Longitudinal flute. Flute selection. Flute range and registers

According to the way they are held, flutes are divided into longitudinal, transverse And semi-transverse (diagonal). Longitudinal flutes come with a whistle device (mouthpiece) and without it.

A flute with the end of the barrel opposite to the performer closed ( closed flute) sounds an octave higher than a similarly sized open-ended flute ( open flute).

Story

The oldest form of flute is the whistle. Gradually, finger holes began to be cut into the whistle tubes, turning a simple whistle into a whistle flute, on which musical works could be performed. The first archaeological finds of a flute date back to 35 - 40 thousand years BC, thus the flute is one of the oldest musical instruments.

The longitudinal flute was known in Egypt five thousand years ago, and it remains the main wind instrument throughout the Middle East. It was widespread in Europe in the 15th-17th centuries. A longitudinal flute, which has 5-6 finger holes and is capable of octave blowing, provides a complete musical scale, individual intervals within which can change, forming different modes by crossing the fingers, closing the holes halfway, as well as changing the direction and force of breathing. Nowadays it is occasionally used in the performance of ancient music.

The transverse flute with 5-6 finger holes was known in China at least 3 thousand years ago, and in India and Japan more than two thousand years ago. In Europe during the Middle Ages, mainly simple whistle-type instruments were common (predecessors of the recorder and flageolet), as well as the transverse flute, which penetrated into Central Europe from the East through the Balkans, where it still remains the most widespread folk instrument.

By the end of the 17th century, the transverse flute was improved by French masters, among whom Otteter stands out, who, in particular, added valves to the six finger holes to perform the full chromatic scale. Possessing a more expressive sound and high technical capabilities, the transverse flute soon replaced the longitudinal flute (recorder) and by the end of the 18th century it took a strong place in the symphony orchestra and instrumental ensembles.

In modern orchestras they use the usual large flute (its timbre is varied, but somewhat cold, and the sound strength is low), a small flute with a sharp sound (an octave higher), less often an alto flute in the G tuning (its timbre is slightly warmer), and extremely rarely a bass flute ( an octave lower).

Longitudinal

Without whistle device

In flutes without a whistle device, a stream of air is formed and directed onto the pointed edge by the lips of the performer, his embouchure.

Kalyuka

Kalyuka(from barbed), Also forcing , thorn , overtone flute , grass pipe-, which is a type of longitudinal overtone flute, since natural overtones are blown out while playing this musical instrument. It is a hollow cylinder with special holes, made from the stem of the prickly tartar or some other plants.

The use of the instrument in Russian traditional culture became known to specialists only in 1980, after which it found quite widespread use in Russian folk ensembles. In popular culture it is considered exclusively masculine. Instruments similar to the kalyuka are found among many peoples of the world.

Playing the kalyuka is done by opening and closing the lower hole of the tube with your finger, as well as by changing the strength of the air stream supplied by the mouth into the instrument. When playing, the musical instrument is held vertically downwards with both hands so that the pad of the index finger can be used to either open or close the lower hole.

The size of a musical instrument can vary depending on the height and length of the hands of the player playing it. For children it is from 25 cm to 30 cm, and for adults - from 72 cm to 86 cm. The length of the tube is also adjusted to the height of the owner. The length is considered acceptable if it was possible to close the lower hole on the pipe with the palm of the hand or fingers. Therefore, the length of the flute should not exceed the size of an outstretched arm from the shoulder to the tips of the fingers. The body of the kalyuka has a conical passage, slightly tapering from top to bottom. The inner diameter of the tubes ranges from 15 to 25 mm. The diameter of the outlet hole does not exceed 12-14 mm, and the top hole - 19-23 mm.

Dudka was opened in 1980 by students of the Moscow and Leningrad Conservatoires in the villages of Bolshebykovo and Podsredneye, located halfway from Belgorod to Voronezh.

Kena

With whistle device

Whistle device

How the whistle works

In flutes with a whistle device (whistle flutes), a stream of air is formed and directed to a pointed edge through a special channel in the mouthpiece part of the instrument.

Block flute

Whistle

Pipe

Pyzhatka

It is a wooden tube with a diameter of 15-25 mm and a length of 40-70 cm, into one end of which a wooden plug (“wad”) with an oblique cut is inserted, directing the blown air to the pointed edge of a small square hole (“whistle”).

The term “pyzhatka” can also be considered as a synonym for the concept of sopel - a type of longitudinal whistle flute, which is also a traditional Russian folk wind instrument, the most ancient of those in use among the Eastern Slavs. This variety was characterized by a diatonic scale and a range of up to two octaves; by changing the strength of the air flow and using special fingerings, a chromatic scale was also achievable. Actively used by amateur groups both as a solo and as an ensemble instrument.< .

Double

Whistle flute made of two pipes.

Multi-barreled

Multi-barrel flutes consist of several tubes of different lengths, connected or unfastened to each other, each of which produces one fundamental tone. The upper ends of the tubes are located at the same level next to each other. The lower end of the tube is open or closed with a stopper. The tubes are brought to the lips in a vertical position and blown onto their upper section.

