Despite the implication of this commonly used name, the Irish flute is not an instrument indigenous to Ireland. It is in fact a derivative of the English transverse wooden flute of 19th century, which was later adopted into Irish traditional music. The simple system wooden flute is also popular in other "celtic" musical traditions, most notably the Scottish and Breton traditions.
These simple system flutes play a diatonic scale by successively un...
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Despite the implication of this commonly used name, the Irish flute is not an instrument indigenous to Ireland. It is in fact a derivative of the English transverse wooden flute of 19th century, which was later adopted into Irish traditional music. The simple system wooden flute is also popular in other "celtic" musical traditions, most notably the Scottish and Breton traditions.
These simple system flutes play a diatonic scale by successively uncovering the toneholes and are often made chromatic by the addition of metal keys. Simple system flutes were not made with traditional Irish flutists in mind, but were adapted by Irish musicians as the simple wooden flutes were discarded by concert musicians during the advent of the modern, Boehm system, Western concert flute in the late 1800s. These "obsolete" flutes were picked up at low cost by Irish traditional musicians.
Due to its wooden construction, characteristic embouchure and direct (keyless) fingering, the simple system flutes have...
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