History of the Flute: A Comprehensive Guide from Antiquity to Modernity

Among the variety of melodious Indian Classical Instruments that we hear, the flute is an instrument that holds a melody, magic, and uniqueness of its own. We associate lord Krishna with the flute who used to intoxicate the whole village of Gokul and Vrindavan with the melodious sound of his flute. In this blog, I will share in detail the history of the instrument flute.

The flute made up of bones 

We have always seen the flute as an instrument that is made up of either wood or steel but fewer people know that the first flute played was not made up of wood but bone. In pre-historic times, ancient people used to make instruments out of dead creatures’ bones. They used to make different types of drumsticks with bones and also later they discovered how flute could be made out of bones. Also, there are cave paintings that depict ancient people holding a pipe-like structure with many holes in it. Here, we are talking about a period of more than 40,000 years ago. 

Significant regions 

Nowadays, we see that the flute is mainly played in India and is associated with lord Krishna who is considered as one of the supreme gods who are worshipped in India. But is India the only place where the flute has a significant history? The answer is no. The ancient traces of flute are also found in regions like Egypt and Greece. In Egypt, the first discovered flute used to be made up of materials like bamboo, metals, and reeds. Also, in Egypt, flute was a significant part of religious rituals. 

Greece also holds significant traces in the history of the flute. Here also, the flute was played at various ceremonies and festivals. But unlike Greece, here the flute was made up of materials like ivory and wood. 

Further evolution and the middle ages 

In the previous paras we understood that initially, flute was only considered as an instrument to be played in religious ceremonies and festivals. But later on with the change in the world of music and construction, the flute received a new respect and was now used as an instrument in courts. Also, changes were made to the structure of the flute. Initially, the flute was made up of varied materials but now it was constructed out of a single piece of wood and additional holes were added to it which made it possible to play complex melodies in flute.

Modern flute 

The usage and construction of the flute saw many changes. The baroque and classical ears were significant in the evolution of flute and also in these eras, significant composers came up in the field of flute. Johann Sebastian Bach and Theobald Boehm are two such composers. 

In the modern era, the flute was further evolved and additional materials like silver, gold, and platinum were used to enhance the sound quality of the instrument. Also, the instrument was discovered more and was not only limited to one genre but was also explored in different genres like jazz, rock, and world music.

Additional sources 

• Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia Explaining | HISTORY of Flute/ Bansuri | Making of Flute/ Bansuri – Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia Explaining | HISTORY of Flute/ Bansuri | Making of Flute/ Bansuri
• 60,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Flute: Hear the World’s Oldest Musical Instrument | Ancient Architects – 60,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Flute: Hear the World’s Oldest Musical Instrument | Ancient Architects
• Introduction (History of the Flute Series) – https://youtu.be/WIjHgIXClpQ

FAQs

1) What is special about the flute?

The flute is considered special because of its aerophonic characteristics, melodic versatility, and portability. Piccolo among the flute family is considered one of the highest-pitched instruments. 

2) Did Krishna invent the flute?

According to the Brahma Samhita, Lord Shiva and Goddess Saraswati bestowed upon Krishna the divine flute and imparted the knowledge of playing it.

3) Which raga did Krishna play on the flute?

 Lord Krishna is known to have a deep fondness for playing the flute in the musical ragas Gaudi and Garjari.