Syringa

Siringa(Greek σῦριγξ) - an ancient Greek musical instrument, a type of longitudinal flute. The term first appears in Homer's Iliad (X.13). The single-barreled syringa differed ( σῦριγξ μονοκάλαμος ) and multi-stemmed syringa ( σῦριγξ πολυκάλαμος ); the latter later became known as the Pan flute. Russian translators traditionally render σῦριγξ with the somewhat indistinct word “pipe”. The Greek word served as the anatomical name for the vocal organ of birds (see syrinx).

The syringa is known as a traditional wind instrument of shepherds and peasants in antiquity. This variety often appears in ancient Greek poetry; It was also used for musical accompaniment of stage performances, including in Ancient Rome. Subsequently, the instrument also penetrated into later European folk music.

Pan Flute

Kugikly

Kugikly (kuvikly, sevnitsa listen)) is a Russian folk wind musical instrument, which is a type of multi-barrel flute.

The tools are a set of hollow tubes of various lengths and diameters. Pipes are made from stems of kugi (marsh reeds), reeds, bamboo, tree branches and shrubs that have a core. The upper open ends are located at the same level, the lower one is closed by the barrel assembly.

The flute is usually made up of 3-5 tubes of the same diameter, but of different lengths (from 100 to 160 mm). The tubes of the instrument are not fastened together, which allows them to be changed depending on the required tuning. Bringing the upper ends of the tubes to the mouth and moving them (or the head) from side to side, they blow on the edges of the slices, usually producing short, jerky sounds. A set of five pipes in the hands of one performer is called a “pair”.

The modern orchestral flute (often just “flute”; Italian flauto from Latin flatus - “wind, blow”; French flûte, English flute, German Flöte) is a soprano register. The pitch of the sound on the flute changes by blowing (extracting harmonic consonances with the lips), as well as by opening and closing the holes with valves. Modern flutes are usually made of metal (nickel, silver, gold, platinum), less often of wood, and sometimes of glass, plastic and other composite materials.

The name is due to the fact that during the playing process the musician holds the instrument not in a vertical, but in a horizontal position; the mouthpiece, accordingly, is located on the side. Flutes of this design appeared quite a long time ago, in late antiquity and in ancient China (9th century BC). The modern stage of development of the flute begins in 1832, when the German master T. Boehm improved it; Over time, this variety replaced the previously popular longitudinal flute. The modern flute is characterized by a range from the first to the fourth octave; the lower register is soft and dull, the highest sounds, on the contrary, are shrill and whistling, and the middle and partly upper registers have a timbre that is described as gentle and melodious.

Piccolo flute Main article: Piccolo flute.

Piccolo flute(often called simply piccolo or piccolo; Italian flauto piccolo or ottavino, fr. petite flûte, German. kleine Flöte) is a woodwind musical instrument, a type of modern flute, the highest sounding instrument among wind instruments. It has a brilliant, forte-piercing and whistling timbre. The small flute is half as long as an ordinary flute and sounds an octave higher, and a number of low sounds are impossible to produce on it. Piccolo range - from d² before c 5(D of the second octave - up to the fifth octave), there are also instruments that have the ability to take c² And cis². For ease of reading, notes are written an octave lower.

Mechanically, the small flute is constructed identically to a regular one (except for the absence of “D-flat” and “C” of the first octave) and, therefore, is characterized by generally the same performance features. Initially, within the orchestra (starting from the second half of the 18th century), the small flute was intended to strengthen and extend upward the extreme octaves of the large flute, and it was recommended to use it in opera or ballet rather than in symphonic works. This was due to the fact that in the early stages of its existence, due to insufficient improvement, the small flute was characterized by a rather harsh and somewhat rough sound, as well as a low degree of flexibility. It should also be noted that this type of flute goes quite well with ringing percussion instruments and drums; In addition, the small flute can be combined into an octave with the oboe, which also gives rise to an expressive sound.

Irish flute

Di

Di(笛, 笛子, from Old Chinese henchui, handy- transverse flute) - an ancient Chinese wind instrument, a transverse flute with 6 playing holes. In most cases, the trunk of the di is made of bamboo or reed, but there are di made of other types of wood and even stone, most often jade.

Di is one of the most common wind instruments in China. It is assumed that this type of flute entered the country from Central Asia in the 1st century BC. e. The hole for injecting air is located near the closed end of the barrel; in the immediate vicinity of the latter there is another hole, which is covered with a thin film of reeds or reeds (there is, however, an option without a film, which is called “mendi”). For adjustment, the remaining four holes are used, which are located at the open end of the barrel. This instrument is played in the same way as a transverse flute. Depending on its use in works of certain genres, two types of di are distinguished: quidi and baidi.

Vascular

These are flutes with a body shape that is different from most other flutes. In Russia, a traditional similar flute is a children's toy. whistle. European flutes have the greatest musical range ocarina And English ocarina.

The name “flute” unites a whole group of woodwind musical instruments. True, these days flutes have begun to be made from other materials: plastic, nickel, silver. The name of the instrument comes from the Latin word “Flatus”, which means “blow”. The flute is considered one of the oldest musical instruments on Earth. It is almost impossible to name the specific date of the invention of the flute, but judging by the finds of archaeologists, the first flutes existed 35-40,000 BC.

