The origins of the Flute
The relatives of the flute

It is not unusual for a performer who plays the flute to switch to the piccolo, alto flute, or bass flute.
The piccolo is pitched an octave higher than the flute and produces a shrill, high-pitched sound. With a length of 30 cm, the piccolo resounds loudly in the performer's right ear when the instrument is played. The alto flute has a slightly gentler sound, while the bass flute boasts a total tube length of around 130 cm and is pitched an octave below the flute.
Please listen as each of these four instruments is played in turn. The pieces played are Bach's Solo Partita No. 2 on the bass flute, Bach's Siciliano on the alto flute, Bizet's l'Arlésienne on the flute, Telemann's Fantasia No. 2 from 12 Fantasiason on the piccolo.

Table showing the respective range of each type of flute