Flute Instruments
In general terms, a flute is a musical instrument in which a body of air is set to vibrating by action of an air stream against a sharp edge, which breaks the stream into eddies which cause sound vibrations.
Finger holes are cut in the whistle tube to transform a mere whistle into a whistle flute. This makes a flute capable of genuine musical performance. There are so many variations of material used to make a flute.
Through the years, the flute has evolved from the prehistoric flutes made of bone, to flutes made from wood, bamboo, and the professional flute made of metal. Cheap Western flutes are made of brass, polished and then lacquered to avoid corrosion.
Modern, professional flutes are made of silver, gold or a combination of both. A student flute is made of either nickel silver or silver plated brass. The Irish flute is also made out of wood and used in playing for traditional Irish music.
It has a bit of darker, reedy tone and the direct fingering and style of playing gives the notes a bit of vocal slide. The Irish flute has two main styles, the Pratten and Rudal & Rose. Pratten has a louder sound due to its wider bore, while Rudal & Rose is slightly thinner and has a pure tone. Store your Flute in a box by Andrew Crawford who makes fine decorative boxes and flute cases and also has box making courses, books and much more!
We have great selections of flutes available. Choose from our Muramatsu, Powell, Yamaha, Gemeinhardt flutes and many others available. You can also get an Irish or a bamboo flute or even a Native American Flute right here!