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Published: Tuesday, 25 June 2024 at 11:33 AM


A flute is a woodwind instrument made from a tube with a series of holes. Unlike the clarinet or the oboe, it’s a reedless instrument, which produces sound from the flow of air across an opening. 

With its smooth, bright sound, it’s a key member of the woodwind section in a symphony orchestra, where it is either used to play the melody or to blend in with the harmony. But it is also frequently used in both chamber music and as a solo instrument, and has a wealth of solo repertoire written for it.

How do you play the flute?

You play the flute by holding it out to one side and blowing across the mouthpiece (watch out, it might make you dizzy at first!). To make different notes, you cover and uncover holes by pressing down on various keys with your fingers.

Although it might take a little while to get the hang of the blowing technique, flute fingerings are surprisingly simple to learn, meaning that you can make progress fairly quickly. Plus, the flute uses the same positions as the soprano recorder, that many of us learnt at school.