Simple system flute
Encyclopedia
Simple system flute most commonly refers to the type of flute
manufactured and favored by classical European musicians during the Classical era
. This type of flute is the direct precursor of, and was made obsolete within the art music
world by, the introduction of the Boehm System
flute. Subsequently, many simple system flutes were integrated into folk music (including Irish folk music and Cuban charanga
bands).
s were heavily undercut to produce even intonation and registration while providing even finger spacing. French
simple system flutes (or "five-key flute
s") from this era typically had five keys that enabled the flute to play in any key. English
and German
models were typically designed with eight keys: the five of the five-key flute, plus a alternate F key running along the instrument, and two keys on the foot joint to extend the lower register down to middle C
.
. The presence of keys (as found on the Classical flutes described above) does not preclude categorization as a "simple system" flute, as long as the primary tone holes are not keyed.
Western concert flute
The Western concert flute is a transverse woodwind instrument made of metal or wood. It is the most common variant of the flute. A musician who plays the flute is called a flautist, flutist, or flute player....
manufactured and favored by classical European musicians during the Classical era
Classical period (music)
The dates of the Classical Period in Western music are generally accepted as being between about 1750 and 1830. However, the term classical music is used colloquially to describe a variety of Western musical styles from the ninth century to the present, and especially from the sixteenth or...
. This type of flute is the direct precursor of, and was made obsolete within the art music
Art music
Art music is an umbrella term used to refer to musical traditions implying advanced structural and theoretical considerations and a written musical tradition...
world by, the introduction of the Boehm System
Boehm System
The Boehm system is a system of keywork for the flute, created by inventor and flautist Theobald Boehm between 1831 and 1847.Prior to the development of the Boehm system, flutes were most commonly made of wood, with an inverse conical bore, eight keys, and tone holes that were small in size, and...
flute. Subsequently, many simple system flutes were integrated into folk music (including Irish folk music and Cuban charanga
Charanga
Charanga is a term given to traditional ensembles of Cuban dance music. They made Cuban dance music popular in the 1940s and their music consisted of heavily son-influenced material, performed on European instruments such as violin and flute by a Charanga orchestra....
bands).
Physical Characteristics
The simple system flute had a cylindrical head joint and a reverse tapered body. The six main tone holeTone hole
A tone hole is an opening in the body of a wind instrument which, when covered by a key, alters the pitch of the sound produced.The resonant frequencies of the an air column in a pipe are inversely proportional to the pipe's effective length. For a pipe with no tone holes, the effective length is...
s were heavily undercut to produce even intonation and registration while providing even finger spacing. French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
simple system flutes (or "five-key flute
Five-key flute
The five-key flute is a musical instrument once common in school marching bands, and composed of wood with metal keys. It is a transposing instrument, most commonly in Bb, this variant being known as the Bb flute and sounding one tone below the orchestral piccolo...
s") from this era typically had five keys that enabled the flute to play in any key. English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
models were typically designed with eight keys: the five of the five-key flute, plus a alternate F key running along the instrument, and two keys on the foot joint to extend the lower register down to middle C
Middle C
C or Do is the first note of the fixed-Do solfège scale. Its enharmonic is B.-Middle C:Middle C is designated C4 in scientific pitch notation because of the note's position as the fourth C key on a standard 88-key piano keyboard...
.
Alternate Meaning
Simple system flute may also refer to any flute with tone holes played by the direct application and removal of fingers, as opposed to keys, from pre-historical bone flutes to the modern Irish fluteIrish flute
The term Irish Flute refers to a conical-bore, simple-system wooden flute of the type favored by classical flautists of the early 19th century, or to a flute of modern manufacture derived from this design...
. The presence of keys (as found on the Classical flutes described above) does not preclude categorization as a "simple system" flute, as long as the primary tone holes are not keyed.