Want to learn more about the flute? We'll help you get started. Let's explore a little bit about the anatomy and history of flutes.

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1. Flutes have ancient origins. Dating back over 40,000 years the flute has shown up separately across many cultures.

2. Flutes can be made of many different materials. Due to their ancient origins flutes have been made of many different kinds of materials throughout the years. The most common concert flutes are made of nickel, nickel silver, sterling silver and are sometimes gold plated. Varying styles of flutes can be found made of bamboo, ivory, glass, wood, ivory, resin, and more.

3. Flutes come in a variety of sizes. The most common size flute people play is the concert flute in C. You can also find piccolo, alto, bass, contrabass, subcontrabass, double contrabass, and hypercontrabass flutes. This variety allows players to explore all kinds of expressions and tones.

4. Playing the flute requires more air than playing the tuba. Unlike other woodwind instruments that use reeds, and brass instruments with mouthpieces you blow into, the flute's headjoint has a unique lip plate and hole that you blow across to produce a sound, like blowing across the opening of a bottle! The air needed to make a sound requires a strong core and a strong pair of lungs.

5. Flutes show up in many different mythologies: In Greek mythology the Goddess Athena is credited with creating first flute, and the God Pan plays the pan flute. Hindu God Krishna also plays the bamboo flute, and in Chinese mythology, Han Xiangzi plays the dizi flute. The Aztecs had a "death whistle" flute used in spiritual rituals, and in Native American lore there are many stories about the creation of the flute. With the flute showing up independantly across many different cultures all over the world it's no wonder it's shown up in so many mythologies.

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