The Flute appeared in Greece and Etruria as early as the 2nd century BC.
Originally made of wood, the flute is now made from silver or gold and is about 2 feet in length. It looks like a narrow tube with a row of holes covered by keys along one side. The player blows air across the small hole in the mouthpiece to produce a sound that can be either soft and mellow or high and piercing.
Today, the flute is a part of the highest-pitch woodwind section of the modern orchestra and is one of the solo instruments most utilized by composers.
