Even though flutes are made of metals like gold and silver and don’t have reeds, they’re still classified as woodwind instruments. This is because an instrument’s classification is determined not only by its material, but also by the way it sounds and the characteristics of its playing. The flute is still classified as a woodwind instrument to this day because the player’s breath is the source of the sound.
Today, flutes are made of metal with a shiny sheen. Because of this characteristic, many people might think that flutes are classified as brass instruments. Flutes are typically made from a variety of metals, including gold, silver, nickel, and platinum, and they don’t have the reeds found in typical woodwind instruments. This use of metal and the lack of reeds could easily lead you to mistake the flute for a brass instrument. Surprisingly, however, the flute is still classified as a woodwind instrument. This is because the classification of wind instruments today is not just based on the materials used.
In the past, wind instruments were categorized based on their materials. In the 12th and 13th centuries, when the flute as we know it today took shape, it was mainly made of wood, so it was natural for it to be classified as a woodwind instrument. Over time, however, the flute’s material began to change. In 1847, a major change occurred when Theobald Böhm improved the flute. Böhm introduced metal parts to compensate for the wooden flute’s vulnerability to temperature and humidity, and eventually switched the material of the flute itself from wood to metal. This gave the flute an appearance similar to today’s brass instruments, but it is still classified as a woodwind instrument.
In the 17th century, as orchestras became more organized, the definitions of brass and woodwind instruments were redefined. The woodwinds included instruments made of metal, such as the flute and piccolo, but these instruments had different vocalization and articulation methods than brass instruments and produced sounds of a different nature. Therefore, vocalization became an important criterion in the classification of instruments. Woodwinds were defined as instruments in which a diaphragm is vibrated by the player’s breath, or the sound generated by a stream of wind passing through a narrow opening is amplified and refined through a tube to produce the final sound. On the other hand, brass instruments were defined as instruments in which the sound generated by the vibrations of the player’s lips travels through a tube and is amplified and polished to produce a final sound.
Based on these definitions, the flute is classified as a woodwind instrument, despite being made of metal, because it has no reed and is played using the player’s breath as the source of sound. Woodwind instruments can produce sound as long as the player’s breath is blown in the right direction, not necessarily through the lips. Brass instruments, on the other hand, can only produce sound when the player’s lips are in contact with the mouthpiece, which transmits vibrations. Woodwind instruments, including the flute, can sound good when you can apply some force to your lips and breathe correctly, which is considered an important skill for playing the flute effectively.
On the other hand, in brass instruments, it’s important to relax the lips and allow the vibrations to be transmitted well, which greatly affects the range the player can achieve. For this reason, even though the flute is made of metal and may look similar to a brass instrument, it is still classified as a woodwind instrument to this day due to the differences in vocalization and articulation.
As you can see, the classification of an instrument is not just based on its appearance or material, but also on the way it sounds and the characteristics of its performance. These classifications play an important role in music history and help us understand how instruments developed and were used. The historical changes and evolution of the flute are more than just technical improvements, and make it a fascinating example of instrument classification.
