An alto flute is different from a soprano flute, primarily, because it is pitched in G (lower and larger), a transposing instrument, and plays a bit lower than a regular concert flute. It's not necessarily "harder" to play, but rather is an extension of the low range of the flute, as the piccolo is an extension of the third and fourth flute octaves. It's tone production demands are kind of like your flute's bottom octave, on CRACK! It's a beautiful sound, but in the alto flute's top octave, the tone is sort of thin and less-useful (use a C flute
). The bass flute, larger yet, is TWICE the tubing of a C flute (it's also in C, however), and sounds one octave lower. Bass heads are always curved, because the tube would simply be too long to hold properly otherwise. Alto heads, as was earlier posted, can be curved or straight. I prefer straight, but I'm 5'10". Obviously, my students mostly prefer curved. Each reads regular-looking, treble-clef flute parts, though they don't sound as written. These flutes are noticeably heavier (especially bass
) and require a bit more breath management than C flutes, and therefore occasionally cause endurance issues. Most parts for them in flute choir or band scores are only a few bars at a time, with ample rests. Unless the composer is a moron, LOL.
