Western concert flute Western concert flute The Western concert flute is a transverse (side-blown) woodwind instrument made of metal or wood. It is the most common variant of the flute. A musician who plays the flute is called a flautist, flutist, flute player, or (rarely) fluter. This type of flute is used in many ensembles including concert bands, military bands, marching bands, orchestras, flute ensembles, and occasionally jazz bands and big bands. Other flutes in this family include the piccolo, alto flute, and the bass flute. A large repertory of works has been composed for flute. The flute is one of the oldest
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