The flute is a long tube, closed at one end with a hole (apeture) in the head joint. Sound is produced by blowing across and into the hole, rather like blowing across the top of a bottle. The pitch is controlled by the lips and covering or uncovering the fingerpads in the keys.
The compass of the flute is from middle C to three octaves above. In addition to the standard flute, there is also the piccolo, which is basically a half-sized flute. The piccolo is often found in orchestras and military bands, and has a shrill tone and sound.
