The double contrabass flute (also octobass flute; subcontrabass flute) is the largest and lowest pitched metal
flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
, with of tubing (the
hyperbass flute
The hyperbass flute is conceptually the largest and lowest-pitched instrument in the flute family, although it is extremely rare. It first appeared at the turn of the 21st century, and only two are known to exist. With tubing reaching over in le ...
, an octave lower, is made from PVC and wood). It is pitched in the key of C, three octaves below the regular
flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
(two octaves below the
bass, and one octave below the
contrabass
Contrabass (from it, contrabbasso) refers to several musical instruments of very low pitch—generally one octave below bass register instruments. While the term most commonly refers to the double bass (which is the bass instrument in the orchest ...
).Its lowest note is C
1, one octave below the
cello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...
's lowest C and the lowest C on the piano. This flute is relatively easy to play in comparison to most other large flutes. Despite the tendency of the larger sizes of flute to be softer than their higher pitched relatives, the double contrabass flute has a relatively powerful tone, although it usually benefits from amplification in ensembles.
The Japanese firm of Kotato & Fukushima sell their double contrabass flutes for
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
48,000.
Their main use has been in large
flute choir A flute ensemble is an instrumental chamber ensemble consisting of members of the flute family.
Flute quartet
In a more traditional sense, a flute quartet consists of a flute and a string trio (i.e., a violin, viola, and cello). This arrangement ...
s and occasionally in film scores.
PVC version
A double contrabass flute constructed of
PVC, called a subcontrabass flute by its creator, the Dutch instrument maker Jelle Hogenhuis, has the tubing in a notably different arrangement from its metal counterpart.
Although the PVC instrument was designed to be an ensemble instrument, it has also been picked up by solo artists. Compared to metal instruments it has a wider bore producing a broader tone, weighs only compared to for the brass version, and can be produced relatively quickly and inexpensively.
References
External links
*
Listening
MP3 of Jelle Hogenhuis subcontrabass flute
Side-blown flutes
Contrabass instruments
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