Flute range and registers

The lower register has a dull, full and somewhat cold sonority

The middle register is characterized by a gentle and weaker sound compared to other registers

The upper register has a clear, light and brilliant character.

There are many types of flutes, but they mainly differ in longitudinal and transverse. Longitudinal flutes have a wind hole at the end; when playing, the musician holds the longitudinal flute perpendicular to the line of the lips.

In the transverse one, the hole is on the side, so you have to hold it parallel to the lip line.
One of the most common types of longitudinal flute is the recorder. It is similar to a pipe and a whistle. The main fundamental difference between the recorder and these instruments is that in addition to the seven finger holes on the front, there is one more - an octave valve, which is located on the back.
European composers began to actively use the recorder in their works back in the 16th century. Bach, Vivaldi, Guendal and many others very often included the recorder in their works. With the advent of transverse flutes, a serious disadvantage of the recorder became noticeable - the sound was not loud enough. But, despite this, this instrument is still quite often present in the orchestra.
Despite the fact that transverse flutes appeared long before our era in China, the popularity of longitudinal flutes prevented them from becoming widespread for a long time. Only after the design of the transverse flute was improved by the German master Theobald Boehm in 1832, did it begin to appear in orchestras no less often than the longitudinal one. The transverse flute allows you to play sounds from the first to fourth octave.

Musical Instrument: Flute

This amazingly virtuosic instrument with a light, airy, seemingly “fluttering” sound, reminiscent of birdsong, belongs to the group of woodwinds. According to ancient Greek myths, its invention is the merit of the son of Hephaestus - Ardal. Perhaps no other instrument has undergone such transformations and improvements. Initially there were two varieties - transverse and longitudinal, but later the first version replaced the longitudinal one and took its rightful place in the orchestra. These two types are very different from each other not only in appearance, but also in the method of sound production.

History flutes and read many interesting facts about this musical instrument on our page.

Flute sound

The sound of the flute is reminiscent of magic. Amazingly beautiful sounds are born in the middle register - unusually clear, pure and transparent. It is not without reason that the flute occupies a special place in the folklore and fairy tales of many peoples; it is often endowed with mystical properties. The melodic sound of a flute in the hands of an experienced musician can not only give aesthetic pleasure, but also simply enchant us with its expressive and piercing music, which seems to go straight to our hearts. The soft and melodic sound of a flute can sweeten our ears, soften our hearts, and evoke the kindest and brightest feelings.

A flute or a simple pipe, as a rule, becomes one of the very first musical instruments that children may encounter, and they are even able to make it themselves from available objects of a suitable shape.

It is worth saying a few words about the peculiarities of the sound of the flute.The lower register is slightly dull, but one cannot help but notice its softness, warmth and spiritual penetration, and the upper row of notes sounds piercing, with a sharp whistle.The peculiarity of the flute's acoustics is that when playing the piano, the pitch of the sound decreases slightly, while playing the forte raises the sound.

The nature of the pitch of sounds can be changed by adjusting the strength of the air stream as you exhale, and of course, using the valve mechanism that closes the holes on the instrument.

Flute range occupies the interval from the note “C” of the first to the note “C” of the fourth octave.

Photo

Interesting Facts

• An example of the largest transverse flute is an instrument created by Indian master Bharat Sin in Jamnagar in 2014. The length of this flute was 3.62 meters. The national anthem was sung with her participation.
• Flutes are made from more than a hundred different materials, including bone, wood, metal, glass, crystal, plastic, and others. There is even a chocolate flute that can be used to play music.
• The title of the most expensive flute according to the Forbes rating belongs to an instrument created by Powell in 1939. This platinum flute is now valued at $600,000.

• The largest number of flute players in an ensemble of 3,742 participants gathered in Japan on July 31, 2011, at the 400th anniversary of Hirosaki Castle.
• The longest continuous performance by a flautist lasted 25 hours 48 minutes and was achieved by Catherine Brookes in Bedworth, UK, on ​​17-18 February 2012. Catherine repeated the 6-hour program several times, containing 92 different works, from classical to contemporary music styles.
• The flute is the only orchestral instrument on which air is blown across the holes. And you should know that a flutist’s air consumption is much greater than on any other wind instruments, including such large ones as tuba .
• The oldest flute was discovered in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 1998. The musical instrument, made from the bones of a cave bear, contains four holes. Paleontologists believe that this flute is 43,000 - 82,000 years old.
• The main deity of Hinduism, Krishna, is depicted with a bamboo flute. It was said that Krishna created the world through the beautiful sound of the flute, which also preaches love and freedom.

• There are 30 varieties of flutes, which are produced in almost fifty countries around the world.
• Outstanding personalities played the flute. Leonardo Da Vinci, John II, Martin Luther, Emperor Nicholas I, Enrico Caruso, Woody Allen, M. Glinka , and many others.
• It is known that at the court of the English king Henry the Eighth V, a whole collection of flutes was collected - 72 pieces.
• US President G. Cleveland greatly valued his crystal flute with gold elements.
• In Vietnam, in the mountainous district of Yen The, during the rebel peasant movement, the flute was used not only as a musical instrument, but also as a bladed weapon. They were given alarm signals and killed their enemies at the same time.
• According to researchers, practicing the flute has a positive effect on the intellectual development of children, immunity, and has a preventive effect against respiratory diseases.

