Flutes
The flute is known as a non-transposing instrument, meaning that it is in the key of C and therefore does not need to transpose music.
The flute can read and play along with the same music
as a piano or a guitar.
Like the clarinet and
saxophone, the flute is a member of the woodwind family because at one
point it was actually made out of wood. Today, flutes are made out of
nickel or silver, depending on the level of the instrument.
How does the flute work?
Producing
a tone on the flute is similar to blowing across the top of a bottle: with the embouchure plate resting gently against your lower lip and the
embouchure hole centered in front of your lips, blow gently across the
embouchure hole.
Vibrations are created as the
stream of air hits the edge of the embouchure plate. The frequency of
the vibration is determined by the distance the air must travel before
escaping the flute.
Tone holes are carefully positioned on the body of
the instrument to create correct intonation for each note. As each key
is depressed, its pad (soft felt covered with a thin skin) stops the
airflow through that tone hole. As the distance the air must travel
increases, the tone gets lower.
What are the different types of flutes?
Beginner flutes
Beginner flutes are usually made of nickel silver, an inexpensive
and tough metal. This is appropriate for beginners because they are
learning to handle a flute and are more concerned with playing the
correct note than with the quality of the tone.
After flutists
have played a year or so, they’re past the basics and they begin
working on tone quality, intonation, and response.
Intermediate, performer, and top-line flutes
These flutes provide better tone and response because
some or all of their parts are made of solid silver. While the nickel
silver in a beginner flute is a hard metal that creates a bright or
shrill tone, the solid silver of a step-up flute vibrates freely,
creating a fuller, more pleasing tone with more harmonics.
A student playing in a high school band should have a minimum of an
intermediate flute. The solid silver head makes a dramatic difference
in tone and response that often surprises and thrills a flutist playing
one for the first time. Band directors and fellow musicians almost
always notice the improvement in tone immediately, and occasionally
even non-musician family members can identify and describe the
difference.
The
next step up, the performer models with solid silver bodies, offer
additional improvements in tone quality, although not as dramatic as
the first step. These models are appropriate for high school musicians
who take music seriously or those who plan to play in college.
Music
majors or professionals most often play top-line flutes, although
others sometimes appreciate the differences and are willing to pay for
them. Top-line flutes provide the ultimate in response and tone, and
the special attention they get in manufacturing is meant to make them
the ultimate instrument.
A low-B foot
This is an option that is
included with most step-up flutes from intermediate to top-line. It not only gives the flutist the additional note, but it also improves the overall
tone of the flute.
Open hole/closed hole
This can be a matter of
player preference, although most fine flutists play open hole. Flutists
often say open-hole gives them better flexibility and control of the
sound. An open-hole flute is a safe choice because it can be played as
a closed-hole flute by using plugs. Plugs are also helpful in giving a
flutist time to adapt to open holes.
A good model for junior
high students planning to continue on flute into high school is an
intermediate open-hole flute with low-B foot. This model will keep up
with their developing abilities and should not have to be replaced
unless a student decides to pursue music after high school.
For
students who are very serious about their music or who indicate they
want higher quality, a performer open-hole flute with low B foot is
probably the appropriate choice.
Have more questions? Call our flute experts at (901) 323-8888 or email them here.
