Transcript History of the Flute

Introduction to
Woodwind Family:
History of the Flute
5th Grade General Music
Miss Kresevic
Woodwind Family
 Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet,
Oboe, Saxophone, Bassoon
 The flute and piccolo are
wind instruments that
produce sound by blowing
air over the mouthpiece
 Other woodwinds like the
clarinet, oboe, saxophone
and bassoon have a reed
that vibrates to produce a
sound
Woodwind Characteristics
 Typically the smaller the
instrument the higher pitch it can
produce
 For example the piccolo can play
the highest pitch in the woodwind
family and the bassoon the
lowest pitch
 Woodwind instruments come in
many different colors
 For example clarinets and oboes
come in black, whereas flutes
and piccolos are silver, and
saxophones are gold, bassoons
are typically brown in color
Single Reed & Double Reed
vs. No Reeds
 Single reed instruments include the
clarinet and saxophone, and the reed is
connected to the mouthpiece to produce
sound
 Double reed instruments include the oboe
and the bassoon, and do not have a
mouthpiece, only a double reed
connected to the body of the instrument
using vibrations to create sound
 Instruments that use no reeds to produce
sound include flute and piccolo. The
musician must blow air over the
mouthpiece to create sound.
Piccolo
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Smaller version of the flute
Half the size of the flute
Notes and fingerings are exactly the same
Only difference is that it produces a higher
pitch
Flute
 Was first made of wood
 Originally had only 5 keys, eventually
developed into models with more keys
 Now normally made of metal
 Produces a very bright sound
Clarinet
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Single reed instrument
Plays a wide range of music
Is capable of playing wide range of notes
Perfect instrument for many different
types of music from classical to jazz
Oboe
 Looks similar to the clarinet
 Used mostly for classical compositions
 Only difference between clarinet and oboe
is that the oboe is a double reed instrument
 In a single reed instrument the reed is
connected to the mouthpiece to produce
sound
 In a double reed instrument there is no
mouthpiece, only a thick reed you blow on
to produce a sound
Saxophone
 Single reed instrument
 Depending on the musician can
sound mellow or strong
 Has a curved shape compared to
other woodwinds
 Gold in color compared to silver
and black woodwinds
 Capable of playing a large variety
of music from pop to big band to
jazz to classical
Bassoon
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Largest of the woodwinds
Plays very low notes
“Backbone of the orchestra”
Black in color like Oboe and
Clarinet
 Double reed instrument
History of the Flute
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Oldest known wind instrument
First made 9th century BC
Has evolved, or changed over time
19th century marked great modifications
for the flute
Theobald Boehm
(1794 – 1881)
 Bavarian court musician
 Designed new types of
flutes in 1832 and 1847
 Development of the
1847 model were also
designed by French
makers and copied by
Americans & Japanese
 This formed the basis for
the modern flute
Eight Keyed Flutes
(Before 1832)
 Wooden body, one piece and 8 keys
 Used mechanical means to alter flute
fingering positions
 Sound like a trumpet and not a flute
 Included mechanics that required the
motion of fingers to specific tone holes
 These instruments allowed Boehm to
create a flute with a model other than
previous traditional designs
Boehm’s Second Model
(1847)
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Circular shape
Metal tube instead of wooden
Was the first commercial flute available
In Paris & London
Germans thought the new tone was less flute
like than the older flute models
 Partly for this reason this modernized flute was
made with wood more often than metal
Benefits of the New Model
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Easier to play
More pleasing to the ear
Able to produce broader range of notes
Easier maintenance/last longer
Commercially available to a wide range of flute
players at many different levels
 Comprised of three pieces which allows a
musician to tune to other instruments in a more
efficient manner
Fun Flute Fact Check . . .
(according to today’s lesson)
1. Why is a flute a woodwind? Is it really wood?
2. True or false: Flutes were first developed with 5 keys
3. True or false: Flutes produce a higher pitch than piccolos
4. List woodwind instruments that use a reed to produce a sound.
5. List woodwind instruments that don’t use a reed.
6. Who was known for creating the modern day flute?
7. Which woodwind instrument is the oldest?
8. Which is the only woodwind instrument to have a curved body?
9. True or false: The largest of the woodwind instruments is the bassoon
10. True of false: Theobald Boehm was a Bavarian court musician who
designed the modern day piccolo