The flute is a woodwind instrument that is played to the side and without a reed. Theobald Boehm is credited with the invention of the flute that we know today, a little longer than a century and a half ago. However, this was not the first flute ever recorded, and it did not originate in Bavaria, where Boehm was a native. The earliest flute was found in an area of France and is dated to 35,000-40,000 years ago.
It is called the Ice Age flute and is a clear indication that even early people had a musical ear. Other flute instruments throughout history have been found in parts of Africa, India, and China. However, none of these have the concert tone that most people think of when they hear a flute.
The flute is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. Unlike other wood instruments, the flute is a reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air against the edge of the mouthpiece. The oldest flute was said to have originated in a cave in Northern France about 30,000 years ago.
About 5,000 years ago the first real flute was made. In China around 3,000 years ago, the first flute that you play by holding it sideways was invented. In 1847, the first modern flute was made. The flute was initially called an aerophone. Its origins are traced back to ancient Germany and Europe.
