The Flute

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element common to all wind instruments is that of an empty space encompassed by a long or round object which can be held in the hand (Meylan, p. 13). The sound produced is a result of the resonance in the cavity by the motion of the airstream as it flows through the cavity.
There is not enough space to fully go into the scientifics of musical acoustics however, a brief description of the basics of how the instrument works is necessary. A second factor affecting the sound is the type of wood that it is made of. Many types of wood have been used to craft from Chestnut to a variety of fruit and nut trees, as well as Poplar and Eastern red Cedar. Each type of wood has a subtly different voice, although as a general rule, hard woods tend to be mellower and more subdued while soft woods are a little brighter and more resonant (http://www.woodsongflutes.com/flutehist.html, p.1). The third thing that effects the sound of is craftsmanship. Some people enjoy hand carving the inside ...

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distinct differences between metal and wooden flutes found today and in the past. To appreciate those differences, let’s look at the distinctions. Wood flutes are traditionally found in England and Eastern Europe. Wooden flutes naturally give a denser and more powerful sound than metal and require a more forceful blowing technique. According to Anthony Baines, the author of a very informative book, as well as an accomplished conductor and Bassoon player, the ability of a player to have lightness and delicacy of sound can be attributed to the skill and proficiency of the player. Most modern day wooden flutes have the head joint lined with silver to prevent against cracking. Today ...

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