At Magic Flutes International you will only find the best quality musical instruments for sale, the best student flutes on line, oboes, saxophones, clarinets, bassoons, trumpets, accessories and instruments for children, professionals, teachers, orchestras and schools. We also offer remote lessons via Skype, the best professional advice on teaching the flute, learning to play the flute, buying a flute and many other wind instruments, brass, woodwind, drums & percussion instruments, music stands, metronomes, tuners, bags and cases.
Italian for "small" It is an octave higher than the standard Flute and in Italy also known as ottavino, meaning "Octave Flute", kleine Flöte in German, normally pitched in c (lowest note d", rarely c" or even b'), sometimes in d-flat and even as high as e-flat, then known as piccoletto (Italian diminutive form: little piccolo).
This makes it the absolutely highest instrument reaching beyond the top octave of the Piano. The Piccolo has an estalished role both in Marching Bands and Orchestras, dominating the top end of the tone spectrum. It sounds very bright and naturally quite shrill at times and for that reason often not a cylindrical but a conical bore is chosen to achieve a less piercing, more melodious sound.
Flautino in g - "Nightingale Flute" (Italian diminutive form for "little Flute") Usually in g, sometimes in a-flat, an octave higher than the Alto Flute, it has a surprisingly dark and mellow sound almost like an extension to the middle register of the Alto Flute (lowest note g'). The Flautino is also known as the Treble Flute or in Beethoven's time as flauto d'amore, a confusing term since the same name is also used for Flutes lower than the normal c-Flutes. Its timbre reminds one of the sound of panpipes. Mascagni uses a special Flute in high g he aptly calls "Nightingale Flute" and Mozart in his Opera "Die Enführung aus dem Serail" specifically asks for a "Flautino" which is also notated in g in contrast to a Piccolo and in addition to it.
Descant Flute in F Similar to the E-flat Flute but pitched in f, in German then referred to as Quartflöte. It has a less sweet sound than the Flautino in g but is not as bright than an E-Flat Flute. Its use is somewhat similar but like most of the Flutes pitched in F the sound does not have a very strong individual character. Kotato & Fukushima make a very interesting version of it with a small hole in the headjoint that is covered with a membrane to produce a similar sound to a Japanese Flute that can be used to great effect. The Berlin Fautists, who play a complete set of Kotato & Fukushima Flutes use it very cleverly.
Again an instrument with a long tradition in marching bands. Unlike the Flautino it has a very shrill yet pleasant sound that carries well and adds brilliance to a tutti (lowest note e-flat', somestime d'). It can also be used as a solo instrument of great agility. In German, Terzflöte sometimes called flauto coloratura.
as the normal sized instrument is also known Usually made in C, sometimes in d-flat but occasionally also in B-flat and A; the instrument is then usually referred to as flute d'amour.
A great variety of brands and models are available with open holes (also known as French model) and closed holes (also known as plateau model) with many optional features, such as special trill keys and mechanisms. The lowest noe is usually middle C or often B, rarely B-flat but sometimes special foot joints are made down to A or even G; occasionally a shorter foot joint is used for older music where the lowest note required is D.
The total length of the tube definitely has considerable influence on the middle register but also the high register, making it more mellow and giving the instrument a more evenly balanced tone quality throughout the entire range. Theobald Boehm, the famous German who designed the Flute that a century later is still in use with very few modifications, thought the optimum lowest note would be A.
Not many flautists however use Flutes that long but many play instruments reaching down to B. Boehm Flutes are now generally of cylindrical bore but were conical earlier in the 19th century. For Piccolos and possibly E-flat flutes the conical bore is of advantage but other Flutes become too weak to balance with other instruments.
