Not all flutes have eight holes, in fact, some have five, six, nine, ten, eleven, or twelve holes. The holes can also be of varying sizes creating different sounds. Indian music is typically played with a five-holed flute, while music in France or Ireland is typically played by flutes with six holes.
Nine-holed flutes are popular in Austria and Germany, and China uses flutes that have a number of different holes.
Not all flutes have eight holes. There are flutes that have six holes, which are used in North Indian music. Bollywood music is typically played with a six-hole flute. There are five key flutes, which are popular in France and the Irish flute also has only six holes.
The eight-hole flutes are used in South Indian music and nine-hole flutes are best for the repertoire in Germany and Vienna. An Ocarina flute is a unique flute with twelve holes. Smaller tone holes will give a more mellow sound, and larger holes give a brighter sound. In China, flutes have holes ranging from six to eleven.
