Instrument reference · woodwind

Flute

By Band Tuning editorial · Facts checked 15 September 2026

Flutes are instruments in C: the written pitch is the concert pitch. ³ With all vent holes covered the fundamental is C4; opening the holes from the bottom up gives a one-octave chromatic scale, and the flute overblows at the first five harmonic partials.²

The frequencies on this page are computed from the pitch standard A4 = 440 Hz, the 1939 London conference standard reaffirmed by ISO in 1975, in twelve-tone equal temperament, which divides the octave into twelve equal semitones: f = 440 × 2^(n/12), where n is the number of semitones above A4 (negative below). ¹ The notes are named in scientific pitch notation, where C4 is middle C.

Tuning notes and reference pitches

In a band's daily tuning the concert B♭ and the concert A are the notes this instrument tunes to, and the source says to warm up before tuning and to use no vibrato. ⁵ The table gives every octave of those notes inside the instrument's sounding range, the note the player reads for it, and its frequency. The browser tuner plays each of these as a reference tone.

How the pitch is adjusted

• Head joint pulled out plays flatter, pushed in plays sharper. ⁵
• The crown assembly (the cork in the head joint) must be set correctly; the cleaning rod's mark shows where. ⁵
• Cold plays flat, hot plays sharp. ⁵

Every note in the range at A4 = 440 Hz

C4 to C7, concert flute, sounding. ⁴ This instrument reads at pitch, so the written and sounding notes are the same.

Maker's specification

Figures as printed in the maker's catalogue for its standard and intermediate models; a bore is the inside diameter of the tubing, a bell the diameter of its rim.

The family: other keys and sizes

Notes from the sources

• The modern flute in C with a cylindrical bore, a metal body and a key-and-pad system dates from 1847. ²
• The piccolo is about 30 cm long and sounds loudly in the player's right ear. ⁸
• Flute players commonly switch to piccolo, alto flute or bass flute. ⁸