11. The Family of Flutes

The Piccolo Flute

Piccolo Flute

A piccolo is about half the size of the regular flute and sounds an octave higher (from D2 to C5). The body of a piccolo is usually made of wood, plastic, or sometimes metal. It consists of two parts: the headjoint and the body. Since there is no footjoint, the lowest note on the piccolo is D, not C as on the regular flute.

The headjoint can be made of metal or wood. A wooden headjoint doesn't have a lip plate, only a blowhole. The mechanics of a piccolo look somewhat different from those of a regular flute. The fingers are placed on finger buttons to play. Another difference is the absence of a key below the headjoint used for high C on a regular flute. On a piccolo, this key is played directly.

The Alto Flute

Alto Flute

An alto flute in G is considerably larger than the C flute and sounds four tones lower. Because the alto flute is larger, the key spacing is also larger. To reach them, some keys have offset finger buttons.

The length of an alto flute requires stretching the arms quite far while playing, which can be tiring. That's why some alto flutes come with a curved headjoint, making the alto flute nearly the same length as the C flute.

The Bass Flute

Bass Flute

The bass flute is twice the size of the C flute and sounds an octave lower. Bass flutes always have a curved headjoint. Due to their size, additional finger buttons and levers are needed to operate the widely spaced keys.

In addition to the transverse flute, piccolo, alto, and bass flutes, there are also contrabass flutes and other types of flutes. The contrabass flute is even larger and lower in pitch than the bass flute. Some manufacturers even produce sub-contrabass flutes. A sub-contrabass flute is about 1.80 meters tall and if unrolled, would be almost five meters long.

The Student Flute

Student Flute

A student flute allows younger kids to start learning the flute at the age of 6. For kids up to nine or ten years old, a regular flute can be challenging to hold. Their fingers can't reach all the keys yet. Therefore, some manufacturers have developed special student flutes. Some brands have a curved headjoint for better access to the keys. Some manufacturers also omit the footjoint (the low C) and trill keys, reducing the weight. Some keys can also be equipped with additional finger buttons to help children place their fingers on the keys more easily. There are also longitudinal flutes, vessel flutes, cross flutes, or the so-called drum flute (see below). Some manufacturers also make plastic flutes without keys, which are very affordable.

The Drum Flute / Marching Band Flute

Drum Flute

The drum flute is a cross flute originating from the Middle Ages. Drum flutes are the first purely cylindrical flutes with three octaves. The body is nickel-plated in high gloss. The drum flute is typically made in one piece and has no keys. Instead, it has only seven tone holes and a slightly different fingering system compared to the transverse flute. The upper part with the blowhole is called the headjoint, and the lower part with the fingerholes is referred to as the lower piece.

The headjoint is sealed with an adjustable plug, which can change the flute's pitch. For the first three holes (seen from the mouthpiece), use the index finger, middle finger, and ring finger of the left hand. Close the lower four holes with the four fingers of the right hand.