The flute is an instrument that plays mostly high notes. The sweet music of the flute is something enjoyed by many. Though the flute is not an instrument that is used a lot by composers to play the melody of a song, the flute adds a marvelous part to any piece being played by a band or an orchestra. The sound of a flute has an amazing power over a listener. When some of the instrument's lower notes are played, a feeling of immense sorrow could wash over the audience. Higher notes provide a happy, joyful contrast. A mixture of both may haunt the listener for days after.
Unlike many instruments, the flute is held horizontally. The flute is silver in color.
The flute is played by blowing across the top of a hole in the mouthpiece. When air hits the edge of the hole, it (the air) divides. One half of the air tugs to go down through the hole, the other half struggles to just go across the top. The air vibrating through the flute makes the sounds we hear. Notes are changed by different combinations of keys being pressed.
The flute we know today is not the original flute. At first the flute was held vertically. When the modern flute appeared, it was called the "horizontal flute". It was not called "the flute" until much later. The vertical flute is what we now call "the recorder".
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