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FLUTE HISTORY
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Flute History
The early history of the flute is largely unknown, but most historians agree that it is one of the oldest musical instruments and that it originated somewhere in Central Asia. Members of the early flute family were held either forward or to the side. The first evidence of a transverse flute (held to the side) is found in artwork dating back to 200 B.C. The flute eventually found its way to Germany, where its use became common by the 12th century. Its most popular usage during that time was for military music.
Flutes had only tone holes, without keys, until the late 1600's, when the Baroque flute was invented. It was made of wood, and had seven tone holes and one key for the little finger. It was built in three sections instead of one piece. This helped intonation because the space between the sections could be adjusted. With these improvements, the flute became a regular member of the orchestra abnd rapidly increased in popularity.
In 1847, Theobald Boehm, a German flautist and goldsmith, completely redesigned the flute. The redesign consited of two main steps. First, each hole was placed so that each note would have the same tone quality. Second, a key system was added. The Boehm system improved intonation, made the tone of the flute louder, and made notes easier to play. The flute has remained basically unchanged to the present day.
Today, flutes are played in bands, orchestras, woodwind quintets, chamber ensembles, and jazz bands. Flutes are usually made of silver or silver alloy, but can also be made of gold or even platinum. Other types of flutes include the piccolo, alto flute, bass flute, and contrabass flute.
(per Standard of Excellence, Book 1)
60,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Flute: Hear the World's Oldest Musical Instrument (Ancient Architects) (YouTube)
The world's largest flute In China (YouTube)
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