Timeline
Neanderthal Bone Flute
The flute was first used during hunting and magic rituals, later played by hunters, shepherds, musicians during festive events, and soldiers from the 13th century.
The flute has gone through many changes to become what it is today.
The flute has gone through many changes to become what it is today.
- 50,000 B.C.: Neanderthal Bone Flute era (one of the first flutes) made of vulture bone, found in Germany
- 1320: One piece wooden flute, key of "D"
Zwerchpfeiff
- 1511: The 6-finger hole Zwerchpfeiff
- 1529: Versions of descant, alto, tenor, and bass
- 1636: Flutes Allemands appear with the key of "D" and "G", wooden cylindrical bore added
- 1670: Conical bore and smaller finger holes added. Jean Baptiste Lully’s famous French orchestra includes 3-pieced, 1-keyed flute
- 1722: Tuning cork in headjoint and C# key added
- 1726: Eb added to foot joint
- 1722: Tuning cork in headjoint and C# key added
- 1726: Eb added to footjoint
- 1760: G#, Bb, and F keys added by makers in London
- 1780: Mozart and Haydn use 4 and 6-keyed flutes in their symphony, 8 key Meyer-system flute appears
- 1800: The Bb lever and the left handed lever were added to the flute
Glass Flute
- 1804-1844: Claude Laurent made glass flutes with 3, 4 or 7 holes
- 1808: Frederick Nolan invents open holes and the keys on the flute are linked to one another
- 1822: Thinner flutes are created and the keys are adjusted
Rudall & Rose
- 1827: Rudall & Rose start making 8-keyed flutes, which became very popular
- 1830: Beethoven begins to use flutes in his symphonies
- 1829: Theobold Boehm thinks the finger holes are too far apart, so he designs a whole new fingering system
Modern Silver Flute
- 1846: Silver is decided to be used during the process because it has the best tone quality
- 1849: The thumb Bb key is added
- 1878: Boehm perfects the “Modern Silver Flute”
Ring Flute
- 2005: James Johnston creates the ringflute