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Varieties of name flutes. The Magic Flute: the true breath of music

The flute family includes a huge number of various kinds flutes, which can be conditionally 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 design of the head of this flute uses an insert (block). In German, the 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 - "learn by heart, learn").

Related instruments: flute, 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 take notes, the so-called. fork fingerings (when the holes are closed not in turn, but in a complex combination).

The sound in the recorder is formed in the beak-shaped mouthpiece located at the end of the instrument. In the mouthpiece there is a wooden cork (from it. 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 cheapness, strength - they are not as at risk of cracking as wood, precision manufacturing by hot pressing followed by fine-tuning with high precision, hygiene (they are not afraid of moisture and tolerate "bathing" well).

Nevertheless, according to most performers, it is wooden flutes that sound best. Boxwood or fruit trees (pear, plum) are traditionally used for manufacturing, maple is usually used for budget models, and professional instruments are often made from mahogany.

The recorder has a full chromatic scale. This allows you to play music in different keys. A recorder is usually tuned in F or C, meaning it is the lowest pitch that can be played on it. The most common types of recorder in terms of pitch: sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, bass. The sopranino is in F, the soprano is in C, the alto is one octave below the sopranino, the tenor is one octave below the soprano, and the bass is one octave below the alto.

Recorders are also classified by fingering systems. There are two types of recorder fingering systems: "Germanic" and "Baroque" (or "English"). The "Germanic" fingering system is a little easier for the initial development, 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 waned as orchestral brass instruments such as the transverse flute, which has a wider range and louder sound. In the music of the eras of classical and romanticism, the recorder did not take its rightful place.

Recognizing the decrease in the importance of the recorder, we can also recall that the name Flauto - "flute" before 1750 referred to the recorder; the transverse flute was called Flauto Traverso or simply Traversa. After 1750 and before today the name "flute" (Flauto) means a transverse flute.

In the early twentieth century, the recorder was such a rarity that Stravinsky, when he saw the recorder for the first time, mistook it for a type of clarinet. It wasn't until the 20th century that the recorder was rediscovered primarily as an instrument for school and home music making. The recorder is also used for authentic reproduction of early music.

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

Among orchestral flutes, 4 main types of flute can be identified: the flute itself (or large flute), the small flute (piccolo flute), the alto flute and the bass flute.

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

The great flute (or simply the flute) is a soprano register instrument. The pitch on the flute changes by blowing (extracting harmonic consonances with the lips), as well as by opening and closing 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 deaf, the highest sounds, on the contrary, are piercing 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 wind instrument. It has a brilliant, in the forte - a piercing and whistling timbre. A small flute is half as long as an ordinary one and sounds an octave higher, and it is impossible to extract a number of low sounds on it.

Piccolo range - from d? before c5(re of the second octave - up to the fifth octave), there are also instruments that have the ability to take c? And cis?. Notes for ease of reading are written an octave lower. Mechanically, the piccolo flute is arranged in the same way as the usual one (except for the absence of the “D-flat” and “C” of the first octave) and, therefore, is characterized by the same performance features in general.

Initially, within the framework of the orchestra (starting from the second half of the 18th century), the small flute was intended to amplify and extend upward the extreme octaves of the grand flute, and it was recommended to use it more in opera or ballet 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 sharp and somewhat rough sound, as well as a low degree of flexibility.

It should also be noted that this type of flute is quite successfully combined with ringing percussion instruments and drums; in addition, the piccolo can be combined in an octave with the oboe, which also generates 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.

The breath on the alto flute is consumed faster. Used most often in G(in salt order), less often in F(in the F order). Range? from g(salt of a small octave) to d? (re third octave). Theoretically, it is 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 great flute, however, it is achievable only in dynamics no stronger than mezzo-forte. Medium register? flexible in nuance, full-sounding; upper? sharp, less timbre colored than the flute, the highest sounds are difficult to extract on the piano. It occurs in a few scores, but in the works of Stravinsky, such as, for example, Daphnis and Chloe and The Rite of Spring, it acquires a certain weight and significance.

