March 19, 2024

Flute is a melodious woodwind instrument which is gaining popularity over the years. Even flute lessons are becoming increasingly popular. It has a rich history with a lot of intriguing facts about it. The instrument has been in existence for thousands of years and has been evolving ever since.

Here are a few facts about this little yet intricate instrument.

  1. A musician who plays the flute isn’t only called a flautist, he can also be referred to as a flutter or a flutist.
  2. Flutes date back to 2600-2700 BC. They were found in Germany. This makes the flute one of oldest instrument in the whole wide world.
  3. Flutes have been made of different materials over the years. Bone, ivory, glass, silver, gold, and platinum are some of the materials out of which flutes were made.
  4. A major Hindu deity Krishna holds a bamboo flute in his hands. It is believed that the sound of his flute made the world more beautiful and it preaches love and freedom.
  5. Concert flutes has a range of about three octaves.
  6. The piccolo is nothing but a mini-flute which is just an octave higher than the standard flutes.
  7. The modern flute is made of metal and the pads covering the keyholes are made of cork and felt.
  8. Flute produces sound by a steady stream of air vibrating through it. The stream of air across the hole is what excites the air inside the resonant cavity of the flute which causes it to vibrate and make a sound. By opening and closing the holes of the flute you change this resonant cavity which changes the pitch of the instrument. Using different air pressures produces different harmonies on the flute.
  9. Flute is one of highest pitched instrument.
  10. The credit for the flute that we know today which is used in bands goes to German instrument maker Theobald Bohm. He improved the design and the fingering system of the instrument in the 1800’s. He also changed the size of the holes and their positions. Some new mechanisms were also added which allowed he holes to be covered and uncovered.

These were some interesting facts about one of the oldest instruments that the world has seen. It is a truly a very intriguing instrument. If you are inclined towards learning the flute then you should definitely enrol yourself into a flute lesson. It is a complicated instrument. Therefore, it is a little difficult to learn it on your own. That’s why it is advised to take proper flute lessons. Keep in mind that is it not as easy as it seems to learn the flute, it takes a lot of dedication and diligent training to master this instrument. If you are serious towards the art then you are good to go since you just need a will to become a perfect flautist.

Aidan Anthony

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