The flute produces sound when air is forced through tubes. The family of flutes, which is Asian in origin, includes the transverse flutes, whistle flutes and vessel flutes. Notes are played on a by fingering keys or holes that change the pattern of air moving through the tubes. The dimensions, both length and width, of the tube change the pitch of the flute.
American students are often familiar with the whistle flute known as a recorder. It comes in various lengths and shapes and is blown like a whistle. The notes are reached by placing fingers over one or more of the air holes which changes the pitch of the sound.
The Japanese have a whistle flute known as the shakuhachi which has only four holes and make a rich sound because it is relatively wide. In South America, the ocarina is a clay vessel with holes that produces different sounds a fingers are placed over different holes.
Pan flutes or panpipes are made from a collection of small graduated tubes assembled together to make one instrument. It is played by blowing into the proper tube to hit one note and then another to hit a different note, much like the modern harmonica.