The bass flute has a curved knee, which makes it 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 the folk (or ethnic) types of flutes, there are a huge variety of them.

They can be conditionally divided into longitudinal, transverse, whistling (an improved version of the longitudinal flute), Pan flutes, vessel-shaped, nasal and compound flutes.

TO ena - used in the music of the Andean region of Latin America. Usually made from cane. It has six upper and one lower finger hole, usually made in G tuning.

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

Svirel- Russian wind instrument, a kind 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 bottom there are 3 side holes for changing the pitch of sounds. The barrels are tuned to each other in a quart and generally give a diatonic scale in the volume of a seventh.

Pyzhatka-- Russian folk musical instrument, a 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, at one end of which is inserted a wooden cork (“wad”) with an oblique cut that directs the blown air to the pointed edge of a small square hole (“whistles”).

The term "pyzhatka" can also be considered as a synonym for the concept snot- a variety of longitudinal whistle flute, which is also a traditional Russian folk wind instrument, the most ancient of those that were in circulation 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 fingering, 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 di stem is made of bamboo or reed, but there are di made from other types of wood and even from stone, most often jade.

Di is one of the most common wind instruments in China. The hole for blowing 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. Especially common in Northern India. Bansuri is made from a single hollow bamboo stem with six or seven holes. There are two types of instrument: transverse and longitudinal. Longitudinal is usually used in folk music and is held with the lips like a whistle when played. The transverse variety is the 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 ones are open. The name is due to the fact that in the era of antiquity the invention of this type of flute was mythologically attributed to the deity of forests and fields, Pan. When playing, the musician directs the flow of air from one end of the tubes to the other, as a result of which the air columns enclosed inside begin to oscillate, and the instrument produces a whistle of a certain height; each tube produces one basic sound, acoustic characteristics which depends on its length and diameter. Accordingly, the number and size of the pipes determine the range of the panflute. The tool may have a movable or fixed stopper; depending on this are used various ways its fine tuning.

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

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

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

Compound flutes consist of several simple flutes connected together. At the same time, 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. All of them differ greatly in appearance timbre, size. They are united by the way of sound extraction - unlike other wind instruments, the flute sounds are formed as a result of cutting the air flow on the edge, instead of using the tongue. The flute is one of the most ancient musical instruments.

It differs from other instruments of its family by the presence of 7 finger holes on the front side and one on the back - the so-called octave valve. The sound in the recorder is formed in the beak-shaped mouthpiecelocated at the end of the instrument. In the mouthpiece there is a wooden cork (from it. Block), covering the hole for blowing air (leaving only a narrow gap).

The recorder was popular during the Middle Ages in Europe, but by the 18th century its popularity had declined as orchestral wind instruments, such as the transverse flute, were favored for their wider range and louder sound.

In German, a recorder is called " Blockflote"("flute with a block"), in French - " flute a bec"("flute with mouthpiece"), in Italian - " flauto dolce"("gentle flute"), in English - " recorder"(from record- "to learn by heart, to learn").

Nowadays, recorders are made not only from wood, but also from plastic. Plastic instruments (especially sopraninos and sopranos) are considered by many musicians to be indistinguishable in sound from wooden ones. The advantage of such tools is also their cheapness, strength - they are not as susceptible to the risk of cracking as wood, manufacturing accuracy by hot pressing followed by fine-tuning with high precision, hygiene (they are not afraid of moisture and tolerate "bathing" perfectly). Nevertheless, according to some, it is wooden flutes that sound best. Boxwood or fruit trees (pear, plum) are traditionally used for manufacturing, for budget models - as a rule, maple, and professional instruments are often made from mahogany.

The recorder's scale is diatonic, but with the use of forked fingerings it expands to full chromatic.

Story

The recorder has been known in Europe since the 11th century; was widespread in the 16th and 18th centuries.

Used solo, in ensembles and orchestra. A. Vivaldi, G. F. Telemann, G. F. Handel, J. S. Bach wrote for the recorder.

