Flute
From Oddwinds
Flutes are reedless woodwind instruments. Before about 1680 flutes were made with a cylindrical bore; after than an inverted conical bore until the mid 19th century; after that, Boehm system flutes with cylindrical bore became the standard for western concert flutes.
The word "flute" can refer to a large variety of types of instruments, but herein it is used to refer to western concert flutes.
The flute family is larger than you probably think. It includes:
- Piccolo in Db, C, or Ab
- Treble flute in G
- Soprano flute in Eb
- Concert flute in C
- Flute d'amour (tenor flute) in Bb, A, or Ab
- Alto flute in G or F
- Bass flute in C or Bb
- Contra-alto flute (sub-bass flute) in G or F
- Contrabass flute in C
- Subcontrabass flute in G
- Double contrabass flute (octobass flute) in C
- Hyperbass flute in C
(This terminology is not universally agreed upon.) The flute family isn't odd, but most of its members are: The C piccolo and concert flute are mundane; the alto and bass arguably are too; but most or all the rest can probably be regarded as Category 2 odd instruments.