Members of the western concert flute family or private collections. This distinctive sounding instrument is rarely found at present. A few American publications for flute choir currently include a part for an E (soprano) flute, an instrument pitched a minor third higher than the standard C flute. In these publications, an alternative part is provided either for the C flute or for the piccolo. The standard concert flute is by far the most common member of the flute family. The flute is used in many ensembles including concert bands, orchestras, flute ensembles, occasionally jazz bands and big bands. The instrument is pitched in C and has a
Xiao (flute) Xiao (flute) The xiao (, pronounced ) is a Chinese vertical end-blown flute. It is generally made of bamboo. It is also sometimes called dòngxiāo (), "dòng" meaning "hole." An ancient name for the xiāo is "shùzhúdí" (, lit. "vertical bamboo flute", ) but the name "xiāo" in ancient times also included the side-blown bamboo flute, "dizi". The "xiāo" is a very ancient Chinese instrument usually thought to have developed from a simple end-blown flute used by the Qiang people of Southwest China in ancient period. "Xiao" are mostly made of bamboo, the best being 'purple bamboo' or . Sometimes,