In the middle of the 18th century, the recorder was supplanted by the transverse flute; it was only in the 20th century that the recorder began to be used again.

Varieties of recorders

There are recorders of various sizes (up to 250 cm) and tunings.

The main types of recorders: Sopranino (in F) - range o from f2 to g4 Soprano (in C) "Descant" - range from c2 to d4 Alto (in F) "Treble" - range from f1 to g3 Tenor (in C tuning) - c1 to d3 range Bass (in F tuning) - f to g2 range

Less common types: Garklein (in C tuning) - range from c3 to d5 Voice-flute (in D tuning) - range from d1 to e3 Bass (in C tuning) "Great Bass" - range from c to d2 Double bass (in tuning F) - range from F to g2 Subdouble bass (in D tuning) - range from C to d1 Octocontrabass (in F tuning) - range from F1 to g

A recorder is usually tuned in F or C, meaning it is the lowest pitch that can be played on it. The most common types of recorder in terms of pitch: sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, bass.

The sopranino is in F, the soprano is in C, the alto is one octave below the sopranino, the tenor is one octave below the soprano, and the bass is one octave below the alto.

Recorders are also classified by fingering systems. There are two types of recorder fingering systems: "German" ("Renaissance") and "Baroque" (or "English"). The "German" fingering system is a little easier to get started with, but most of the really good professional instruments are made with the "Baroque" fingering.

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See what "Longitudinal flute" is in other dictionaries:

- (German Flote), wind musical instrument. Known since antiquity. Spread across Europe in the 17th century. the longitudinal flute (the so-called recorder) was supplanted in the 18th century. transverse (inlet on the side; held almost horizontally). ... ... Modern Encyclopedia

- (from German Flote) a woodwind musical instrument. Numerous varieties of the flute, starting with the simplest whistles, have been known since antiquity. Spread across Europe in the 17th century. longitudinal flute (the so-called recorder) was supplanted ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- ... Wikipedia

The general name of wind musical instruments in which the air column begins to oscillate under the influence of a blown air jet cut against the sharp edge of the barrel wall; in the narrow sense, the most common in modern Western ... ... Collier Encyclopedia

s; and. [ital. flauto] A high-pitched woodwind musical instrument in the form of a cylindrical or slightly conical tube with holes and valves. Solo for flute. ◁ Flute, oh, oh. F. sound. * * * flute (from German FlÖte), wind ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Italian flauto di Pan, German Panflöte, French flute de Pan, English Pan flute or panpipe) Nar. spirit. labial (labial) music. tool. F.P. ancient multi-barreled longitudinal flute; name source. other Greek the myth of the god of forests and fields Pan, ... ... Music Encyclopedia

flute- FLUTE, s, f A wind musical instrument made of metal, but traditionally referred to the group of woodwinds, which is a narrow long tube, closed at one end, which has a special hole for ... ... Dictionary Russian nouns

Pan flute- Nar. spirit. labial music. tool, izv. from ancient times, a multi-barreled longitudinal flute. Name goes back to other Greek. the myth of Pan, the god of forests and fields. It consists of a set of tubules of different lengths (rarely different diameters) open on one side ... Russian humanitarian encyclopedic Dictionary

- (German Flote, Italian flauto, French flyte, English flute; source Provence flato). 1) Wind labial music. tool. It is a cylindrical tube. or slightly conic. channel. Sound is produced by blowing a stream of air across... Music Encyclopedia

- (German Flote) wind musical instrument. F. differ in the way the instrument is held when playing. There are longitudinal (hold in a vertical position, like an oboe, clarinet) and transverse (hold horizontally). Known since antiquity... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

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flute family

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History of the development of the flute

Flute- the general name of wind musical instruments in which the column of air begins to oscillate under the influence of a blown air jet, cut through the sharp edge of the barrel wall.

In the narrow sense of the word flute- the most common representative of the flute family in modern Western music - the transverse flute. Most flutes are cylindrical tubes with a thin air passage.

