An overview of traditional and modern flutes with regard to material, construction and tone production

Thom, Lisa

An overview of traditional and modern flutes with regard to material, construction and tone production

Master Thesis

2008

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

College of Music

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Abstract

The first flutes were made in prehistoric times when a caveman decided to hollow out a bone, pierce a small hole in it and blow in it in a particular way to make a sound. Since then different cultures from all over the world have made many different types of flutes. They are shaped differently, held differently and played in various ways, but the one thing they all have in common is that they are all hollow objects that produce a sound when the player blows air across a hole; this airstream oscillates - it either goes entirely into the hole or entirely out of the hole. This oscillation creates the vibration necessary to produce a sound, with the tube as a resonator. The airstream is either directed across the edge by the player's lips (transverse flute), or it is blown through a mouthpiece that channels the air across an edge (recorder). In both cases the air column passes through a hollow body where it vibrates to produce a note.

Description

Includes abstract.

Includes bibliographical references.

Keywords

Music

Reference:

Collections

Masters

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