Konrad -
One question at a time... There are actually a number of different
types of flutes, and they all produce a different range of notes. For
example, a traditional Native American flute would make different notes
than a classical European one. (Even though they both work the same
way.) The flutes that you're most used to are probably the European
flutes, so that's what I'll address. Your basic European flute has a
range from a low C (middle C on a piano) to a high E flat. The entire
range is a little more than 3 octaves. There are also some European
flutes with extra keys that allow the flautist (the flute player) to go
as far down as a B or as far up as an F. However, these extreme notes
are very difficult to play and there aren't very many pieces that
require anything above a high C.
The frequency of a low B is 247 Hz, and the frequency of a high F
is 2792 Hz. The smaller range, low C to high E flat goes from 262 Hz to
2488 Hz. (As the notes get higher, the differences in the frequency
from one note to the next gets bigger.)
Now to your second question.... When the flautist plays the flute,
they blow a thin stream of air flat across a hole. When the air reaches
the other side of the hole, it hits the hole's sharp metal edge. The
next part is the weird part. Instead of the air spliting into two
streams, one above and one below the metal, it alternates. In other
words, it goes back and forth between going above the metal and below
the metal. The part that goes below the metal goes into the flute,
causing the air in the flute to oscillate. The air oscillates along the
length of the flute, and the locations of open holes changes its
oscillation, changing the notes produced.
-Tamara
(published on 10/22/2007)
