Alto flute Alto flute The alto flute is a type of Western concert flute, a musical instrument in the woodwind family. It is the next extension downward of the C flute after the flûte d'amour. It is characterized by its distinct, mellow tone in the lower portion of its range. It is a transposing instrument in G and, like the piccolo and bass flute, uses the same fingerings as the C flute. The tube of the alto flute is considerably thicker and longer than a C flute and requires more breath from the player. This gives it a greater dynamic presence in
Flute the word back to the Latin "flare" (to blow, inflate) have been pronounced "phonologically impossible" or "inadmissable". The first known use of the word "flute" was in the 14th century. According to the "Oxford English Dictionary", this was in Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Hous of Fame", c.1380. Today, a musician who plays any instrument in the flute family can be called a flutist (pronounced "FLEW-tist", most common in the US), or flautist (pronounced "FLAW-tist", most common in the UK), or simply a flute player (more neutrally). "Flutist" dates back to at least 1603, the earliest quotation cited by the "Oxford English