The History of Flutes

Gandalfe

Gandalfe

Striving to play the changes in a melodic way.
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"Welcome to the world of flute history. This site contains information and resources for learning about the transverse flute and flute-playing in Western Europe and America over the past 800 years. It's designed for players of the modern instrument as well as earlier types, such as renaissance and baroque flutes."

So starts the Flute History web site which include a rather nice flute history timeline at http://www.flutehistory.com/Timelines/index.php3.
 
I wanna find out who put the kibosh on the hand crutch that was part of old Oswald's original design. You would think that the concept of the thumb rest would have soaked into the collective heads of the flute powers-that-be. But no, instead we have a slippery metal tube resting against a couple of finger sides.

Sure, flutes can be held by fifteen year old girls without one, and sure, fifty million flautists can't be wrong, but this old fart can't keep a Boehm flute in place without a surface that is something less than circular to bear on. I "get by" with a couple of Bo-Peep "flats" clipped on the flute, but even they have their downsides (pun intended).

And then there's the whole flute airflow thing...what's with that?

"Elegant musical instrument" my ass...more like tool of the Devil...
 
Terry is so right. I just don't find flute to be a comfortable instrument to play for any length of time. And god forbid if my hands start to sweat! :emoji_smile:

I'm finding that I have an ever growing list of reasons about why my flute chops are so bad. :D
 
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