The Classroom Resource Flute fileflute recordings, and jazz flute has also become very popular. New...
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HELLO?! The Flute What does a flute look like? The flute is a narrow tube, closed at the end that you blow across, with a line of 16 circular holes that you put your fingers over to change the note. Bridget Douglas, the principal flute player (flautist) of the NZSO, plays a flute made out of gold but they can also be made of other metals like silver, of wood or even bamboo. The flute that you see most often in a symphony orchestra is known as a Western Concert Flute, which comes in three parts: the headjoint, the body and the foot joint. Visit the NZSO website to see Bridget Douglas talk about her flute. There is an instrument called a hyperbass flute which has 8 meters of tubing and plays a note so low that scientists consider it outside the range of human hearing! Repertoire that features the flute There are many famous and popular flute concertos, including those by Mozart and Vivaldi. Recent composers have also enjoyed writing for the flute, including Leonard Bernstein, Carl Nielsen, Pierre Boulez and Toru Takemitsu. The flute often appears in film music, such as Howard Shore’s score for The Lord of the Rings, and there are thousands of pieces written for solo flute or flute in a small group. Flute and harp is a particularly popular combination, as heard often in New Zealand from the duo Flight (Bridget Douglas and Carolyn Mills, NZSO Principal Harp). A bit of flute history The modern western concert flute owes its existence to the flute maker Theobald Boehm. He invented his type of flute in 1847 and it quickly spread around the world to become the most popular type of concert flute. Boehm is responsible for flutes being made of silver (or other metals) rather than wood, and also for the pattern of fingering that makes the flute such a virtuosic instrument. Although many small changes have been made to the flute since 1847, it remains essentially the same instrument as the flute that Boehm would have played 160 years ago. The flute became particularly popular in the 20th century thanks to recordings of flute music. Flautists such as James Galway have released hugely successful albums of classical flute music, the NZSO’s Bridget Douglas is well known for her contemporary flute recordings, and jazz flute has also become very popular. New Zealand flautist Nathan Haines, who has played with the NZSO many times, is famous for his jazz flute playing. The Flute Classroom Resource NZSO Music for Schools - Rachel Hyde ©2011 nzso.co.nz/education Research Task... What does virtuoso mean? Look up the word virtuoso and then write a paragraph that explains what a virtuoso in music is and what a virtuosic instrument might be. FUN FACT Western Concert Flute Auxilliary Instruments The most frequently used extra member of the flute section is the piccolo. This is a small flute which plays an octave higher than the normal concert flute. It is often used when a composer wants a very brilliant and bright sound. There are also alto flutes and bass flutes, which add mystery and richness to the orchestral sound. These flutes are often used in contemporary classical music, in jazz and in film music. Visit the NZSO website to see Bridget Douglas play her auxiliary flutes. bass oboe Bassoon Trombone TUBA percussion 2nd Violin trumpet french horn Viola double Cello harp 1st Violin timpani flute Clarinet The flute in the orchestra In the orchestra the flute is most often used as a soloist in light, delicate, lyrical passages, such as in the fairy-like Scherzo of Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. When the flute section plays together it can make a sustained and melodious sound. In loud orchestral passages the flutes will often play the melody along with the violin section, or act as supporting instruments by playing accompanying chords as part of the full woodwind section. seadog
Transcript of The Classroom Resource Flute fileflute recordings, and jazz flute has also become very popular. New...
HELL
O?!
TheFlute
What does a flute look like?The flute is a narrow tube, closed at the end that you blow across, with a line of 16 circular holes that you put your fingers over to change the note. Bridget Douglas, the principal flute player (flautist) of the NZSO, plays a flute made out of gold but they can also be made of other metals like silver, of wood or even bamboo. The flute that you see most often in a symphony orchestra is known as a Western Concert Flute, which comes in three parts: the headjoint, the body and the foot joint. Visit the NZSO website to see Bridget Douglas talk about her flute.
There is an instrument called a hyperbass flute
which has 8 meters of tubing and plays a note so
low that scientists consider it outside the range of
human hearing!
Repertoire that features the fluteThere are many famous and popular flute concertos, including those by Mozart and Vivaldi. Recent composers have also enjoyed writing for the flute, including Leonard Bernstein, Carl Nielsen, Pierre Boulez and Toru Takemitsu. The flute often appears in film music, such as Howard Shore’s score for The Lord of the Rings, and there are thousands of pieces written for solo flute or flute in a small group. Flute and harp is a particularly popular combination, as heard often in New Zealand from the duo Flight (Bridget Douglas and Carolyn Mills, NZSO Principal Harp).
A bit of flute historyThe modern western concert flute owes its existence to the flute maker Theobald Boehm. He invented his type of flute in 1847 and it quickly spread around the world to become the most popular type of concert flute. Boehm is responsible for flutes being made of silver (or other metals) rather than wood, and also for the pattern of fingering that makes the flute such a virtuosic instrument. Although many small changes have been made to the flute since 1847, it remains essentially the same instrument as the flute that Boehm would have played 160 years ago. The flute became particularly popular in the 20th century thanks to recordings of flute music. Flautists such as James Galway have released hugely successful albums of classical flute music, the NZSO’s Bridget Douglas is well known for her contemporary flute recordings, and jazz flute has also become very popular. New Zealand flautist Nathan Haines, who has played with the NZSO many times, is famous for his jazz flute playing.
The
Flut
e Cl
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Res
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NZSO Music for Schools - Rachel Hyde ©2011 nzso.co.nz/education
Research Task...What does virtuoso mean? Look up the word virtuoso and then write a paragraph that explains what a virtuoso in music is and what a virtuosic instrument might be.
FUN FACT
Western Concert Flute
Auxilliary InstrumentsThe most frequently used extra member of the flute section is the piccolo. This is a small flute which plays an octave higher than the normal concert flute. It is often used when a composer wants a very brilliant and bright sound. There are also alto flutes and bass flutes, which add mystery and richness to the orchestral sound. These flutes are often used in contemporary classical music, in jazz and in film music. Visit the NZSO website to see Bridget Douglas play her auxiliary flutes.
bass
oboeBassoon
Trombone TUBA
percussion
2ndViolin
trumpetfren
ch
horn
Viola
double
Cello
harp
1st
Violin
timpani
flute
Clarinet
The flute in the orchestraIn the orchestra the flute is most often used as a soloist in light, delicate, lyrical passages, such as in the fairy-like Scherzo of Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. When the flute section plays together it can make a sustained and melodious sound. In loud orchestral passages the flutes will often play the melody along with the violin section, or act as supporting instruments by playing accompanying chords as part of the full woodwind section.
seadog
TheFlute
NZSO Music for Schools - Rachel Hyde ©2011 nzso.co.nz/education
Classroomacitivity...
• Water Works
Get a bottle and try blowing across the top of it to make a sound like a flute.
If you put water into the bottle, does the sound go up in pitch or down in pitch?
See if you can add different amounts of water to several bottles and use them to play a tune.
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