The flute section

Flutes are wind instruments with histories reaching back thousands of years. There is an incredible variety of flute designs, as well as of materials used to make these instruments. Some flutes are cylindrical in shape. These include the transverse or cross flute, as well as the Middle Eastern ney, Japanese shakuhachi and South American (specifically, the region of the Andes Mountains) quena. Others are globular in form. Examples include the ocarina and xun, the latter being an egg shaped flute from China. Panpipes consist of several tubes of different lengths fastened together. The Native American flute features two sound holes. When one plays this kind of flute, the air stream is directed out of the first hole, under a wooden block and over the far edge of the second sound hole. Pennywhistles, recorders (aka blockflottes or whistle flutes), the Slovakian fujara and koncovka all feature air duct assemblies, also known as fipples. Such arrangements can also be noted on police whistles and the like. The fipple consists of a square or rectangular window near the mouthpiece end. A specially shaped wood plug is inserted in that end and positioned in such a way as to allow a thin stream of air to be directed over the far edge of the window, thus producing the sound.  In addition, the transverse flute consists of a tube blocked at one end, with a mouthpiece (embouchure) close to the plug, along with a number of finger holes. The shakuhachi features a lip or "utaguchi" for the blowing edge. The quena has a U shaped notch. The mouthpiece end of the ney is slightly beveled or cut at a slant. All three of these flutes are hollow throughout.

Flutes may be made from wood, clay, metal, plastic, bamboo, glass, bone and other materials. Ocarinas and xuns are typically made from clay. Ethnic flutes such as shakuhachis, quenas and neys are made from bamboo or cane. Native American flutes are often made from wood, although people in warm climates use bamboo. Fujaras, koncovkas and similar flutes are made from wood.

It is interesting to note the similarities of some flutes across cultures. Panpipes are found in South America, Greece, Romania, Hungary, China and Africa. The Chinese di-tzi resembles a transverse flute but with an additional hole covered with rice paper for interesting variations in sound. The bansuri of India is also a transverse or cross flute.  In addition, Turkish and Arabic neys resemble the quena in terms of all these flutes having six finger holes in front and thumb holes in back.