Flute

The flute is one of the world’s oldest instruments, stretching right back to the dawn of mankind. Flutes create sound by a player blowing across a mouthpiece, generating an air flow down a tube, the pitch of which can be altered by opening or closing holes in the tube. The flute used in Western music today is descended directly from the baroque German flute and is part of the woodwind group of instruments although it does not require a reed to play. Like the recorder the flute has been used for teaching purposes. Its bell-like tone adds atmospheric colour to a piece of music. In the baroque era flutes feature prominently in composition, particularly in concertante works however by the romantic era this had declined due to the limited range of the flute against other louder instruments in the orchestra. The flute, as a solo instrument, has made a considerable comeback in modern times. A person who plays the flute is known as a flautist.