Popular works for flute

I. Bach - Scherzo (Joke) from Suite for Flute and String Orchestra No. 2 (listen)

V.A. Mozart - Concerto for flute and orchestra in G major (listen)

J. Ibert - Concerto for flute and orchestra Allegro scherzando (listen)

Flute design

The transverse flute is an oblong cylindrical tube with a system of valves that close 16 holes. One end of it is closed, there is a hole on it where the lips are applied to blow air. Modern types of flutes include a three-part structure: head, body and knee. Unlike other wind instruments, the sound of a flute is formed by directed air flow towards the edge of the lip plate. A huge role in the correct playing technique belongs to the shape of the lips or “embouchure”. You can subtly change the sound of the instrument by changing the degree of tension and shape of the lips.

The overall pitch of the sound is changed by extending the head from the body of the instrument; the more the head is extended, the lower the sound will be.

Average flute weight – 600 grams.

Modern concert large flute makes up 67 cm long, and the length of the piccolo is only about 32 cm.

Varieties of flute

In addition to the main large concert flute, the transverse flute has three main varieties: alto and bass.

Piccolo flute- among wind instruments the most sounding instrument. The structure is the same as that of a large flute, the difference lies in the size - it is half as long as an ordinary one and sounds an octave higher. The harsh tone of the piccolo flute easily drowns out the sound of an entire orchestra. In the play Rimsky-Korsakov "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" she is given the theme of a squirrel crunching nuts. In Act 1 Bizet's opera "Carmen" a pair of piccolos accompanied a chorus of boys marching boldly behind the line of soldiers.

Alto flute. They resemble an ordinary concert flute, but are slightly larger in size and with a different structure of the valve system. The range is from “G” of the small octave to “D” of the third octave.

Bass flute- in the range from “si” of the major octave to “fa” of the second octave

It is worth mentioning much more rarely used samples - d "Amour, double bass, octobass and hyperbass.

Application and repertoire

The expressive sound of the flute attracted the attention of the greatest composers.

A. Vivaldi wrote 13 concertos for flute and orchestra. I.S. Bach, who is well aware of technical capabilities, composed a huge number of works with the participation of the flute, his sonatas are especially beautiful, and the sparkling “Joke” and the unusually touching “Siciliana” do not leave music lovers around the world indifferent to this day. Masterpieces of the flute repertoire include works G.F. Handel , K.V. Gluck, I. Haydn , W.A. Mozart, L.V. Beethoven . The charming “Melody” is the most popular solo in the opera “ Orpheus and Eurydice ” demonstrated the sensually expressive aspect of flutes. The flute received a significant place as a solo instrument in the works of V.A. Mozart . A real understanding of timbre and virtuoso capabilities was revealed by L. Beethoven, who in his own way introduced it into the symphony orchestra; an example is the overture to the opera “Leonora”.

The age of romanticism was also marked by the development of performing skills on the flute. During this period, the repertoire of flutists was enriched with masterpieces by such masters as K.M. Weber, F. Schubert , D. Rossini, G. Berlioz, C. Saint-Saens .

IN jazz Drummer and jazz bandleader Chick Webb was one of the first to use flutes in the late 1930s. Frank Wess was among the first notable jazz flutists in the 1940s.

Jethro Tull is probably the best known rock band to regularly use the flute, played by band leader Ian Anderson. The alto flute can be heard in the Beatles song, "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away", played by John Scott. Also in the composition "Penny Lane".

Game techniques

There are a variety of techniques used when playing the flute. Often, musicians use double and triple staccato and the very effective frulato technique, which was first used in the symphony-poem “Don Quixote” by R. Strauss. Subsequently, the ingenuity of the flutist performers had no limits:

Multiphonics - two or more sounds are produced simultaneously.
Whistle tones - soft whistle.
Tangram - sounds similar to clapping hands.
Jet whistle - jet whistle.

Knocking of valves, playing with a spike without sound, sounds produced at the same time as singing, and a variety of other techniques.

History of the flute

The history of the flute takes us back to primitive times. It all started with tubes, which were used to whistle at first. Nowadays they are simply called pipes, which can be made from any suitable object, such as a pen or a cocktail pipe. Then people realized that if holes were cut in the tubes that could be blocked with fingers, then it would be possible to perform musical works that were more complex in structure - numerous tunes and melodies.

The flute is very diverse in its functions. Initially she was a tool in the arsenal of shepherds who used her to control animals, and then her status increased to such an extent that she took part in spiritual rites.

Samples of the transverse type flute appeared a very long time ago, back in ancient China, in the 9th century BC, then in India, Japan, and Byzantium. It spread to Europe only in the Middle Ages and arrived from the East. In the 17th century, the flute, which gained great popularity, was modified by the French master J. Otteter, after which it began to occupy worthy positions in instrumental ensembles and opera orchestras.

