Ancient Flute

300 B.C. - Artwork containing pictures of flutes proves evidence of horizontally held instruments being played in western Europe, Asia, and the middle east. These flutes were nothing more than hollowed out bones or sticks with an embouchure hole. These flutes were used for hunting and magical rituals.

200 A.D. - Flutes are popular with the Romans and Etruscans. There is no evidence of flutes being played in ancient Greece. Flutes were used to entertain royalty, in theatrical productions, and at festivals and celebrations.

1000 A.D. - Flutes become less popular after the fall of Rome, but are eventually re-introduced to western europe through Germany.

Middle Ages

1300 - The flute appears in non-germanic countries such as France, Spain, and Flanders.

1310 - Flute's sound is compared to the sound of the trumpet and trombone.

Circa 1320 - The one-peiced, two inch, wooden flute is invented. This flute is in the key of "D"

1360 - Guillaume de Machaut makes a distinction flutes that use a block to direct air at the edge of the hole (like the recorder), and flutes that need the players to direct air with their lips (The transverse flute).

1350 - Flutes are frequently portrayed in paintings, in the hands of darling little cherubs.

1460 - Flutes are introduced to the military. To learn more about flutes in the military, click here.

1511 - The Zwerchpheiff is created. This flute has six finger holes, and has a narrower structure.

1529 -The flute family expands. The descant, alto, tenor, and bass flutes are created.

1600s

1619 - Praetorius' "Styntagma Musicum" features three Querflötten, flutes with ranges of two octaves.

1636 - Flutes Allemands (German Flutes) also called Transverse flutes, are found in Germany. These flutes have keys of "D" and "G", a new cylindrical bore, and are made of wood. To learn more about german flutes, click here.

1670 - Jean Hotteterre makes adjustments to the flute.

-He made the flute into three peices, the headjoint, middle joint and foot joint

-Gave it a conical bore, the foot joint of the flute was smallest in diameter

-The six finger holes remained, but they were smaller

- The first key was added. It produced an E-flat note

1700s

Circa 1710 - Flute method books are sold to beginners.

1720 - The middle joint was divided into two peices, into extra joints of different length, called the corps de recharge. The purpose of this new design was to allow the flute player to shift the pitch of the instrument to be in tune with the orchestra. The short and long bits could be adjusted to play higher or lower.

1722 - Famous flutist Quantz adds a tuning cork in the head joint, and a C# key on the foot joint.

1726 - E- flat key added on foot joint

1760 - Flute makers in London add three keys to the flute. The G#, B-flat, and F keys.

1774 - Flute makers in London remove C# key from the foot joint.

Circa 1780 - Mozart and Haydn compse music which features flutes. Flutes with four and six keys are featured in many symphonies. The Meyer-system flute is made. It has eight keys.

1782 - Maker J.H. Ribock adds closed C key

1800s

1800 - B-flat lever and left hand lever added

1806 - 1844 Claude Laurent makes several glass flutes. These flutes have three, four, or seven keys.

1808 - Rev. Frederick Nolan invents open holes (Finger pads cover holes), and connects the keys together.

1810 - George Miller makes metal bores in London England. Theobald Boehm creates his own model of the flute.

He experiments with different keys, springs and pads.

1820 - Flutes are wildly popular in Europe. Especially in England.

1822 - The Nicholsons father and son adjust the placement of keys, make the holes larger, and make a thinner flute.

1824 - Marker Pottgiessen invents the ring and crescent keys, which he adds to the flute.

1827 - Rudall and Rose create an eight keyed flute.

1829 - Boehm creates his own fingering system. The fingering system used rods that connected the keys. Boehm builds an elaborate machine for boring holes, pillars, posts, and flat gold springs.

1830-1831 Boehm finishes his new model and presented it in performance in London and Paris.

1832 - Boehm is impressed by Nicholson's flute design, which produces a clearer tone, and switches to ring keys instead of open holes, thus improving the tone of his flutes. He also invented the thumb left hand crutch, which helped with finger action.

1834 - Boehm's model becomes very popular among German and French flutists.

1838 - Buffet and Coche add the D# key and the G# key.

1846-1847 - Boehm gives his flutes a new cylindrical bore. He also enlarges the embouchure to a quadrangular hole to produce fuller and clearer tone. His new fingering system covers the inside of his closed keys with felt pads and and the rims of keys with skins, and holds the keys together with screws and washers. He experiments with different materials for making flutes. He decides that silver is the best, seeing as it is light and produces the best tone.

1847 - Rudall and Rose, Clair Godfroy and Louis Lot buy for rights to manufacture Boehm flutes from Boehm. The flute goes to New York, where it becomes very popular. Flutes are adopted as official orchestral instruments in the Paris conservatory.

1849 - Composer Briccialdi adds the thumb B-flat key.

1878 - Boehm finally perfects his 'modern silver flute'. His final, perfected model is accepted as the standard today.