These are all the flutes I regularly play. From largest to smallest they are the bass flute, alto flute, C flute (one most people recognize) and the piccolo.


The flute most people are familiar with is called the C flute because it is pitched in the key of C. Mine is made of silver, but they can also be made of other materials such as gold or platinum or wood.

Click here to listen to an excerpt from Ashokan Farewell by Jay Ungar


The piccolo is much smaller than the regular flute, and sounds an octave above the flute. It is probably most well known (in the United States) for the famous piccolo solo in Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” march.


The alto flute is larger both in length and in width of bore than the regular flute. It has a lovely haunting sound in the low register. It is pitched a fourth lower than the C flute, in the key of G.

Click here to listen to the alto in an excerpt from the Hongroise movement of Liebermann’s “Eight Pieces”


The bass flute sounds one octave below the common C flute, and is larger than the alto. Because of its length it has a curved headjoint so that players can reach the keys more easily.

There are flutes larger than the bass, such as the contra bass. It is so large that it rests on the floor, and is held in front of you like a clarinet.


This is my whistle, shown here with my piccolo. It is made of black PVC pipe, but whistles can be made of metal or wood as well. It is known as a ‘high’ whistle in the key of D, which is commonly found in Irish music.

Click here to listen to “John Ryan’s Polka” performed on whistle.