Some of the materials used are grenadilla or rosewood, coccobolo, cocos wood, even box wood, nickel silver, brass, palaurgentium, also known as G10, platinum, red-, yellow- or white-gold (5-24kt), palladium and other alloys, but most commonly silver. Boehm favours the phosphorous bronze Flute because it produces the best sound, closest to the wooden Flute but with much better response and more power. A.D.Geoffrey has developed several new materials and his "Grenaditte Flutes" are a remarkable innovation, being very light weight and practically indestructible with a tremedously flexible and rich sound and superb response.
Many people use their favourite material just for the head-joint since this section of the Flute is predominantly responsible for the sound quality. For this reason leading Flute manufacturers produce a great variety of different designs and often specialise in tailor made head-joints not only to accommodate personal taste but also anatomical differences.
Alto flute Most common in G, sometimes in F and very seldom in E-flat. Lowest note G, sometimes F# but even as low as D. Occasionally curved head joints are seen that improve the physical balance of the instrument. It has a very warm and rich sound, dark in the low and middle ranges, a little nasal higher up and is a wonderfully balanced solo instrument, like the viola in the string family. Alto Flutes are very frequently used in contemporary music and also appear in orchesrtal scores. In Flute Orchestras often the illusion of a French Horn sound occurs and mostly it is the Alto Flutes that are responsible.
Alto Pinschofon A new design of an Alto Flute whith a vastly extended range down to low D is currently being developed by Thomas Pinschof and Dutch Flute maker Eva Kingma. Like most Alto Flutes it will be pitched in G and like the Pinschofon it will rest on the floor allowing the extra keys operated by the right thumb to be used freely and so it will be known as Alto Pinschofon.
Being an octave lower than the Concert Flute it should really be called a "Tenor Flute"as it does not quite reach down far enough; lowest note C or seldom B. Its role in the Orchestra is limited to some low pedal notes in Flute passages or low Flute effects in slow passages. Only in film sound tracks it sometimes appears as solo instrument. In large Flute Ensembles, however, it has a much more versatile and important function, leaning towards the middle voices at times, it often also strengthens the bass line and has many soloistic opportunities. Some cheaper models do not have trill keys, which can be quite a disadvantage and this "saving" is not recommended.
A specially extended bass flute, designed by Thomas Pinschof in the early seventies. Although in C its lowest note is G (with the special bell shape attachment F) making it a real bass instrument. Due to the unique design the weight of the instrument rests on the floor. This enables the player to easily manipulate the keys for the additional notes. Its characteristic shape makes this flute generally easier to play and technicaly more agile than the normal Bass Flute. This instrument was first made by Werner Wetzel in Berlin and further improved later by his master student and successor Christian Jäger in München, Germany. Many contemporary composers have written chamber music, solo works and even solo concertos for the Pinschofon. In the Fute Ensemble it shares the Cello function with the Contra Bass Flute and can be considered the backbone of the bass section. Quite independently and some 30 years later Dutch Flute maker Eva Kingma together with Swiss flautist Matthias Ziegler have developed an instrument they call T-Bass which for all intents and purposes is identical to the Pinschofon, which was first presented at the Frankfurt Music Fair in 1971 and for which Thomas Pinschof was honoured with a special award by the Alban Berg Foundation. This instrument has inspired a gigantic movement in building even larger Flutes, increasing in size and reaching down in to the realm of the Contra Bassoon. This makes directly responsible for the success of many Flute Ensembles and Flute Orchestras such as the Tokyo Flute Ensemble, Ensemble Zauberflöte and many others in all parts of the world delighting their audiences witha full orchestral sound created by Flutes alone with an ever increasing repertoire of original works as well as clever arrangements. Both acustically and visually it is a truly spectacular experience for the spectators.
In G. An octave below the Alto Flute, in German often called Großbaßflöte or Subbaßflöte. Lowest note G, F, F#, sometimes even lower.