We owe the modern appearance of the flute to the German master and composer T. Boehm, who lived in the 19th century. He complements the flute with a system of valves and rings, placed large holes for the fingers according to acoustic principles, and also began to use metal in production, which made it possible to enhance the brilliance of the sound of the flute. Since those times, this instrument has hardly changed, and it is difficult to add something truly original to a musical instrument that is laconic in design, capable of introducing new features into a familiar form.

Flute for all its apparent simplicity, it not only has a rich and glorious history, but is also distinguished by a uniquely wide range of uses. This is due to the fact that it is one of the most ancient, if not the most ancient, instruments with which our primitive ancestors tried to create music tens of thousands of years ago. Since the Stone Age, the flute begins to win the hearts of people, enchanting us with its soulful and exciting sound, which reverberates not only in the heart, but also in the most deeply hidden genes inherited from our distant ancestors. A modest wooden or bone flute, lovingly carved by a master, can create a whole unique universe filled with continuous amazing sound that you want to listen to endlessly.

Video: listen to the flute

The flute family includes a huge number of different types of flutes, which can be divided into two groups, differing in the way the instrument is held when playing - longitudinal (straight, held in a position close to vertical) and transverse (oblique, held horizontally).

Of the longitudinal flutes, the recorder is the most common. The head section of this flute uses an insert (block). In German, a recorder is called “Blockflote” (“flute with a block”), in French - “flute a bec” (“flute with a mouthpiece”), in Italian – “flauto dolce” (“delicate flute”), in English - “recorder” (from record - “to learn by heart, to learn”).

Related instruments: pipe, sopilka, whistle. The recorder differs from other similar instruments by the presence of 7 finger holes on the front side and one on the back - the so-called octave valve.

The two lower holes are often made double. 8 fingers are used to close the holes when playing. To play notes, the so-called. fork fingerings (when the holes are closed not in order, but in a complex combination).

The sound in a recorder is formed in a beak-shaped mouthpiece located at the end of the instrument. The mouthpiece contains a wooden plug (from German: Block), covering the hole for blowing air (leaving only a narrow gap).

Nowadays, recorders are made not only from wood, but also from plastic. High-quality plastic instruments have good musical capabilities. The advantage of such tools is also their low cost, durability - they are not as susceptible to cracking as wood, precision manufacturing using the hot pressing method followed by fine-tuning with high precision, hygiene (they are not afraid of moisture and tolerate “bathing” well).

However, according to most performers, wooden flutes sound best. Traditionally, boxwood or fruit trees (pear, plum) are used for production; for budget models, as a rule, maple is used, and professional instruments are often made from mahogany.

The recorder has a full chromatic scale. This allows you to play music in different keys. The recorder is usually in F or C tuning, which is the lowest sound that can be played on it. The most common types of recorder in terms of pitch are: sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, bass. Sopranino is in F tuning, soprano is in C tuning, alto sounds an octave lower than sopranino, tenor is an octave lower than soprano, and bass is an octave lower than alto.

Recorders are also classified by fingering systems. There are two types of fingering systems for recorders: “Germanic” and “Baroque” (or “English”). The “Germanic” fingering system is a little easier for initial mastery, but most of the really good professional instruments are made with the “Baroque” fingering.

The recorder was popular in the Middle Ages in Europe, but by the 18th century. its popularity declined as preference began to be given to orchestral wind instruments such as the transverse flute, which had a wider range and louder sound. The recorder did not take its due place in the music of the classical and romantic eras.

To recognize the diminishing importance of the recorder, we also recall that the name Flauto - “flute” until 1750 referred to the recorder; the transverse flute was called Flauto Traverso or simply Traversa. After 1750 and until today, the name "flute" (Flauto) refers to a transverse flute.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the recorder was so rare that Stravinsky, when he saw the recorder for the first time, mistook it for a type of clarinet. It was not until the 20th century that the recorder was rediscovered primarily as an instrument for school and home music playing. The recorder is also used for authentic reproduction of ancient music.

The list of literature for the recorder grew to enormous proportions in the 20th century and, thanks to numerous new compositions, continues to grow continuously into the 21st century. The recorder is sometimes used in popular music. The recorder also occupies a certain place in folk music.

Among orchestral flutes, there are 4 main types of flute: the flute proper (or large flute), small flute (piccolo flute), alto flute and bass flute.

Also existing, but much less commonly used, are the large E-flat flute (Cuban music, Latin American jazz), the octobass flute (modern music and flute orchestra) and the hyperbass flute. Flutes of a lower range also exist as prototypes.

The large flute (or simply flute) is an instrument of the soprano register. The pitch of the sound on the flute changes by blowing (extracting harmonic consonances with the lips), as well as by opening and closing the holes with valves.

Modern flutes are usually made of metal (nickel, silver, gold, platinum). The flute is characterized by a range from the first to the fourth octave; the lower register is soft and dull, the highest sounds, on the contrary, are shrill and whistling, and the middle and partly upper registers have a timbre that is described as gentle and melodious.

