Alto flute facts for kids
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The alto flute is a cool musical instrument that's part of the flute family. It's bigger than the regular C flute you might know. It plays notes that sound lower and have a rich, mellow tone. Think of it as the deeper voice of the flute family! Even though it's bigger, it uses the same fingerings as the regular C flute.
This instrument is a transposing instrument. This means that when you read a note on the music sheet, the alto flute plays a different, lower note. For the alto flute, the sound is a perfect fourth lower than what is written.
The alto flute has a wider and longer tube than a regular C flute. This means players need more breath to play it. But this also gives it a powerful sound, especially in its lower notes.
A famous instrument maker named Theobald Boehm loved the alto flute. He helped make its design perfect. The alto flute is tuned to the key of G. This means its notes sound a perfect fourth lower than written.
The alto flute can play notes from G below middle C all the way up to G three octaves higher. It can even go higher into a special "altissimo" range. The part you blow into, called the headjoint, can be straight or curved.
Sometimes in British music, the alto flute is called a "bass flute." This can be confusing because there's a different instrument actually called the bass flute. The name comes from old flutes where the modern C flute was like a "tenor" flute. So, a lower flute was called a "bass."
Contents
Headjoint Shapes: Straight or Curved?
Alto flutes come with two main types of headjoints: 'curved' and 'straight'.
- Curved Headjoint: This type is often chosen by smaller players. It makes the instrument feel lighter and easier to hold. This is because the curved shape brings the instrument closer to your body.
- Straight Headjoint: This is the more common type. Many players prefer it because it helps the instrument play more accurately in tune.
The way you shape your lips to blow into an alto flute is similar to a regular C flute. However, because the alto flute is bigger, your lips need to be a bit wider. The hole where you blow also sits a little lower on your bottom lip.
Music for the Alto Flute
The alto flute is used in many different kinds of music. Here are some examples of pieces written for this unique instrument. This list shows some popular and well-known works. It doesn't usually include songs that were originally for other instruments and then changed for the alto flute.
Alto Flute Alone
Some composers have written pieces just for the alto flute, without any other instruments.
- Bruno Bartolozzi: Cantilena
- Garth Baxter: Variations on the Willow Tree
- Philippe Hersant: Cinq Miniatures (1995)
- Kaija Saariaho: Couleurs du vent (1998)
- Karlheinz Stockhausen:
- Susani's Echo (1985)
- Xi (1986)
Alto Flute and Piano
Many pieces feature the alto flute playing along with a piano.
- Arnold Cooke: Sonatina for Alto Flute and Piano (1985)
- Tom Febonio: Sonata for Alto Flute and Piano
- Mike Mower: Sonnets
- Gary Schocker: Sonata for a Lost Planet
Alto Flute in Orchestras
The alto flute has a special sound that composers love to use in big orchestra pieces.
- Igor Stravinsky used it in The Rite of Spring.
- Maurice Ravel featured it in Daphnis et Chloé.
- Dmitri Shostakovich included it in his Symphony No. 7 (Leningrad).
- Gustav Holst used it in several parts of The Planets.
- You can also hear it in Howard Shore's music for The Lord of the Rings films.
Amazing Alto Flute Players
Many talented musicians specialize in playing the alto flute. Here are a few of them:
- Christian Le Delezir (French improvisor/composer)
- Christine Potter (American)
- Carla Rees (British)
- Ali Ryerson (Jazz player)
- Brian Landrus (Jazz player)
- Peter Sheridan (American, lives in Australia)
- Matthias Ziegler (Swiss composer/performer)
- Stefan Keller (Swiss composer/performer)
- Anne La Berge (Dutch composer/performer)
- Florian Schneider-Esleben from the German electronic music group, Kraftwerk, also played the alto flute when the band first started.
See also
In Spanish: Flauta alto para niños