Judging by the various stages in the development of the flute, which can be observed in the instruments of primitive peoples, ancient form flute is a whistle. whistles different types exist all over the world, these are toys, signaling instruments, devices for magic and primitive musical instruments.

At American Indians bone, clay and wooden whistles of various shapes and sizes played an important role in religious rites and Everyday life. In the process of civilization development, finger holes were cut in the whistle tubes, turning a simple whistle into a whistle flute, on which musical works can be performed.

Such instruments were made double or even triple, as, for example, in Tibet; in such cases, the performer played two or three pipes at the same time. In the islands of the southwestern Pacific and in India, there are single or double nose flutes in which the air is blown not by the mouth, but by the nose; there is a conscious connection between the flute and the soul associated with magical nasal breathing.

The oldest type of flute attested in historical documents is the longitudinal flute. It was known in Egypt five or more thousand years ago and remains the main wind instrument throughout the Middle East. The 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 frets by crossing the fingers, closing the holes halfway, as well as changing the direction and strength of breathing.

The transverse flute, in which air is blown into a hole a few centimeters from the end, represents a higher stage in the history of the flute. A transverse flute with 5-6 finger holes, and sometimes with a hole covered with a thin membrane, which gives the sound some nasality, was known in China at least three thousand years ago, and in India and Japan - more than two thousand years ago.

The earliest depiction of a transverse flute was found on an Etruscan relief that dates back to 100 or 200 BC. At that time, the transverse flute was held to the left side, only an illustration to a poem from the 11th century AD for the first time depicts the manner of holding the instrument to the right side.

The first archaeological finds of transverse flutes in Europe date back to the 12th-14th centuries AD. One of the earliest images of that time is contained in the encyclopedia Hortus Deliciarum. Apart from the one aforementioned 11th-century illustration, all medieval European and Asian depictions show players holding the transverse flute to the left, while antique European depictions show flute players holding the instrument to the right.

Therefore, it is assumed that the transverse flute in Europe temporarily fell into disuse, and then returned there from Asia through Byzantine Empire. In Europe, during the Middle Ages, mainly simple instruments of the whistle type (predecessors of the recorder and flageolet) were distributed, as well as the transverse flute, which penetrated into Central Europe from the East through the Balkans, where it still remains the most common folk instrument. In the Middle Ages, the transverse flute consisted of one part, sometimes two for "bass" flutes in G (now the range of the alto flute). The tool had a cylindrical shape and 6 holes of the same diameter.

During the Renaissance, the design of the transverse flute changed little. The instrument had a range of two and a half octaves or more, which exceeded the range of most recorders of the time by an octave. The instrument made it possible to play all the notes of the chromatic scale, subject to good command of the fingering, which was quite complex. The middle register sounded the best. Famous original transverse flutes from the Renaissance era are kept in the Castel Vecchio Museum in Verona.

TO late XVII V. The transverse flute was improved by French artisans who increased its size, made the channel slightly tapering from the head, and added valves to the six finger holes to play the full chromatic scale.

The first major changes to the design of the transverse flute were made by the Otteter family. Jacques Martin Otetter divided the instrument into three parts: the head, the body (with holes that closed directly with the fingers) and the knee (which usually had one valve, sometimes more). Subsequently, most transverse flutes of the 18th century consisted of four parts - the body of the instrument was divided in half. The otteter also changed the instrument's drilling to be tapered to improve intonation between octaves.

Possessing a more expressive sound, more accurate intonation and high technical capabilities, the transverse flute soon replaced the longitudinal (recorder) and by the end of the 18th century. took a strong place in the symphony orchestra and instrumental ensembles.

In the last decades of the 18th century, more and more valves were added to the transverse flute - usually from 4 to 6, or more. On some instruments it becomes possible to take c 1 (up to the first octave) with the help of an extended knee and two additional valves.