The piccolo flute is the highest sounding instrument among wind instruments. It has a brilliant, fortified, shrill and whistling timbre. The small flute is half as long as an ordinary flute and sounds an octave higher, and a number of low sounds are impossible to produce on it.

Piccolo range -- from d? before c5(D of the second octave - up to the fifth octave), there are also instruments that have the ability to take c? And cis?. For ease of reading, notes are written an octave lower. Mechanically, the small flute is constructed identically to a regular one (except for the absence of “D-flat” and “C” of the first octave) and, therefore, is characterized by generally the same performance features.

Initially, within the orchestra (starting from the second half of the 18th century), the small flute was intended to strengthen and extend upward the extreme octaves of the large flute, and it was recommended to use it in opera or ballet rather than in symphonic works. This was due to the fact that in the early stages of its existence, due to insufficient improvement, the small flute was characterized by a rather harsh and somewhat rough sound, as well as a low degree of flexibility.

It should also be noted that this type of flute goes quite well with ringing percussion instruments and drums; in addition, the small flute can be combined into an octave with the oboe, which also gives rise to an expressive sound

The alto flute is similar in structure and playing technique to a regular flute, but has a longer and wider tube and a slightly different structure of the valve system.

Breathing on the alto flute is used up faster. Most often used in G(sol in tuning), less often in F(in F tuning). Range? from g(small octave sol) to d? (D third octave). It is theoretically possible to extract higher sounds, but in practice they are almost never used.

The sound of the instrument in the lower register is bright, thicker than that of a large flute, but is only achievable in dynamics no stronger than mezzo forte. Middle register? flexible in nuance, full-voiced; upper? harsh, less timbre-colored than the flute, the highest sounds are difficult to produce on the piano. It appears in few scores, but in works by Stravinsky, such as Daphnis and Chloe and The Rite of Spring, it acquires a certain weight and significance.

The bass flute has a curved elbow, thanks to which it is possible to increase the length of the air column without significantly changing the dimensions of the instrument. It sounds an octave lower than the main instrument, but requires a significantly larger volume of air (breathing).

As for folk (or ethnic) types of flutes, there are a huge variety of them.

They can be roughly divided into longitudinal, transverse, whistle (an improved type of longitudinal flute), Pan flute, vessel-shaped, bow and compound flutes.

TO ena - used in the music of the Andean region of Latin America. Usually made from reed. Has six upper and one lower finger holes, usually made in G tuning.

Whistle(from English tin whistle, literally translated as “tin whistle, pipe”, pronunciation options (Russian): whistle, whistle, the first is more common) is a folk longitudinal flute with six holes on the front side, widely used in the folk music of Ireland, Scotland, England and some other countries.

Pipe- Russian wind instrument, a type of longitudinal flute. Sometimes it can be double-barreled, with one of the barrels usually having a length of 300-350 mm, the second 450-470 mm. At the upper end of the barrel there is a whistle device, at the lower part there are 3 side holes for changing the pitch of sounds. The trunks are tuned to a fourth and give a generally diatonic scale in the volume of a seventh.

Pyzhatka-- Russian folk musical instrument, wooden flute, traditional for the Kursk region of Russia. It is a wooden tube with a diameter of 15-25 mm and a length of 40-70 cm, into one end of which a wooden plug (“wad”) with an oblique cut is inserted, directing the blown air to the pointed edge of a small square hole (“whistle”).

The term "pyzhatka" can also be considered as a synonym for the concept sniffles- a type of longitudinal whistle flute, which is also a traditional Russian folk wind instrument, the most ancient of those in use among the Eastern Slavs.

This variety was characterized by a diatonic scale and a range of up to two octaves; by changing the strength of the air flow and using special fingerings, a chromatic scale was also achievable. It is actively used by amateur groups both as a solo and as an ensemble instrument.

Di-- an ancient Chinese wind instrument, a transverse flute with 6 playing holes. In most cases, the trunk of the di is made of bamboo or reed, but there are di made of other types of wood and even stone, most often jade.

Di is one of the most common wind instruments in China. The hole for injecting air is located near the closed end of the barrel; in the immediate vicinity of the latter there is another hole, which is covered with a thin film of reeds or reeds.

Bansuri-- Indian wind musical instrument, a type of transverse flute. Particularly common in Northern India. Bansuri is made from a single hollow bamboo stalk with six or seven holes. There are two types of tools: transverse and longitudinal. The longitudinal is commonly used in folk music and is played with the lips like a whistle. The transverse variety is most used in Indian classical music.

Pan Flute-- a multi-barreled flute consisting of several (2 or more) hollow tubes of various lengths. The lower ends of the tubes are closed, the upper ends are open. The name is due to the fact that in antiquity the invention of this type of flute was mythologically attributed to the deity of forests and fields, Pan. When playing, the musician directs a flow of air from one end of the tubes to the other, as a result of which the air columns contained inside begin to oscillate, and the instrument produces a whistle of a certain height; Each tube produces one basic sound, the acoustic characteristics of which depend on its length and diameter. Accordingly, the number and size of the tubes determine the range of the panflute. The instrument may have a movable or fixed plug; Depending on this, various methods of fine-tuning it are used.

