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The Woodwind & Brasswind

About the Flute



Early primitive flutes have been found in Slovenia, Germany, and China estimated by some to date as far back in time as 43,000 years ago.  Genesis also makes mention to woodwind instruments and flutes are integral to Indian mythology.  A prevalent early instrument, the flute has dramatically evolved from its simple predecessors.  However, the Latin word for flute, “tibia,” also means “shin bone” and serves as a reminder of the flute’s archaic past. 

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Gemeinhardt 2SP Series Student Flute (2SP)
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Gemeinhardt 2SP Series Student Flute

Item Number: 483725 | Model: 2SP

Gemeinhardt 2SP Series Student Flute

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Gemeinhardt 3SHB Series Intermediate Flute (3SHBGLP)
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Gemeinhardt 3SHB Series Intermediate Flute

Item Number: 464213 | Model: 3SHBGLP

Gemeinhardt 3SHB Series Intermediate Flute

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Azumi 3000 Series Professional Flute (AZ3000SRBO)
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Azumi 3000 Series Professional Flute

Item Number: 463730 | Model: AZ3000SRBO

Azumi 3000 Series Professional Flute

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Etude Model EFL-100 Student Flute (WWF-ET30SL)
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Etude Model EFL-100 Student Flute

Item Number: 463673 | Model: WWF-ET30SL

Etude Model EFL-100 Student Flute

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Yamaha YFL-461 Series Intermediate Flute (YFL-461Y)
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Yamaha YFL-461 Series Intermediate Flute

Item Number: 483707 | Model: YFL-461Y

Yamaha YFL-461 Series Intermediate Flute

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Yamaha YFL-361 Series Intermediate Flute (YFL-361HY)
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Yamaha YFL-361 Series Intermediate Flute

Item Number: 483708 | Model: YFL-361HY

Yamaha YFL-361 Series Intermediate Flute

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Pearl Flutes Quantz 665 Series Flutes (665RB1RB)
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Pearl Flutes Quantz 665 Series Flutes

Item Number: 466969 | Model: 665RB1RB

Pearl Flutes Quantz 665 Series Flutes

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Pearl Flutes 795 Elegante Series Flute (795RBE2RB)
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Pearl Flutes 795 Elegante Series Flute

Item Number: 466959 | Model: 795RBE2RB

Pearl Flutes 795 Elegante Series Flute

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Inline G With B Foot, Offset G with Split E, B Foot, C# Trill, D# Roller
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Gemeinhardt KGM Limited Professional Flute (95449)
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Gemeinhardt KGM Limited Professional Flute

Item Number: 464215 | Model: 95449

Gemeinhardt KGM Limited Professional Flute

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Azumi 2000 Series Intermediate Flute (AZ2000SRBO)
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Azumi 2000 Series Intermediate Flute

Item Number: 463729 | Model: AZ2000SRBO

Azumi 2000 Series Intermediate Flute

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Yamaha 600 Series Professional Flute (YFL-674HCT)
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Yamaha 600 Series Professional Flute

Item Number: 483879 | Model: YFL-674HCT

Yamaha 600 Series Professional Flute

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Gemeinhardt Model 3SB Intermediate Flute (3SBGLP)
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Gemeinhardt Model 3SB Intermediate Flute

Item Number: 464212 | Model: 3SBGLP

Gemeinhardt Model 3SB Intermediate Flute

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The History of the Flute


The flute is classified as an edge-blown aerophone.  Concert flutes are pitched in the key of C with a range of three octaves starting from Middle C making it one of the highest common orchestral instruments.  Alto and bass flutes produce much lower tones but the piccolo is higher than the flute by an octave.

While the flute has been predominant in many cultures worldwide, it was less popular in the 12th and 13th century Medieval courts.  There, the recorder was the primary woodwind until transverse flutes were brought over from Asia.  Once they were adopted by the Europeans, they became known as German flutes and were used extensively in court music.  The flute regained popularity around 1470 when the Swiss Army adopted it for signaling.  Later in the 16th century, the flute was often the tenor voice in court and theater music and then in chamber ensembles.  The Baroque era brought composers for the flute such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and George Frideric Handel and with that the flute was featured in scores of operas and ballets.  Though the Romantic Era saw a shift from woodwinds to brass and strings, the innovations created by Theobald Boehm in the mid 19th century set the precedent for most Western concert flutes.

Theobald Boehm was the German son of a goldsmith who made his own flute at a young age.  His skill as a musician led him to become the First Flautist in the Royal Bavarian Orchestra.  Boehm studied Acoustics at the University of Munich and then began to experiment with constructing flutes of different metals and woods and altering the position of the holes.  He patented his first fingering system in 1847 and also published, “On the Construction of Flutes,” in the same year.  His new flute was displayed at the London Exhibition in 1851.  His flute and finger system did not take off immediately but it is now the basis for most other modifications and developments to Western concert flutes.

Flute music was rarely used in early jazz but has gradually found its place in Big Band music.  Drummer and bandleader Chick Webb was among the first to incorporate the flute in the late 1930s.  Since then, the flute has been integrated into Big Bands like the Count Basie Orchestra and the Tad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra to name a few.  Flutes have also found their place in avante garde jazz and other musical movements.  Jethro Tull is one of the only the well known rock groups to regularly incorporate flute music but flutes have managed to sneak their way into several songs by the Moody Blues, Men at Work, and The Beatles.


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