Dec
The flute is no doubt musical instrument. It is a wind instrument. With the help of air flow against the edge, it produces sound. There are many kinds of flutes like whistle, gemshorn, flageolet, recorder, tin whistle, tonette, fujara, and ocarina. These types of flutes are called fipple flutes. These flutes have timbre which distinguishes them for the non-fipple flutes. It helps them to play easily but one needs lot of control from the musician.
There is also side- blown flutes that are played by blowing air form the side hole to produce a tone. Side-blown flutes are piccolo, fife, dizi, and bansuri.
While end blown flutes are ney, xiao, kaval, danso, shakuhachi, Anasazi flute, and quena.
The difference between end blown flute and fipple flutes is that fipple flutes are palyed vertically.
Many flutes are open ended while others are close ended. Conventional flutes are played with the mouth by blowing air with the mouth. Surprisingly there are flutes played with nose and known as nose flutes.
The Western concert flutes are closed at the top. These flutes have big circular holes on it and these holes can be closed and opened with the help of keys to produce different kind of tunes. There are 25 keys on the western concert flutes.
The Indian bamboo flute is one of the important musical instruments of Indian classical music. It is also known as Bansuri and one of the favorite instruments of the Hindu god “LordKrishna”. It is made up of bamboo and sound quality depends on the quality of bamboo. Bansuri has six holes and used in north Indian Hindustani music while Venu the other form of flute has 8 holes and use in south Indian Carnatic music.
Japanese flute is called Fue. The string is small and end- blown flute. It is mostly found in eastern Armenia and made up of wood or cane. When used with def and dhol, it produces dancing music.
Names of some flutes :
- Diple
- Irish flute
- Palendag
- Pipe and tabor
- Tin whistle
- Tumpong