The Flute

Listen to the sound of the Flute

The flute is one of the oldest instruments within the woodwind family. It differs to most other wind instruments because it requires no reed; it is played by air travelling (blown) across a tone hole of the mouthpiece.

The modern flute has a range of just over three octaves. There are also larger, lower pitched flutes (alto) and a smaller higher pitched model (picollo).

Flutes, though generally silver plated, are made from either nickel silver or sterling silver, with different combinations of the two giving a different sound.

The flute is divided into three sections called joints; the head joint, the body joint and the foot joint. These pieces are connected by thinner metal tubes called tenons.

Lip plate

The Lip plate is the part of the head joint that makes contacts with the player's lower lip, allowing precise positioning and direction of the air stream

Embouchure hole

The Embouchure hole is the hole where the player blows air across. Its function is to provide an opening through which air enters the instrument to produce sound.

Head joint

The Head joint is the top section of the flute. It holds the Tone holes and lip plate where the player initiates the sound by blowing air across the opening.

Socket

The Socket holds the head joint and the body of the flute together.

Keys

The Flute can have various number of keys, each covering a hole. The Flutist produces different pitches by pressing the keys, covering and uncovering the holes.

Body joint

The Body joint is the middle section of the flute where the majority of the flutes keys are located. Both hands operate the keys.

Foot joint

The Foot joint is the section of the flute furthest to the right. It is operated by the little finger and uses three/four levers.

The head joint is where the sound of the flute originates as the player blows air into the flute through the embouchure hole, located in the centre of the lip plate. One end of the head joint is covered with the crown end, which can be screwed off to facilitate cleaning. The other is open to accept the tenon on the body joint.
Inside the head joint is found a small apparatus made of a piece of cork with silver discs or rubber o-rings on either end. This head joint cork is used to tune the instrument and is generally positioned 17.3 millimetres from the centre of the embouchure hole. It should stay in place at all times, though over time it may begin to shift or even come loose depending on the age of the cork and atmospheric conditions. If you notice your head joint cork appears to be loose, or if you detect a muffling of the tone, then you should take it to be serviced right away. The flute cannot be used properly if air leakage is occurring around the cork and your tuning will suffer greatly.
The body joint of the flute is in the centre of the assembled instrument. On the head side, it has the barrel, a small decorative fluting area that usually carries the engraved logo of the flute maker. On the foot side, it is open to accept the connection with the foot joint. Most of the keys on the flute are found on the body joint, along with the tuning slide and tenons.
The foot joint is where sound emits from the flute. It is a short section that has a small number of keys, depending on the type of flute. You can count the keys on this joint to see if it is a B foot (3 keys) or C foot (2 keys) instrument. B foots have one extra key that allows the player to play one step lower than a C foot. Generally, flutes with a B foot joint are intermediate level and above while flutes with a C foot joint are student level. B foots are heavier than C foots.
Flute keys are small round padded metal covers that are mounted on metal rods, which allow them to alternatively cover and uncover the holes in the sides of the flute when combinations of fingerings are made on the flute. They change the flow of air in the instrument and thereby raise or lower the pitch.
Most of the keys are found on the body joint of the flute. The ones closest to the player are fingered by the left hand, while the ones on and near the foot joint are played by the right hand.

A person who plays the flute is called a Flutist.

History
Learn more about the history of the Flute through various time periods.

Buying a flute
Flutes range widely in cost, with a major factor being the kind of metal the flute is crafted from.

Accessories
Take a look at the different accessories a Flute has and what they are used for.

Faults & repairs
Guidance on the some common faults and repairs for Flute owners.

Types of Flutes

Piccolo - The piccolo is a smaller version of the flute and is made in C or D flat. It is pitched an octave higher than a standard flute. It has most of the same fingerings as its larger relative and referred to as an ottavino in Italy
C Flute - The C flute is the most popular flute for beginners and is seen as the standard flute. It’s pitch is in C and its range is over three octaves, starting from middle C. It is also referred to as the Western Concert flute and is used in ensembles including concert bands, orchestras, military bands, marching bands, jazz bands, and big bands.
Alto Flute - The alto flute is characterized by its distinct, mellow tone in the lower portion of its range. It is a transposing instrument notated a fourth above its actual sound with a history of more than 100 years. The tube of the alto flute is considerably thicker and longer than a standard C flute and requires more breath from the player. The flute is made with a straight head or sometimes, a J-shaped head joint to bring the blowhole closer to the player.
Bass Flute - The bass flute in C evolved during the 1920s as a substitute for the saxophone in jazz music. It is pitched one octave lower than the standard concert flute in C. To produce the lower tone, the length of the tube is longer. It is usually made with a J-shaped head joint, which brings the blowhole (embouchure) within reach of the player
Tenor Flute - A tenor flute in B flat is also called the flute d'amore or "flute of love." This type of flute is believed to have been in existence since medieval times. It is usually pitched in either A or B flat and is intermediate in size between the modern C concert flute and the alto flute in G.
Treble Flute - The treble flute has a three-octave range. The G treble flute is usually responsible for melody. It is a transposing instrument, which means it is pitched a fifth above the concert flute. It sounds a fifth up from the written note. It’s rare today, only occasionally found in flute choirs or some marching bands.
Soprano Flute – A soprano flute is pitched in E flat, which is a minor third above the concert flute. It is the only member of the modern flute family that is not pitched in C or G. It has a range of three octaves. It is these days a rare instrument to find.

Related Instruments

Oboe
Bassoon

Learn

The best way to learn to play the flute is to find an experienced and patient teacher in your local area. Sometimes, lessons can also be arranged via your child’s school where they may have a visiting teacher.

If you cannot find a local teacher, another option is to use online tutorials. There are many such resources available on the internet.

Below are just a few examples of what is available : -