Members of the western concert flute family the instrument is a prototype built for Italian flautist Roberto Fabbriciani by Francesco Romei, a Florentine craftsman. Members of the western concert flute family The western concert flute family has a wide range of instruments. The piccolo is the highest-pitched member of the flute family, with a range an octave above that of the concert flute. It is usually the highest-pitched instrument within orchestras and bands. The piccolo has a stereotype for being difficult to play in tune; its small size makes it difficult to construct an evenly tuned scale. The treble flute is pitched in the key of G,
Double contrabass flute large flutes. Despite the tendency of the larger sizes of flute to be softer than their higher pitched relatives, the double contrabass flute has a relatively powerful tone, although it usually benefits from amplification in ensembles. The Japanese firm of Kotato & Fukushima sell their double contrabass flutes for US$38,000. Their main use has been in large flute choirs and occasionally in film scores. A double contrabass flute constructed of PVC, called a subcontrabass flute by its maker, the Dutch instrument maker Jelle Hogenhuis, has the tubing in a notably different arrangement from its metal counterpart. Although the PVC instrument