bansuri is traditionally made from a single hollow shaft of bamboo with six or eight finger holes, but modern designs come in ivory, fiberglass and various metals. The six hole instrument covers two and a half octaves of music, the bansuri is typically between 30 centimetres and 75 centimetres in length, and the thickness of a human thumb. One end is closed, and few centimeters from the end is its blow hole. Longer bansuris feature deeper tones and lower pitches, the traditional design features no mechanical keys, and the musician creates the notes she wants by tapping the various finger holes. The bansuri-like flute is depicted in ancient Buddhist, Hindu and Jaina temple paintings and reliefs and it is intimately linked to the love story of Krishna and Radha. The bansuri is revered as Lord Krishnas divine instrument and is associated with Krishnas Rasa lila dance. These legends sometimes use alternate names for this instrument, such as the murali. However, the instrument is common among other traditions such as Shaivism. The word bansuri originates in the bans + sur, a phonetically similar same for the same instrument, in early medieval texts, is the Sanskrit word vamsi which is derived from root vamsa meaning bamboo. A flute player in these texts is called vamsika. According to Ardal Powell, flute is an instrument found in numerous ancient cultures. There are three legendary and archeologically verifiable birthplace sites of flutes, Egypt, Greece and India, of these, the transverse flute appeared only in ancient India, while the fipple flutes are found in all three. It is likely, states Powell, that the modern Indian bansuri has not changed much since the medieval era. The early medieval Indian bansuri was, however, influential, the flute is discussed as an important musical instrument in the Natya Shastra, the classic Sanskrit text on music and performance arts. The flute is mentioned in many Hindu texts on music and singing, as complementary to the human sound and Veena
4.
Dizi (instrument)
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The dizi, is a Chinese transverse flute. It is also known as the di or héngdi, and has varieties including the qǔdi and bāngdi. These names are likely to have multiple spellings, too, depending on the used to convert from Chinese names. Nonetheless, dizi seems to be the most common used in the West. The dizi is a major Chinese musical instrument, and is used in many genres of Chinese folk music, as well as Chinese opera. Traditionally, the dizi has also been popular among the Chinese common people, most dizi are made of bamboo, which explains why dizi are sometimes known by simple names such as Chinese bamboo flute. However, bamboo is perhaps more of a Chinese instrument classification like woodwind in the West, Northern Chinese dizi are made from purple or violet bamboo, while dizi made in Suzhou and Hangzhou are made from white bamboo. Dizi produced in southern Chinese regions such as Chaozhou are often made of slender, lightweight. Although bamboo is the material for the dizi, it is also possible to find dizi made from other kinds of wood. The dizi is not the only bamboo flute of China, although it is certainly distinctive, other Chinese bamboo wind instruments include the vertical end-blown xiao and the koudi. There are many suggestions for the source of dizi, while legend suggest it was the invention of the Yellow Emperor, who wanted to make the bamboo a musical instrument, others suggest that dizi was imported into China during the Han Dynasty. Recently, archaeologists have discovered evidence suggesting that the simple transverse flutes have been present in China for over 9,000 years, fragments of bone flutes from this period are still playable today, and are remarkably similar to modern versions in terms of hole placement, etc. The Jiahu neolithic site in central Henan province of China has yielded flutes dating back to 7,000 BC -5,000 BC that could represent the earliest playable instruments ever found. These flutes were carved with five to eight holes, and is capable of producing varied sounds in a nearly accurate octave. The dizi as we know it today dates to the 5th century BC. There are examples of bamboo dizi that date back to 2nd century BC that has been found and these flutes share common features of other simple flutes from cultures all around the world, including the ney, an end-blown cane flute which was depicted in Egyptian paintings and stone carvings. In fact, recent archeological discoveries in Africa suggest that the history of such flutes may date back a long way in human history indeed. Traditionally dizi is made by using a piece of bamboo
5.
Fue
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Fue is the Japanese word for flute, and refers to a class of flutes native to Japan. Fue come in varieties, but are generally high-pitched and made of a bamboo called shinobue. The most popular of the fue is the shakuhachi, fue are traditionally broken up into two basic categories – the transverse flute and the end-blown flute. Transverse flutes are held to the side, with the musician blowing across a hole near one end, end-blown flutes are held vertically, the earliest fue may have developed from pitch pipes called paixiao in Chinese. The gabachi instruments eventually made its way over to Japan from China in the fifth century, soon after the introduction of fue instruments, members of the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism made normal use of the shakuhachi. These priests of nothingness viewed the instruments as spiritual tools, using them for suizen, modern fue performance may feature a soloist or involve either a chamber or large ensemble of the instruments. Japanese fue include many different varieties of Japanese flute, including the following
6.