Important innovations in the design of the transverse flute of that time were made by Johann Joachim Quantz and Johann Georg Tromlitz. Nevertheless, the instrument had many shortcomings, and meanwhile, the technical requirements placed on it by composers grew every decade. flute mouthpiece sound piccolo

Numerous experimenters tried to achieve stable intonation in all keys, but only the German flutist and composer Theobald Böhm (1794-1881) managed to create modern type flutes. Between 1832 and 1847 Böhm improved the instrument, which has changed little since then, although the experiments did not end there. His innovations differed from numerous others in that he prioritized acoustic research and objective sound parameters, rather than the convenience of the performer.

He introduced the following most important innovations:

1) positioned the thumb holes according to acoustic principles rather than performance convenience;

2) provided the tool with a system of valves and rings to help close all holes;

3) used the cylindrical channel of the old times, but with a parabolic head, which improved intonation and evened out the sound in different registers, although it deprived it of the softness of the timbre characteristic of the conical channel;

4) switched to the use of metal for the manufacture of tools, which compared with wooden tool enhanced the brilliance of the sound due to softness and sincerity.

The flute of the Boehm system did not immediately find a response among the performers - in order to switch to new system it was necessary to completely retrain the fingering and not everyone was ready for such a sacrifice. Many criticized the sound of the instrument.

In France, the instrument gained popularity faster than other countries, mainly due to the fact that Louis Dorus, a professor at the Paris Conservatoire, became a devoted popularizer and taught it at the conservatory. In Germany and Austria, Boehm's system did not take root for a very long time. Flutists passionately defended their predilections to one or another system, there were numerous discussions and disputes about the disadvantages and advantages.

At the beginning of the 20th century, most flute players switched to the Boehm system, although other systems were occasionally encountered until the 1930s. Most flutes were still made from wood, but metal instruments began to gain in popularity.

In the second half of the 20th century, there was a renewed interest in baroque transverse flutes, and many performers began to specialize in the authentic performance of baroque music on original instruments.

Attempts have been made to improve Boehm's system in order to create the possibility of playing a pure quarter-tone scale and thereby expand the instrument's capabilities when playing modern music. Six additional valves were added to the standard Boehm flute, and such a system was named after the creator of the Kingma system. Flutists Robert Dick and Matthias Ziegler, who specialize in performing modern music, use such instruments.

The transverse flute is an elongated cylindrical tube with a valve system, closed at one end, near which there is a special side hole for applying lips and blowing air. The modern flute is divided into three parts: head, body and knee.

The great flute has a straight head, but there are also curved heads - on children's instruments, as well as on bass flutes, so that the instrument is more comfortable to hold. The head can be made from various materials and their combinations - nickel, wood, silver, gold, platinum. The head of a modern flute, unlike the body of the instrument, is not cylindrical, but conical-parabolic in shape.

At the left end inside the head there is a plug, the position of which affects the overall action of the instrument and should be checked regularly (usually using the back end of the tool cleaning stick - ramrod). The shape of the head hole, the shape and curve of the jaws have a great influence on the sound of the entire instrument. Often performers use heads from a different manufacturer than the main instrument manufacturer.

The structure of the body of the flute can be of two types: "inline" ("in line") - when all the valves form one line, and "offset" - when the salt valve protrudes.

There are also two types of valves - closed (without resonators) and open (with resonators). Open valves are the most common, as they have several advantages compared to closed ones: a flutist can feel the speed of the air stream and the resonance of sound under his fingers, with the help of open valves you can correct intonation, and when playing modern music, they are practically indispensable. For children's or small hands, there are plastic plugs that, if necessary, can temporarily close all or some of the valves on the instrument.

Two types of knee can be used on the great flute: the C knee or the B knee. On a flute with a knee to the lower sound is up to the first octave, on flutes with a knee of si - si of a small octave, respectively. Knee si affects the sound of the third octave of the instrument, and also makes the instrument somewhat heavier in weight. There is a “gizmo” lever on the B knee, which should be additionally used in fingering up to the fourth octave

Many flutes have the so-called mi-mechanics. Mi-mechanics was invented at the beginning of the 20th century simultaneously, independently of each other, by the German master Emil von Rittershausen and the French master Jalma Julio in order to make it easier to take and improve the intonation of the third octave note mi.

