What Are Flutes Made Of? - The Techie Flutist

Flutes made of Plastic

During recent times, a flute made entirely of plastic which can be coloured to suit anyone’s preference has come onto the mark. They are cheap, mass-produced, light and sound and feel nothing like a flute. Even though some music stores are selling them I personally would avoid these at all costs. For me, they are more an expensive toy than an instrument.

Flutes made of Unusual Materials

There are other materials out there that have been turned into flute including bone, crystal and melted down pots and pans. This is however all the common materials that are used.

Stainless Steel

You may also be interested to hear that in 2013 Powell started developing flutes and piccolos that use stainless steel for the mechanisms. Their intention is to maintain the quality of the instrument while combating the problem of rising silver prices. While I am yet to get the opportunity to play one of these instruments it would definitely be interesting to see how they play and sound.

The Other Flute Bits

There are of course other components used when making flutes but these are fairly minor when compared to the elements discussed above.

All flutes will have a cork at the top of the head joint. Nicer and more expensive flutes use real cork while cheaper flute and some student flutes use a special plastic device that is a cheaper alternative.

The pads, which are located under the keys are made of cork and a special type of felt. There are also a number of springs used within the flute’s mechanisms these may be made from steel, bronze or gold. Finally all the tiny little screws and pins are typically steel.

Conclusion

There is a lot of passionate debating among flautists as to how the different materials aurally affect the instrument. Traditionally the view has been held that the better and more expensive the metal the sweeter the sound. Unfortunately, there is no way of objectively determining if this is true.

So, when it comes to purchasing your own flute its best to not be in a rush, try as many different flutes as possible, be open-minded and to figure out what you like personally.

Related Articles

• The Ultimate Guide to Purchasing a Flute
• To Purchase or Hire a Flute