Irish flute
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The vast majority of traditional Irish flute players use a wooden, simple-system flute. The Irish flute is a system, transverse flute which plays a diatonic scale as the tone holes are successively uncovered. Most flutes from the Classical era, and some of modern manufacture include metal keys, due to its wooden construction, characteristic embouchure and direct fingering, the simple system flute has a distinctly different timbre from the Western concert flute. Most Irish flute players tend to strive for a dark and reedy tone in comparison to classical flautists. Though most commonly pitched in the key of D, simple system flutes are available pitched in other keys, although referred to as a D flute, this is a non-transposing instrument, so if you finger C, a concert-pitch C is sounded. The name D-flute comes from the fact that the simplest 6-hole wooden flute has D as its lowest note, the E-flat, B flat and C versions are transposing instruments. The flute has six main finger-holes, for a D flute, with X symbolizing a covered finger-hole and O symbolizing an uncovered finger-hole, all holes covered, can be represented as XXX-XXX = D. As the scale progresses, XXX-XXO = E, XXX-XOO = F#, XXX-OOO = G, XXO-OOO = A, XOO-OOO = B, OOO-OOO = C#, wooden flutes have a cylindrical bore in the head and a conical bore in the body. This bore is largest at the end, tapering down to a smaller bore at the foot. This has the effect of shortening the flute for a given pitch, there is some confusion with modern players in that a modern Boehm keyed system flute is typically pitched in C. The Boehm flute has a bore and uses keys to enable the tone holes to be in the ideal place. Despite the implication of this commonly used name, the Irish flute is not an instrument indigenous to Ireland, the simple system, conical-bore flute is what people played before the advent of the modern, Boehm system, Western concert flute in the mid-19th century. Simple-system flutes are made of wood. There were several manufacturers of this type of flute, among whom was English inventor and flautist Charles Nicholson Jr, george Rudall was an amateur player of some importance who studied for a time under the junior Nicholson before teaching on his own. He was introduced to John Mitchell Rose in c.1820, the Pratten has wider bore dimensions and provides a bigger sound. Many of these original flutes had a joint that allowed the playing of both C# and C with the use of keys, typically pewter plugs that fit into silver plates. Simple system flutes were not made with traditional musicians in mind. Also, an upturn in the conditions in Ireland from the middle of the 19th century meant that more people were able to acquire instruments
7.
Members of the western concert flute family
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The western concert flute family has a wide range of instruments. The piccolo is the member of the flute family, with a range an octave above that of the concert flute. Its usually the instrument within orchestras and bands. The piccolo has a stereotype for being difficult to play in tune, the treble flute is pitched in the key of G, a fifth above the concert flute. The instrument is today, only occasionally found in flute choirs or private collections. This distinctive sounding instrument is found at present. A few American publications for flute choir currently include a part for an Eb flute, in these publications, an alternative part is provided either for the C Flute or for the piccolo. The standard concert flute is by far the most common member of the flute family, the flute is used in many ensembles including concert bands, orchestras, flute ensembles, occasionally jazz bands and big bands. The instrument is pitched in C and has a range of just over three octaves starting from the musical note C4, however, some experienced flautists are able to reach C8, many professional flutes have a longer B-foot joint, which can reach B3. The flûte damour or flauto damore is pitched in either A or B♭ and is intermediate in size between the modern C concert flute and the flute in G. It is the soprano member of the flute family. It is sometimes referred to as a tenor flute, the range of the instrument is from A♭3 to E7. The B♭ version is used for jazz because both the tenor saxophone and clarinet are in B♭. The alto flute is characterized by its distinct, mellow tone in the portion of its range. The tube of the flute is considerably thicker and longer than a C flute. However, this gives it a dynamic presence in the bottom octave. It is pitched in the key of G with its range stretching from G3 to G6, the headjoint may be straight or curved. The bass flute is pitched in the key of C, because of the length of its tube, it is usually made with a curved headjoint, sometimes in a J shape, to bring the embouchure hole within reach of the player
8.
Fife (instrument)
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A fife /ˈfaɪf/ is a small, high-pitched, transverse flute, that is similar to the piccolo, but louder and shriller due to its narrower bore. The fife originated in medieval Europe and is used in military. Someone who plays the fife is called a fifer, the word fife comes from the German Pfeife, or pipe, which comes from the Latin word pipare. The fife is an instrument usually consisting of a tube with 6 finger holes. Some have 10 or 11 holes for added chromatics, the fife also has an embouchure hole, across which the player blows, and a cork or plug inside the tube just above the embouchure hole. Some nineteenth-century fifes had a key pressed by the finger of the right hand in place of a seventh finger hole. Fifes are made mostly of wood, grenadilla, rosewood, mopane, pink ivory, cocobolo, boxwood and other woods are superior, maple and persimmon are inferior. Some Caribbean music makes use of bamboo fifes, Military and marching fifes have metal reinforcing bands around the ends to protect them from damage. Fifes used in strenuous conditions sometimes have a lathe-turned, knob-like decoration at the ends for similar reasons. Some fifes are entirely made of metal or plastic, some modern fifes are of two-piece construction with a sliding tuning joint similar to some recorders. The standard fife is an A-flat transposing instrument, meaning that prevailing scoring conventions dictate that the C position on a fife-part staff should correspond to a concert A-flat, the standard fife sounds a minor sixth above written. Fifes pitched in the keys of D and of C are also common, fifes in various other keys are sometimes played in musical ensembles. A common convention specific to fife music and contradictory to those above is for music to be written in the key of D regardless of the key in which the fife in question sounds. Like the Irish flute and the tinwhistle, the fife is a simple system flute. These flutes are unable to play all chromatic pitches, while many of the pitches they can play are grossly out of tune. This tuning irregularity is part of the sound of the fife. An experienced fife player can play 3 full octaves although the fingering patterns necessary for playing in the octave can be daunting to a beginner. Marching bands typically play only in the second and third octave since these are the loudest and most penetrating, in medieval Europe, the fife was used in some folk music traditions to accompany dancing by all social classes
9.
