Launch Music Player Register | Login
close

Login


Password:

Forgotten your details? Forgotten details
Haven't got an account? Sign up now

close
Sound Exchange

The Sound Exchange
Back to the homepage


Philharmonia

Philharmonia Orchestra Homepage
Visit the Philharmonia site for concert details and tickets


Shop

Philharmonia Online Shop
Buy Philharmonia Orchestra mp3s and CDs online

Sound Exchange

Sound Exchange Sequencer
Make music with our very own free sample sequencer

close

There are different ways for you to explore the Sound Exchange: choose from the options below (just fill in the ones that apply to you!)

How old are you (or your pupils):
I am:


What you are looking for:
I am looking for:

All Games
Music Resouces
Samples Videos

Save preferences?

Tell us who you are:
A Teacher
A Student
A Musician
A Composer
An Enthusiast

Introduction

The flute is perhaps the best known member of the woodwind family and flute solos are among the most magical moments in orchestral music. The flute's pocket-sized relative, the piccolo, may be small but it's brilliant tone can carry above the full might of the symphony orchestra. As well as being capable of extreme virtuosity the flute can create beautiful sustained melodies. It also blends perfectly with all instruments and spends much of its time providing background colour to foreground activity elsewhere in the orchestra.

The flute is the highest pitched instrument of the woodwind section. In Bach's time, back in the 18th century, recorders were used in the orchestra but gradually the brighter tone and increased power of the 'transverse flutes' replaced the recorder. In the 19th century flute technique really took off with the invention of the Bohem System, which is the set of metal keys and pads that cover the surface of the flute and enable far more complicated music to be played than was previouslt possible.

The Flute Family

There are several flutes in common use in the orchestra: the C flute, the piccolo, the alto flute (in G) and sometimes the bass flute. Old flutes were made of wood, but most modern flutes are metal. Piccolos, on the other hand, are mostly made of wood to this day.

How these pages are organised

In these pages, the various types of flute and their associated techniques are demonstrated by Philharmonia players, Ken Smith and Keith Bragg.

All aspects of the instrument have been covered: construction, range and many different playing techniques. You can watch clips from video interviews with Ken and Keith in which they explain their instruments and play examples. There are also written explanations, photos, notation examples and audio clips to listen to.



woodwind photo
Woodwind Section

Explore the woodwind section; a section whose sound is often compared to that of a choir.

Instruments
Instruments

This section contains masses of information on the instruments of the orchestra.