• Flutes come in all shapes and sizes.flutes image by Hubert from Fotolia.com
  
  Most students begin learning on the standard concert flute, but there is a whole family of flutes and pipes to chose from in the orchestra. Flutes are one of the oldest and most widely used wind instruments in history. The first flutes resembled fifes. They were made of wood and had no keys. These instruments were used in early folk music and Baroque.
  
  

Piccolo

• The piccolo is a smaller version of the flute and is set one octave higher. It is the highest pitched woodwind in the orchestra and military bands, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. It is horizontally played like the standard flute and extends three octaves from above second D above middle "C."
  
  

Standard Concert Flute

• The standard concert flute's lowest note is C4, which is middle "C" on the piano. While most flautists can play the standard three and a half octaves, some flautists who are experienced can reach the fourth octave "C." The instrument is played by blowing across the mouthpiece and has 16 circular air holes that are opened and closed by various keys. Volume and tone can be manipulated by the air stream being blown across the mouthpiece. The standard concert flute is made of either gold, silver or a combination of the two.
  
  

Contra-Alto Flute in G

• The contra-alto flute is one of the largest in the flute family. It is in the key of "G" and its range begins a fourth below the bass flute. The instrument is so large that it stands vertically with a floor peg similar to the bass clarinet, and requires 9.3 feet of tubing. It's highest note is the "G" four ledger lines above the staff.