Embouchure
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The embouchure is the use of facial muscles and the shaping of the lips to the mouthpiece of woodwind instruments or the mouthpiece of the brass instruments. The word is of French origin and is related to the root bouche, the proper embouchure allows the instrumentalist to play the instrument at its full range with a full, clear tone and without strain or damage to ones muscles. While performing on an instrument, the sound is produced by the player buzzing his or her lips into a mouthpiece. Pitches are changed in part through altering the amount of muscular contraction in the lip formation, the performers use of the air, tightening of cheek and jaw muscles, as well as tongue manipulation can affect how the embouchure works. Even today, many brass pedagogues take an approach to teaching how a brass players embouchure should function. Many of these authors also disagree with each other regarding which technique is correct, research suggests efficient brass embouchures depend on the player using the method that suits that players particular anatomy. In 1962, Philip Farkas hypothesized that the air stream traveling through the lip aperture should be directed straight down the shank of the mouthpiece and he believed that it would be illogical to violently deflect the air stream downward at the point of where the air moves past the lips. In this text, Farkas also recommends that the lower jaw be protruded so that the upper and lower teeth are aligned, in 1970, Farkas published a second text which contradicted his earlier writing. Out of 40 subjects, Farkas showed that 39 subjects directed the air downward to varying degrees, the lower jaw position seen in these photographs show more variation from his earlier text as well. This supports what was written by trombonist and brass pedagogue Donald S. Reinhardt in 1942. According to this text, players who place the mouthpiece higher on the lips, so that more upper lip is inside the mouthpiece. Performers who place the lower, so that more lower lip is inside the mouthpiece. In order for the performer to be successful, the air stream direction, lloyd Leno confirmed the existence of both upstream and downstream embouchures. More controversial was Reinhardts description and recommendations regarding a phenomenon he termed a pivot, whether the player uses one general pivot direction or the other, and the degree to which the motion is performed, depends on the performers anatomical features and stage of development. The placement of the mouthpiece upon the lips doesnt change, but rather the relationship of the rim, later research supports Reinhardts claim that this motion exists and might be advisable for brass performers to adopt. Froelich noted that the symphonic trombonists used the least amount of direct and shear forces and recommends this model be followed. Other research notes that virtually all brass performers rely upon the upward and downward embouchure motion, other authors and pedagogues remain skeptical about the necessity of this motion, but scientific evidence supporting this view has not been sufficiently developed at this time to support this view. Some noted brass pedagogues prefer to instruct the use of the embouchure from an analytical point of view
10.
Whistle
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An aerodynamic whistle is a simple aerophone, an instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, whistles vary in size from a small slide whistle or nose flute type to a large multi-piped church organ. Whistles have been around since humans first carved out a gourd or branch. In prehistoric Egypt, small shells were used as whistles, many present day wind instruments are inheritors of these early whistles. With the rise of mechanical power, other forms of whistles have been developed. One characteristic of a whistle is that it creates a pure, or nearly pure, there are many ways to create pure tones, but we restrict the descriptions here to what are called aerodynamic whistles. Strictly speaking, they are fluid mechanical whistles since they occur in gases, such as air or steam, as well as in liquids, the only difference between them is the fluid density and the sound speed. The word aerodynamic whistle is used here since it is in common use, the conversion of flow energy to sound comes from an interaction between a solid material and a fluid stream. The forces in some whistles are sufficient to set the material in motion. Classic examples are Aeolian tones that result in galloping power lines, other examples are circular disks set into vibration. The whistles described in this article are in a subclass where only the fluid is in motion, joseph Hudson set up J Hudson & Co in Birmingham, UK in 1870. With his younger brother James, he designed the Acme City brass whistle and this became the first referee whistle used at association football matches during the 1878–79 Football Association Cup match between Nottingham Forest and Sheffield. Prior to the introduction of the whistle, handkerchiefs were used by the umpires to signal to the players, in 1883 he began experimenting with pea-whistle designs that could produce an intense sound that could grab attention from over a mile away. His invention was discovered by accident, when he dropped his violin. Observing how the discordant sound of the breaking strings travelled, Hudson had the idea to put a pea in the whistle, prior to this, whistles were much quieter, and were only thought of as musical instruments or toys for children. After observing the problems that local police were having with effectively communicating with rattles, Hudson demonstrated his whistle to Scotland Yard and was awarded his first contract in 1884. This police whistle monopoly gradually made Hudson the largest whistle manufacturer in the world, supplying police forces and his whistle is still used by many forces worldwide. His design, was improved as the Acme Thunderer, the first ever pea whistle, in 1987, Ron Foxcroft released the Fox 40 pealess whistle, designed to replace the pea whistle and be more reliable
