Contra-alto flute repertoire for bass flute and contrabass flute see: Peter van Munster, "Repertoire Catalogue for Piccolo, Alto Flute and Bass Flute", Roma: Riverberi Sonori, 2004. More and more flute ensemble repertoire is incorporating the contra-alto flute. Typically, it is doubled with the contrabass (and/or bass) flutes, however, in recent years, composers and arrangers such as Alexandra Molnar-Suhajda and Judy Nishimura have been pushing the boundaries of lowness by writing independent parts for the instrument. Contra-alto flute The contra alto flute is in the key of G (or sometimes F), pitched one octave below the alto flute - which is a fourth
Alto flute naming confusion originated in the fact that the modern flute in C is pitched in the same range as the Renaissance tenor flute; therefore, a lower pitched instrument would be called a bass. Alto flute headjoints are built in 'curved' and 'straight' versions. The curved headjoint is frequently preferred by smaller players because it requires less of a stretch for the arms, and makes the instrument feel lighter by moving the center of gravity nearer to the player. However, the straight version is more commonly used for better overall intonation. The embouchure for alto flute is similar to that for