How well do you know the history of the flute?
The flute is the oldest woodwind instrument, dating to 900 B.C. or earlier. The first likely flute was called the “ch-ie” and emerged in China.
Early flutes were played in two different positions: vertically, like a recorder, or horizontally, in what was called the transverse position. The transverse flute first arrived in Europe with traders from the Byzantine Empire during the Middle Ages and flowered in Germany, so much so that it became known as the German flute.
During the 1100s and 1200s, the flute was widely used in courtly music and saw use as a military signaling and marching tool. Swiss mercenaries helped popularize it in the 1300s.
During the Renaissance, it became fashionable for amateur flute players to practice and play together with what was known as “consort music” in cultured homes. The flute was an important part of these groupings. By 1600, plucked and bowed instruments were combined with flute in mixed consort music.
During this period, Italian and Netherlands flute makers experimented with the size of the flute’s bore, added an E flat tone hole and divided the fl