History of the Flute

The flute is one of the oldest musical instruments. Archaeologists have found most ancient flutes made from animal bones, tree bark, and other materials. In the Holy Bible, there is a reference to Jubal, "the father of all who play the harp and flute" (Genesis 4:21 - NIV). Recently, archaeologist Nicholas Conard discovered a bird bone flute in a cave in Germany. According to Conard, the flute was carved about 35,000 years ago, making it the oldest handmade musical instrument ever found.

As humanity developed new techniques, the flute evolved. Some flutes were played vertically, like modern recorders, while others were played transversely, similar to today’s transverse flutes. Both types were originally made from a single wooden tube with finger holes. Until the Middle Ages, the vertical flute was more commonly used than the transverse flute.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, during the Baroque period, instrumental music flourished, driving the need for improvements in wooden instruments. As a result, the transverse flute gained popularity, surpassing the recorder in use. As Sávio Araújo states, "Clearly, the recorder no longer served these functions, and the transverse flute took its place, given its brighter sound and the greater possibilities of its texture" (ARAUJO, Sávio; Historical Evolution of the Flute to Boehm, 1999).

Several modifications were made to the flute over time, but no significant improvements occurred until Theobald Boehm (1794–1881), a virtuoso German flutist, composer, and physicist, revolutionized its design. After extensive studies and experimentation, he created the modern transverse flute in 1847—a system we still use today. This is why modern transverse flutes are known as Boehm system flutes.

Boehm’s 1847 flute was made of silver and featured a cylindrical body. Below is a photo from the excellent article The Historical Evolution of the Flute to Boehm by Sávio Araújo.

In 1847, Theobald Boehm sold the manufacturing rights to his final model to Rudall & Rose, as well as to Clair Godfroy and his stepson, Louis Lot. In 1848, the French introduced models with perforated keyholes, allowing players to close them with their fingertips. This design aimed to improve ventilation and appeal to musicians accustomed to older flutes with direct holes in the wood. These flutes, known for their "open keys," became referred to as French-style flutes.

This is a presentation I created for the National Flute Association’s Summer Festival, offering a quick overview of flute history. It covers the Renaissance flute and the development of the modern flute. More than 16 historical flutes are demonstrated in the video.

Special thanks to Joseph Monticello and Boaz Berney for their assistance with the demonstrations, as well as to Mark Edwards for playing the harpsichord in the Buffardin example.

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Video Timeline:

0:01 – Intro – Noe Frères 1-key – Devienne flute quartet, op.?
5:40 – Renaissance Flutes – La Bamba – V. Ruffo
9:55 – Hotteterre Flute – Hotteterre Echos
18:00 – Buffardin Flute – B* Sonata*
20:18 – Richard Potter ivory 1-key flute – Haydn Trio III, Moderato
24:55 – Crone 1-key – CPE Sonata in G major Wq. 127
26:41 – Prudent 1-key – Tromlitz Partita IV
40:42 – Milhouse 7-key – Wendling, Allegro from Trio V
43:08 – Triebert 6-key – Tromlitz Partita V
45:14 – Drouet 8-key – Broderies Furstaneu
55:50 – Buffet Crampon conical Boehm – Donjon Tendre souvenir
01:01:25 – Boehm & Mendler cylindrical Boehm – Boehm Andante
01:05:25 – Lefèvre cylindrical Boehm – Fauré - Morceau de Concours
01:07:06 – Louis Lot cylindrical Boehm – Fauré - Morceau de Concours
01:11:56 – American flutes by Peloubet – Ye Banks and Braes o’ Bonnie Doon, Arr. Saust – Oh Nanny Wilt Thou Gang With Me – Saust
01:19:12 – HF Meyer 10-key – Broderies
01:27:55 – Rudall & Rose 8-key – Day Break