Ocarina -- An ancient wind musical instrument, a vessel-shaped clay whistle flute. It is a small egg-shaped chamber with holes for fingers ranging from four to thirteen. Multi-chamber ocarinas may have more openings (depending on the number of chambers).

Usually made of ceramic, but sometimes also made of plastic, wood, glass or metal.

IN nasal flute the sound is produced by a stream of air from the nostril. Despite the fact that air comes out of the nose with less force than from the mouth, many primitive peoples of the Pacific region prefer to play this way, since they endow nasal breathing with a certain special energy. Such flutes are especially common in Polynesia, where they have become a national instrument. The most common are transverse nose flutes, but the natives of Borneo play longitudinal ones.

Compound flutes consist of several simple flutes connected together. In this case, the whistle holes can be different for each barrel, then a simple set of different flutes is obtained, or they can be connected to one common mouthpiece, in which case all these flutes sound simultaneously and harmonic intervals and even chords can be played on them.

All of the above types of flutes are only a small part of the huge flute family. They all vary greatly in appearance, timbre, and size. They are united by the method of sound production - unlike other wind instruments, the flute produces sounds as a result of cutting the air flow against the edge, instead of using a reed. The flute is one of the most ancient musical instruments in origin.

The Magic Flute: the true breath of music

First, let's understand the concepts.

What is a flute? Wikipedia can tell you that it is “a common name for a number of woodwind instruments.” And in Latin Flatus means “wind, blow.”

Starting from these definitions, let's take a step further - and first, let's plunge a little into history.

History of the flute

This instrument has been known for a very long time, because flutes are already more than five thousand years old (at least), and the transverse one became known later than the longitudinal one. Of course, then they didn’t look like they do now—they looked more like elongated whistles. Gradually, under the influence of time and the hands of many craftsmen, holes for fingers were cut into whistles. At the end of the 17th century, J. M. Otteter divided the flute into three parts (before that it consisted of two). Then valves were added on the holes - from four to six, as a rule, but there could be up to fourteen. But the most fundamental changes to the design were made by T. Boehm, who in 1851 patented the type and structure of the flute in which it still exists today.

Before him, there were many flute systems, and they differed in everything possible: length, thickness, tuning, and location of finger holes. Boehm came up with the following: he positioned the holes for the fingers as required by the acoustics of the instrument, and not as it was convenient for the musician, gave the head of the flute a parabolic shape, equipped the holes with valves and rings, and, finally, made the instrument out of metal for the first time. Previously, flutes were only wooden and less often made of glass or ivory.

By selling the manufacturing rights to companies from different countries, Boehm thus “promoted” the flute “to the masses.” The instrument of his system was so anatomically convenient, superior to its predecessors in mobility, harmony of sound, range, volume and sonority, that it quickly replaced both the recorder and transverse flutes of other systems from the orchestra and professional practice. Of course, this did not happen right away, because in order to switch to the new system, musicians were required to completely relearn their fingering.

A little later, by the way, the Boehm system was applied to the oboe, clarinet and bassoon.

What types of flutes are there?

Flutes are divided into longitudinal and transverse. Roughly speaking, the musician holds the longitudinal flute in front of his face, and the transverse flute to the side.

Examples of transverse (left) and longitudinal flutes

Moreover, when we hear the word “flute,” we imagine a person with a transverse flute: one end of the instrument is pressed to the lips, the “body” of the flute itself is to the right of the face, the hands are there, the fingers “run” over the valves, producing sound.

And basically, the name “flute” means precisely the instrument of the Boehm system. This is what they teach in music schools and conservatories.

The longitudinal flute has many varieties, but the main and most famous is the recorder.

Transverse flute

Flutes of the Boehm system are mainly divided into four types: large (or simply flute), small (otherwise known as piccolo flute), alto, bass. Of course, there are more exotic types, such as the octobass flute. But it is not so common that it can be put on a par with, say, the piccolo flute.

The formation of sound in a flute occurs when the air directed by a person (that is, his directed breathing) is cut by the edge of the instrument. If a musician weakens or, conversely, increases the speed of air flow, changes its direction, then he thereby achieves a change in the pitch of sound.

The instrument consists of three parts: head, body and elbow.

Components of a flute, from top to bottom: head, body, knee

The head has a conical-parabolic shape (according to Boehm's improvements), and can also be:

• both straight and curved - including on children’s flutes, to make it easier to hold;
• from nickel, silver, gold, wood, as well as their alloys (combinations).

The body of the flute is a cylinder with holes drilled through it. One of the characteristics of the instrument is how the valves are located on it: in a line or offset, when one of the valves (the G note) protrudes slightly to the side from the rest.

Valves can be open or closed (in other words, with or without resonators). The first type is more common, since open valves allow you to feel the resonance of the sound with your fingers and adjust the intonation of the performance.

The knee of the flute is of two types: C (with the lower sound of extraction - up to the first octave) or B (respectively, B of the small octave). The second variety is a little heavier.

