Introduction to Woodwind Family: History of the Flute

1. Introduction to Woodwind Family:History of the Flute 5th Grade General Music Miss Kresevic

2. Woodwind Family • Flute, Piccolo, Clarinet, Oboe, Saxophone, Bassoon • The flute and piccolo are wind instruments that produce sound by blowing air over the mouthpiece • Other woodwinds like the clarinet, oboe, saxophone and bassoon have a reed that vibrates to produce a sound

3. Woodwind Characteristics • Typically the smaller the instrument the higher pitch it can produce • For example the piccolo can play the highest pitch in the woodwind family and the bassoon the lowest pitch • Woodwind instruments come in many different colors • For example clarinets and oboes come in black, whereas flutes and piccolos are silver, and saxophones are gold, bassoons are typically brown in color

4. Single Reed & Double Reed vs. No Reeds • Single reed instruments include the clarinet and saxophone, and the reed is connected to the mouthpiece to produce sound • Double reed instruments include the oboe and the bassoon, and do not have a mouthpiece, only a double reed connected to the body of the instrument using vibrations to create sound • Instruments that use no reeds to produce sound include flute and piccolo. The musician must blow air over the mouthpiece to create sound.

5. Piccolo • Smaller version of the flute • Half the size of the flute • Notes and fingerings are exactly the same • Only difference is that it produces a higher pitch

6. Flute • Was first made of wood • Originally had only 5 keys, eventually developed into models with more keys • Now normally made of metal • Produces a very bright sound

7. Clarinet • Single reed instrument • Plays a wide range of music • Is capable of playing wide range of notes • Perfect instrument for many different types of music from classical to jazz

8. Oboe • Looks similar to the clarinet • Used mostly for classical compositions • Only difference between clarinet and oboe is that the oboe is a double reed instrument • In a single reed instrument the reed is connected to the mouthpiece to produce sound • In a double reed instrument there is no mouthpiece, only a thick reed you blow on to produce a sound

9. Saxophone • Single reed instrument • Depending on the musician can sound mellow or strong • Has a curved shape compared to other woodwinds • Gold in color compared to silver and black woodwinds • Capable of playing a large variety of music from pop to big band to jazz to classical

10. Bassoon • Largest of the woodwinds • Plays very low notes • “Backbone of the orchestra” • Black in color like Oboe and Clarinet • Double reed instrument

11. History of the Flute • Oldest known wind instrument • First made 9th century BC • Has evolved, or changed over time • 19th century marked great modifications for the flute

12. Theobald Boehm (1794 – 1881) • Bavarian court musician • Designed new types of flutes in 1832 and 1847 • Development of the 1847 model were also designed by French makers and copied by Americans & Japanese • This formed the basis for the modern flute

13. Eight Keyed Flutes(Before 1832) • Wooden body, one piece and 8 keys • Used mechanical means to alter flute fingering positions • Sound like a trumpet and not a flute • Included mechanics that required the motion of fingers to specific tone holes • These instruments allowed Boehm to create a flute with a model other than previous traditional designs

14. Boehm’s Second Model (1847) • Circular shape • Metal tube instead of wooden • Was the first commercial flute available • In Paris & London • Germans thought the new tone was less flute like than the older flute models • Partly for this reason this modernized flute was made with wood more often than metal

15. Benefits of the New Model • Easier to play • More pleasing to the ear • Able to produce broader range of notes • Easier maintenance/last longer • Commercially available to a wide range of flute players at many different levels • Comprised of three pieces which allows a musician to tune to other instruments in a more efficient manner

16. Fun Flute Fact Check . . .(according to today’s lesson) • Why is a flute a woodwind? Is it really wood? • True or false: Flutes were first developed with 5 keys • True or false: Flutes produce a higher pitch than piccolos • List woodwind instruments that use a reed to produce a sound. • List woodwind instruments that don’t use a reed. • Who was known for creating the modern day flute? • Which woodwind instrument is the oldest? • Which is the only woodwind instrument to have a curved body? • True or false: The largest of the woodwind instruments is the bassoon • True of false: Theobald Boehm was a Bavarian court musician who designed the modern day piccolo