Woodwinds Flute Engaging the Past Semantic Issues
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Woodwinds Welcome to the Woodwinds lecture! By the end of this lecture, you will be able to: • Identify historical and physical characteristics of the flute, the piccolo flute, the clarinet, the oboe, the English horn, the bassoon and the contrabassoon. • Identify the role and use of the flute, the piccolo flute, the clarinet, the oboe, the English horn, the bassoon and the contrabassoon. • Recognize the characteristic sounds of the flute, the piccolo flute, the clarinet, the oboe, the English horn, the bassoon and the contrabassoon. • Visually recognize the flute, the piccolo flute, the clarinet, the oboe, the English horn, the bassoon and the contrabassoon. Flute Why do loud, obnoxious whistles exist at some factories? • To give us some sort of appreciation for flutes. The flute may perhaps be the most exciting of all the woodwind instruments. Its versatile character allows it to be a regular fixture in all musical genres. Why is this so? Let’s go find out! Engaging the Past The flute is the oldest woodwind instrument. Historians estimate that flute-like instruments can be traced as far back as the 9th century B.C. Prehistoric artwork shows evidence of the use of flute like instruments. The modern mechanism of the flute was invented by Theobald Boehm. He was a German goldsmith who was an adept mechanical artist. He lived in Munich from 1794 to 1881. A flute player himself, Mr. Boehm designed and built flutes with his own key mechanism. His key system revolutionized the modern design of the flute since it allowed flute players to play difficult passages with ease. Boehm’s system has been adopted by other instruments within the woodwind family. Semantic Issues There are two possible Latin origins of the word flute. One of them stems from the word flutus, meaning breath. The other word is flare, which means to flow. The Ancients The term flute has been used for many instruments whose origins go back all the way to ancient civilizations. The flageolet, and the fife and considered direct ancestors of the modern flute. The panpipes are flute-like instruments used by many native tribes around the world for dance and entertainment purposes. Another important ancestor of the flute is the recorder flute. Today, the recorder flute is still in use, and is commonly taught in elementary schools. Body and Soul The flute used to be made out of bone or wood. Today’s flutes are generally made of silver so they can create a bright, clear and penetrating sound. Nickel, or sometimes even gold, is also used to make flutes. Putting the Pieces Together The following parts are considered to be the most important parts of the flute. • Head joint • Embouchure • Tuning slide • Body joint or barrel • Tail joint Cool Facts The oldest member of the woodwind family is the flute. The modern flute is about 26 inches long. Out of all the woodwind instruments, the flute and its variations do not require the use of a reed. There are a wide variety of flutes from all parts of the world. The two main flute groups are: the recorder family and the transverse family. The flute has a smaller version called the piccolo flute, which plays an octave higher. The piccolo flute is exactly the same as the flute, but it is shorter and sounds much higher. The first major composer to use the piccolo in one of his composition was Beethoven. Job Description Today, flutes are able to play music which previously had been too technically demanding for pre-Boehm instruments. The extended range used by composers of the Romantic era demands a flute which can play in excess of three octaves. This is still true today, as the flute is a vital piece of any orchestra. Contemporary flute soloists enjoy a vast repertoire of great solo pieces that have been written by prominent composers such as Brahms, Strauss, and Tchaikovsky. Let the Show Begin The flute has three main parts: the mouthpiece, the body and the tail. The mouthpiece hole is where the player blows air to produce sound. The other holes of the flute were replaced with keys by Theobald Boehm in the 17th century. With the help of special keys or foot joints, the flute is capable of playing a range of over three octaves. Alley Oop Learning how to play the flute is not very difficult. However, one must produce a beautiful sound with the instrument. This is what takes a long time to master. Circular Breathing is a special playing technique that requires a performer to hold the sound of the flute indefinitely with no audible breathing interruptions. Flutter tonguing is another special technique that is produced by rolling the front of the tongue, as in the Spanish "rr,“. The tone produced is articulated very rapidly. Hall of Fame Miyazawa flutes are state of the art flutes that use new flute technologies to facilitate performances. Sir James Galway is regarded as both a supreme interpreter of the classical flute and a consummate entertainer. Ludwig van Beethoven was the first major composer to use the piccolo flute in a symphony. Oboe What's the difference between an oboe and an onion? • You don't cry when you're cutting up the oboe. The oboe is the instrument that tunes the symphony orchestra before a concert performance. Its stable sound provides the consistent pitch necessary for all instruments to match their tones. Don’t just get the idea that the oboe is only good for tuning the orchestra! Follow me through this tour where we’ll explore the universe of the oboe. Historical The history of the oboe is not as extensive as the history of its woodwind counterparts. Most of the oboe’s history is represented in paintings and drawings of ancient civilizations. These documents give us the idea that some kind of double reed instruments existed and played a very important role in past civilizations. The oboe was invented in the 17th century by two French musicians, and gained its place in the orchestra by the early part of the 18th century. The "modern oboe" was developed by the Triebert family in the later part of the 18th century. Their oboe design became the quintessential model used at the Paris Music Conservatory. Origin of the Name The word oboe comes from the French hautbois which means high pitched woodwind instrument. Ancestors or close relative The aulos was an ancient instrument considered to be an important part of the cultural and social life of Greece. The aulos is the earliest reference to double reed instruments and bagpipes. Historically, the oboe descended from the shawm instrument family that divided into the hautbois and gros-bois: the high woods and the great woods. The shawm is the closest relative of the oboe. This instrument was introduced in Europe during the Crusades as invading armies used the instrument for war and entertainment purposes. Construction The body of the oboe is made of ebony wood, granadilla wood, rosewood or cocus wood. The oboe keys are mostly silver plated. The reed of the oboe is made of two pieces of very thin cane. Both pieces are threaded in such a way as to leave a small opening of air for the player to blow through. The oboe has three important sections: the upper joint, the lower joint, and the bell. Each part fits inside a smaller inner tube that is covered with cork to avoid air leakage. Parts of the Oboe The following parts are considered to be the most important parts of the oboe. • Upper joint • Cane reed • Body or middle joint • The bell Cool Facts The oboe is known as a double reed instrument. A musician that plays the oboe is called oboist. The oboe is the instrument that tunes the symphony orchestra. Along with the recorder flute, the oboe is one the oldest woodwind instruments. The oboe is about the same length as the flute; about 26 inches. The technique for playing requires great breathing control. The oboe is capable of playing a range of three octaves. However, it is a very difficult instrument to play. Role of the instrument For many years after its inception, the modern oboe was used mostly as a prominent member of the woodwind family of the orchestra. The improvements upon the oboe have inspired oboe makers and musicians to attain a superb level of instrumental construction and musical performance and composition. Within the orchestra, the oboe plays small solo parts or doubles the melodies played by the violins. The oboe was not regularly used as a solo instrument until the middle part of the 20th century, when oboist began to push the envelope of oboe technique. Today, we enjoy the oboe to its fullest capacity. It is a major component of the woodwinds of the orchestra and is used to play major solos within the symphony orchestra and chamber orchestra. Oboe concerti are pieces that feature the oboe as a soloist with orchestral accompaniment. These concerti allow the instrument to display its unique and penetrating sound. Use of the instrument The oboe is seldom used in other musical genres. When it is used outside of the symphony orchestra, the oboe is used in recordings of jingles and television commercials. It is rarely used for jazz or pop music. Occasionally, some folk musical genres feature the sound of the oboe. The oboist’s reed is actually a double reed. This double reed is made of two pieces of cane tied into another piece of tubing which fits into the end of the oboe.