History of tHe flute

The flute is believed to be the oldest woodwind instrument and was played by the ancient Sumerians and Egyptians. Early flutes were played vertically, like a recorder, but there is evidence of transverse flutes, which are played sideways, being used as early as the 4th century BC by the Etruscans. During the middle ages, it was widely used in courtly music, and by the Renaissance, ‘the flute consort’, an ensemble of different sized transverse flutes, had become fashionable. By the 1600s, stringed instruments were combined with the flute in mixed consort music, and by the 1700s, the flute repertoire began to develop, with composers such as Vivaldi, Bach and Handel writing for the solo flute.

The early flute was a very simple construction: more like a recorder than today’s flute and consisting of a simple wooden tube with seven finger holes. In the 17th century, the shape was modified, and it was given a single key, which enabled more semitones to be played. Today, this instrument is known as the Baroque flute. Experiments continued to be made by makers, with adjustments being made to the shapes and sizes of the tone holes in a bid to create a more powerful and more consistent sound. There were also many regional design variations to the instrument. It was not until the 19th century that the flute became more uniform, thanks to changes introduced by the 19th century Bavarian inventor and flautist Theobald Boehm. He designed a metal tube, as opposed to a wooden one, to which he added a complex key system to allow accurate, fast fingering in a more natural hand position. Today, the Boehm system of keywork is now accepted as standard for all modern flutes.