The Flute is one of the oldest known musical instruments and examples have been unearthed that were over 3000 years old. A flute is a member of the woodwind family and its sound stems from the flow of air vibrating against the edge of a tone hole in the instrument. It is comparable to blowing into the neck of a glass bottle and producing a whistle type tone.
As the sound deflects back and forth and in and out of the hole it vibrates the air in the cylindrical resonance cavity and produces a tone. Tones can be modified by the placement of fingers to open or close the tone holes situated within the body of the instrument, and thereby elongate the resonator and its frequency.
Flutes are made from both wood and metal, although the material used can significantly affect the sound of the instrument. Flutes have been used in a variety of musical styles. Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull played flute on much of their original material and subsequently helped to raise the profile of the flute with the younger generation.
