History and characteristics of the transverse flute

Historical overview

It can be said that the history of the flute belongs to one of the most distant histories of instruments known to us today. It goes back several thousand years, although of course the first instruments did not resemble the one known to us today. Initially, they were made of reed, bone or wood (including ebony, boxwood), ivory, porcelain and even crystal. Naturally, at the beginning they were recorders, and one of the first ones that had a scale in the present sense of the word had eight holes. Over many centuries, the flute evolved at a different pace, but such a real revolution in terms of its construction and use took place only in the 1831th century, when Theobald Boehm, in the years 1847-XNUMX, developed a mechanics and construction similar to the modern one. Over the next decades, the transverse flute and many other instruments underwent its various modifications. Practically until the XNUMXth century, the vast majority of them were made almost entirely of wood. Today, the vast majority of transverse flutes are made of metals. Of course, different types of metals are used, but the most common raw material used in the construction of the transverse flute is nickel or silver. Gold and platinum are also used for construction. Depending on the material used, the instrument will have its own characteristic sound. Often, in order to obtain a unique sound, manufacturers build the instrument using various precious metals, combining them with each other, e.g. the inner layer can be silver and the outer layer gold-plated.

Characteristics of the flute

The transverse flute belongs to the group of woodwind instruments. In this group it is an instrument capable of achieving the highest sound. It also has the widest scale of any woodwind instrument, ranging from c or h minor, depending on the build, up to d4. Theoretically, you can even bring out f4, although it is rather very difficult to achieve. The notes for the flute part are written on the treble clef. This instrument finds its versatile use in any musical genre. It is perfect as a solo instrument as well as an accompanying instrument. We can meet him in small chamber ensembles as well as in large symphony or jazz orchestras.

Construction of the transverse flute

The transverse flute consists of three parts: the head, body and foot. On the head there is a mouthpiece to which we press our lips. The head is inserted into the body with flap holes and a mechanism with 13 flaps that open and close the holes. The flaps can be open with finger holes in the middle or closed with the so-called full. The third element is the foot, which is the part that allows you to bring out the lowest sounds. There are two types of feet: foot c (up to c¹) and h (longer, with an additional flap for small h).

Technical aspects of the flute

Due to the very wide scale and the very structure of the transverse flute, the possibilities of this instrument are really huge. You can play it freely using various techniques and methods of playing known to us today, including: legato, staccato, double and triple staccato, tremolo, frullato, all kinds of ornaments, and whirlpools. Also, without major problems, you can cover really long distances between individual sounds, commonly known as intervals. The tonal scale of the transverse flute can be divided into four basic registers: Low register (c1-g1), which is characterized by a dark and hissing sound. The middle register (a1-d3) has a milder sound, softer and brighter as the notes progress upwards. The high register (e3-b3) has a clear, crystalline sound, quite sharp and penetrating. The extremely high register (h3-d4) is characterized by a very sharp, bright sound. Of course, the dynamic, interpretative and articulation possibilities are directly dependent only on the skills of the flutist himself.

Types of transverse flute

Over the years, various varieties of this instrument have developed, but the most important and most popular ones include: the great transverse flute (standard) with a scale from c¹ or h small (it depends on the flute foot construction) to d4, then the piccolo flute, which is about half shorter than the standard and in tuning an octave higher, and the alto flute, the scale of which is from f to f3. There are a few other lesser-known varieties of transverse flutes, but they are generally not completely in use at present.

Summation

Undoubtedly, the transverse flute is one of the instruments with a great musical potential, but it is also one of the most difficult to learn woodwind instruments.