Many professional flutists do not use E-mechanics, as good instrumental skills allow easy picking of this sound without its help. There are also alternatives to mi-mechanics - a plate covering half of the inner hole of the (second pair) salt valve, developed by Powell, as well as a reduced size pair valve salt, developed by Sankyo (not widely used mainly due to aesthetic considerations). On flutes of the German system, mi-mechanics is not functionally required (pair valves G are separated initially).

Varieties of flutes

The family of flutes includes a huge number of different types of flutes, which can be conditionally 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).

Related instruments: flute, 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 recorder was popular in the Middle Ages in Europe, but by the 18th century. its popularity waned as orchestral wind instruments such as the transverse flute were favored for their wider range and louder sound. In the music of the eras of classical and romanticism, the recorder did not take its rightful place.

Recognizing the decrease in the importance of the recorder, we can also recall that the name Flauto - "flute" before 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.

Among orchestral flutes, 4 main types of flute can be identified: the flute itself (or large flute), the small flute (piccolo flute), the alto flute and the bass flute.

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

Piccolo range - from d? before c5 (re of the second octave - up to the fifth octave), there are also instruments that have the ability to take c? And cis?. Notes for ease of reading are written an octave lower. Mechanically, the piccolo flute is arranged in the same way as the usual one (except for the absence of the “D-flat” and “C” of the first octave) and, therefore, is characterized by the same performance features in general.

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.

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

They can be conditionally divided into longitudinal, transverse, whistling (an improved version of the longitudinal flute), Pan flutes, vessel-shaped, nasal and compound flutes.

TO ena - used in the music of the Andean region of Latin America. Usually made from cane. It has six upper and one lower finger hole, usually made in G tuning.

whistle(from English. tin whistle, literally translated "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.

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, at one end of which is inserted a wooden cork (“wad”) with an oblique cut that directs the blown air to the pointed edge of a small square hole (“whistles”).

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 ones are open. The name is due to the fact that in the era of antiquity the invention of this type of flute was mythologically attributed to the deity of forests and fields, Pan. When playing, the musician directs the flow of air from one end of the tubes to the other, as a result of which the air columns enclosed inside begin to oscillate, and the instrument produces a whistle of a certain height; each of the tubes emits one basic sound, the acoustic characteristics of which depend on its length and diameter. Accordingly, the number and size of the pipes determine the range of the panflute. The tool may have a movable or fixed stopper; depending on this, various ways of fine-tuning it are used.

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

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

All of the above types of flutes are only a small part of the huge flute family. All of them differ greatly in appearance, timbre, size. They are united by the way of sound extraction - unlike other wind instruments, the flute sounds are formed as a result of cutting the air flow on the edge, instead of using the tongue. The flute is one of the most ancient musical instruments.

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Range and registers of the flute

In general, the sound of the flute is whistling and slightly vibrating.
Orchestral range - from before first octave to before fourth octave.

The lower register has a matte, 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 varieties of flutes, but they mainly differ in longitudinal and transverse. For longitudinal flutes, the wind hole is located at the end; when playing, the musician holds the longitudinal flute perpendicular to the line of the lips.

At the transverse, the hole is on the side, so you have to keep it parallel to the line of the lips.
One of the most common types of longitudinal flute is the recorder. It is similar to the flute and whistle. The main fundamental difference between the recorder and these instruments is that in addition to seven finger holes on the front, there is one more - an octave valve, which is located on the back.
The recorder began to be actively used in their works European composers back in the 16th century. Bach, Vivaldi, Gendal and many others very often included a recorder in their works. With the advent of transverse flutes, a serious minus of the recorder became noticeable - 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 for a long time did not allow them to become widespread. Only after the design of the transverse flute was improved in 1832 by the master from Germany, Theobald Behm, 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 the fourth octave.

