Hobbies And Interests
History
The older of the two kinds of flute, the end-blown, has been around since before antiquity. In fact, flutes dating back around 35,000 years old have been discovered in caves in Germany, while still playable 8,000 year old flutes made from crane bones were found in a tomb in China. It wasn't until the 16th and 17th centuries that the transverse flute became popular as an instrument used in concerts for the first time. Originally made from just one section, by the 17th to mid 18th centuries it was being made from three or four sections and was looking more like the western concert flute we know in the 21st century.
Description
The basic construction of a transverse flute, also known as a side-blown flute, is a tube that has a hole on the side rather than the end, which the player blows air across to create the sound. It is held horizontally as it is played. End-blown flutes involve the player blowing air into the end of the flute, as in a recorder, and can be divided into two categories: rim-blown flutes and fipple flutes. The former split the blown air across a tube that has a notch, while the fipple blows the air into a channel, which then guides it across a sharp edge called a fipple. Examples of rim-blown flutes include panpipes, while examples of the fipple include the recorder.
Playing
Of the two types, the fipple flutes are easier to play as it is the channel that shapes where the air goes and all the player needs to do is blow. In transverse flutes the player has to direct the air and shape it with her lips in order to create the sound. This results in a wider range of pitch, timbre and volume being produced. The downside is that it means that the transverse flute is a harder instrument to play, especially at the beginner level. These flutes also require more air to produce sound, meaning mastering the correct breathing can also prove difficult.
Types
There are different types of end-blown and transverse flutes in existence. The former includes variations of the pan flute, which can be found in countries across the world from South America to Vietnam, the shakuhachi, a flute made from bamboo that originates in Japan and the nay which has its origins in the Middle East and is said to date back to before the pyramids. Then, of course there are the penny whistle and the ocarina, which are classed as fipple flutes. Transverse flutes include the more recognized western concert flute that can be found in orchestras around the world, the fife, which is a military flute dating back to medieval Europe and the bansuri which is a North Indian transverse flute.