A feature of many flutes is the E-mechanics. It was created in order to make it easier to play E notes of the third octave. For the most part, it is needed by beginning musicians, since pros can easily cope with sound production without such a device.

Good flutes are not cheap at all. The most budget options offered in stores are the 200 and 300 series, James Trevor (Prelude), Jupiter, F.Stepanov. Much depends on the preferences of your teacher, but basically these are the crossbars that are recommended to students. And they don’t recommend Chinese Maxtone and Brahner at all because of problems with mechanics and sound quality.

If you are going to follow the advice of teachers, then get ready to pay at least 15,000 rubles for the instrument. In principle, this is a budget price, since professional models of the same Yamaha or Muramatzu can cost about 300,000 rubles - and this is not the limit!

Yamaha YFL 211 (top) and Trevor James 3031-CDE with drop head

Longitudinal flute

The recorder is the most common longitudinal flute. There is, of course, a pipe, a whistle, and others, but since we are now talking about a mass-produced instrument, we will dwell in detail on the recorder.

The recorder differs from its relatives in that it has holes for seven fingers and another one for the thumb, which replaces the octave valve.

The sound is born in the mouthpiece of the recorder, into which a cork is inserted, leaving only a narrow gap for the musician to breathe.

It is worth noting that before Boehm's changes, the recorder was more widespread than the transverse flute. Only in the middle of the 19th century did the recorder greatly lose its position in the musical world - after all, the instrument of the Boehm system was distinguished by greater expressiveness, sonority and a wider range of notes.

Based on the pitch of the sound, there are five main types of instruments (in descending order): sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor and bass.

In addition, instruments are also divided according to the fingering system (the method of fingering necessary to correctly extract the required notes) into Baroque and Germanic. The German system is considered easier to master. Apparently, this is why professional recorders are more often found in the baroque type.

The manufacturing material can be either wood or plastic. Moreover, plastic products are not necessarily worse than wooden ones. Often, of two recorders of the same price, a high-quality plastic recorder sounds much more pleasant and brighter than one made from natural materials. Such instruments are easier to care for, are not so capricious to weather conditions, and are quite suitable for hiking, when you can throw them in a backpack and not constantly think about their safety. Plastic is also completely indifferent to unexpected “water procedures” such as rain or an accidental fall into the river. Because they are easy to manufacture, they are cheaper.

A completely different matter is a wooden instrument, which is still considered by default to be an order of magnitude higher in quality. Most often, the materials used for them are pear, mahogany, and boxwood. For simpler models - maple.

Quality is quality, and a wooden recorder is much more demanding in operation than its plastic counterpart. It is even enough that at first you can play a new flute no more than 15 minutes a day, otherwise you can damage the instrument and it will never sound the way it should. What can we say about rain, snow or simply high humidity due to the banal heat, which is not uncommon lately. Since it is still wood, the recorder can crack - from falling, careless handling and other troubles. Wood perfectly absorbs moisture, which is simply killer for sound quality. Therefore, after each rehearsal, you need to wipe the insides with a special brush (usually included in the kit).

Hohner recorders - from top to bottom models 9555, 9517 and 9532

In a music store, the easiest ways to find the two most common types of recorders are soprano and alto, and the soprano is still in first place in sales. On average, you can find a tool starting somewhere from 250-300 rubles. The most varied - democratic German Hohner, Japanese Yamaha, made of plastic and wood, with baroque or German fingering. The price can vary quite significantly, depending on the type of flute, the material and the manufacturer. Since the soprano is most readily taken, the price for it is not exorbitant, and a good plastic instrument can be found for 1000-1500 rubles. Wood prepared in a special way and handmade, of course, are priced accordingly, and a similar tool costs 6,000 rubles. - not the limit at all.

And if we are talking about rarer things, such as sopranino, tenor or bass (perhaps the most expensive), then the cost here starts from 6,000 rubles. It’s just starting, and in most cases it clearly goes beyond 10,000 rubles. For example, a wooden instrument from Mollenhauer - bass recorder Canta 2546k - sells for about 44,000 rubles.

Mollenhauer Canta 2546K

Instead of a conclusion

If you have decided to buy a flute, then it is worth noting a number of main points for yourself.

It all depends on whether you are going to learn to play the transverse flute or the longitudinal one (namely, the recorder).

In the case of the transverse flute, first of all, rely on the advice of the teacher from whom you will learn. And, of course, on your own budget. However, if you want to purchase a more or less decent instrument, count on at least 15,000 rubles.

A very important point is the choice in the store. An inexperienced person (that is, a novice musician) should not purchase an instrument on his own, because only a professional will be able to hear any shortcomings in the sound or find defects in manufacturing. You don’t know how it should be there, right? Then it’s better to trust someone who understands this.

If your choice fell on the recorder and you want to learn without the help of a teacher, then you can choose the intermediate-level longitudinal flute yourself. The main thing is to decide in advance whether you need a wooden instrument or a plastic one, with baroque or German fingering, soprano or, say, alto. The features of both are described above.

A lot depends on a well-chosen tool, but not everything. And the main thing is patience, perseverance and the desire to learn to play in a way that will take the breath away not only of the listeners, but also of the musician himself.