Considered one of the most ancient on earth. And indeed, the first flutes, not at all similar to modern ones, appeared a very, very long time ago. Until now, in the villages you can meet people who in a few minutes can make a primitive flute from dry wood, as was done thousands of years ago. Flutes were distributed throughout the world and were worn by many various titles.

What's unusual?

As a rule, the sound in wind instruments is produced using a reed or reed, but not in the case of a flute. In it, music is born from the fact that the air flow is cut in two. Some types of flutes have whistles designed in the same way as a regular sports whistle, and then the flutist simply needs to blow air and play. If there is no whistle, the musician himself must direct the stream of air so that it cuts on the edge. This mechanism is implemented in the orchestral transverse flute, as well as some folk ones, for example, Japanese (shakuhachi).

Types of flutes

As a rule, folk varieties of flutes were longitudinal, that is, they were located vertically when played. Most often there was also a whistle (hence the name of the whistle family). This includes Irish whistles, Slavic pipes, flutes and ocarinas. All of them have their own characteristics, but the recorder is the most difficult in terms of execution technique. It has a large range compared to the rest, and is not tied to a specific key (for example, whistles can only play in one key, and musicians have to change several whistles from song to song).

The recorder has seven holes on the front and one on the back. In turn, there are varieties of recorders associated with the range: bass, tenor, alto, soprano and sopranino. The technique of playing them is identical, only the system differs and the size of the instrument increases with decreasing range. Until the 18th century, the bluffkleite was used in the orchestra, but was supplanted by the transverse flute, which has a loud, bright sound and a large range.

for orchestra

In orchestral playing, as a rule, a transverse flute is used, unless the piece being played requires another (for example, a piece for a recorder). Its range is more than three octaves, starting from B in the small octave and ending with the note F-sharp in the fourth octave. Notes for the flute are written in different timbres: somewhat muffled, whispering in the lower, clear and transparent in the middle, loud, harsh in the upper ... The transverse flute is a musical instrument that is used in both symphony and brass bands, and often in various chamber ensembles. The oldest transverse flute was discovered in the fifth century BC, in one of the tombs in China.

The first major design changes were made in the Baroque era. In the 18th century, transverse flutes of a new design began to compete with the recorders used in orchestras, and then completely replaced them. However, it was only in the twentieth century that tools made of metal became widespread.

Flute melody can be very complex: orchestral solos are often assigned to it, and many works require serious performing technique from the flutist. There are several varieties that are also associated with lowering or raising the register: bass flute, alto, piccolo flute and some others, less common. Interesting fact: one of Mozart's most difficult operas is called The Magic Flute.

Straight from Greece

There is another species that bears the beautiful name "syringa". Siringa (flute) is a musical instrument of the ancient Greeks, closely related to the modern longitudinal flute. She is even mentioned in the Iliad. There were single-barreled and multi-barreled syringas (the latter were later called "Pan flutes"). As a rule, this word is translated into Russian as "pipe". Ancient shepherds and peasants brightened up their leisure time by playing the syringa, but it was also used for musical accompaniment various stage performances.

The pan flute is one of the most unusual folk wind instruments. It is a system of tubes of different lengths, open on one side and closed on the other. This instrument plays only in one key, but the sound is familiar to almost everyone: the famous melody of the flute “The Lonely Shepherd” is played on the Pan flute.

In other peoples

Wind instruments were ubiquitous. In China, there was a transverse flute di, which was made not only from traditional reeds and bamboo, but sometimes even from stone, mainly jade.

There is also in Ireland, it bears the corresponding name - irish flute- and is mainly represented in the "simple system", when the holes (there are six in total) are not closed with valves.

IN Latin America a longitudinal ken flute is common, in most cases it has a G (sol) system.

Russian woodwind flutes are represented by the svirel, which can be single-barreled and double-barreled, the snot and its variety from the Kursk region - the pyzhatka.

A simpler instrument is the ocarina. It was made mainly of clay and played a big role in music. Ancient China and some other cultures. The oldest specimens of ocarina found by archaeologists are 12,000 years old.

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