It is a remarkable instrument that is made in various shapes. The model with an extended low register and played vertically subsequently would be a Contra Pinschofon. Multiple bends in the tubing, as seen sometimes even in bass flutes, become necessary to minimize the difficulties in handling this heavy instrument. in Germany Christian Jäger and later in the Netherlands Eva Kingma built such instruments standing on the floor in the manner of a Pinschofon. Kotato & Fukushima makes a model in F.
The Contra Bass Flute has a very wide range, actually larger than the normal Flute, and its sound is very evenly balanced over almost four full octaves. This qualifies it as an ideal solo instrument, especially for phrases that require a mellow singing tone. Like the Cello in the String Orchestra it also has a real bass function, but as the name Contra Bass Flute suggests, mostly in the role of a Double Bass, giving extra depth to the lower end of the spectrum. This instrument was developed by Christian Jäger, of Max Hieber, München.
In C. Also known as Subcontrabaßflöte. Two octaves below the normal Flute. Lowest note C, B or A. These instruments are very rare and have only recently been perfected to the extent that makes their use practicable. Christian Jäger's design is quite spectacular in shape and has a lovely sound quality and a gigantic range due to its relatively narrow bore. On the initiative of Thomas Pinschof, Jean-Yves Roosen of Paris has developed two new designs, both are held vertically like a Pinschofon but resting on the players knees or suspended on a strap around the neck and would have to be classified as Octo Pinschofon. These instruments are the true equivalent to the Double Bass in the Orchestra and provide the Flute Ensemble with the solid foundation of a profound bass sonority. Similar instruments were also made in the Netherlands by Eva Kingma and in Japan by Kotato & Fukushima.
Sub Contra Bass Flute In G. An octave lower than the Contra Bass Fute. Lowest note G, as developed by Christian Jäger, or as low as E or even D as suggested by Thomas Pinschof in a design with a large bend going around the performer's neck like a Sousaphone, balanced on the shoulders and played vertically which would be a true Sub Contra Pinschofon. This amazing instrument should appropriately be considered the Tuba of the Flute Orchestra. Eva Kingma in the Netherlands has also made a much more workable version of this instrument.
In C. There is a great deal of confusion with the names of thee largest flutes and it is our belief that the instruments in G below the Altoflute shold be endowed with the prefix "Contra" and the instruments in C should have the prefix "Octo", as they are always an octave lower then the next highr instrument inC. .It has about the same range as a Contra Bassoon with a C-foot it reaches below the normal range of a Double Bass. Kotato & Fukushima in Japan have built the Rrolls Royce of extreme Bass Flute, it even comes with its own built in seat and is increadibly easy to make a sound on. It has a very surprising dynamic range and adds real depth, so every Flute Ensemble should have one! The tonal spectrum of such a group is enhanced by several dimensions and it may well be what makes a Flute Orchestra viable as musical alternative to a String Orchestra.
The Bass Flute and some Alto Flutes are built with a curved headjoint which brings the keys closer to the player. The Bass Fute is a very long instrument, and without its curved headjoint it would be impossible for the player to reach the keys.
In the past, younger students had great difficulty in handling the normal Flute because of its length, while young violinists could start on smaller-scale instruments and progress to a normal-sized instrument as they grew.
Now small children can play the Flute earlier because a curved headjoint is now available for the normal flute - similar in design to the head joints for the larger Bass and Alto Flutes. Some call it re-curved head which is a bit of a misnomer as this name would imply another curved section coming back like on some older style Bass Flutes like the one by Werner Wetzel in a "zig zag" manner.
Aside from the advantage of being able to learn the Fute at a younger age, the strain and consequent damage to spine and fingers caused by stretching to reach the keys of a normal Flute is elimiinated - the instrument now fits comfortably for the lips and hands.
When the child grows, the curved head can be replaced by a straight head joint without the need to buy a new Flute.
Professional flautists in the USA who play in theatre orchestras often use curved head Flutes because the orchestral pit is cramped and space is limited. Magic Flutes International stock Trevor J. James curved head flutes from England and Sankyo curved head Flutes from Japan.
