Flute The wood is usually African Blackwood. The standard concert flute is pitched in C and has a range of three octaves starting from middle C or one half step lower when a B foot is attached. This means the concert flute is one of the highest common orchestra and concert band instruments. The piccolo plays an octave higher than the regular treble flute. Lower members of the flute family include the G alto and C bass flutes that are used occasionally, and are pitched a perfect fourth and an octave below the concert flute, respectively. The contrabass, double contrabass, and
Subcontrabass flute "". Subcontrabass flute The subcontrabass flute is one of the largest instruments in the flute family, measuring over long. The instrument can be made in the key of G, pitched a fourth below the contrabass flute in C and two octaves below the alto flute in G; which is sometimes also called double contra-alto flute, or in C, which will sound three octaves lower than the C flute. The subcontrabass flute is rarely used outside of flute ensembles. It is sometimes called the "gentle giant" of the flute family because of its gentle sound. At present, the subcontrabass flute is