Home > Flute Lessons > Blog

 

Stories of Instruments – Flute

 

Ever wondered where the flute came from? Well, the first flutes were made from animal body parts. The oldest was discovered in Fels Cave in Swabia which is located in Germany. This was a 21.8cm long flute with 5 holes and V-shaped mouthpiece made from a griffon vulture’s wing bone. This is believed to have been made over 35,000 years ago. Another flute 18.7 cm long with three finger holes made out of a mammoth’s tusk was discovered in Germany as well. This was dated 30,000 years ago and is believed to have been used by people living in the last ice age. Another notably old flute made from bamboo was discovered from a tomb in Henan, China and was believed to be 9000 years old. This makes the flute one of the oldest musical instruments. It is believed that this instrument was first used by modern humans and differentiated them from Neanderthals. These instruments have come a long way and now come in a variety of designs and made from different materials.

 

The flute is one of the simplest musical instruments and has very few components. However this information is important for anyone considering taking lessons in playing the flute. The first part is the head joint which is where the flute touches the mouth. There is a lip plate where the lower lip lies while playing and the tuning cork for adjusting the flute’s tone. The mouth or blow hole is also located on the head joint. This is where you blow. The body joint is the next component which contains the keys to be pressed. It is the longest part and joins the head and foot joints. Lastly is the foot joint which is the shortest part that has just a few keys.

 

To play the flute you will be required to blow air into the mouth hole. As the air flows through the hollow space, it results in vibration creating sound. By pressing on the buttons, the player closes the holes which changed the pitch of the sound. The air pressure is also varied to create different sounds. To understand the basics of playing the flute you need to enroll for classes with a reliable music teacher.

 

For more questions, contact us at info@willanacademy.com or 646-838-3990. Willan Academy of Music offers singing lessons, guitar lessons, and more in NYC, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.

Violin Lessons nyc for kids and adults
Willan Academy of Music

Office:
244 Madison Avenue Suite 171
New York, NY  10016

Phone: 646-838-3990
E-mail: info@willanacademy.com