The subcontrabass flutes are members of the Western concert flute family. Built in two sizes, the instrument in G or F, also known as the double contra-alto flute, has 4.6 to 4.9 metres (15 to 16 ft) of tubing, while the larger instrument in C, also known as the double contrabass flute or octobass flute, has tubing 5.5 metres (18 ft) long, and is the second largest instrument of the family after the hyperbass flute.[2]
The subcontrabass flute in G is pitched a fourth below the contrabass flute in C, and two octaves below the alto flute; it is sometimes built a whole tone lower in F. The subcontrabass flute in C is a full octave below the contrabass flute, hence its "double contrabass" name.[3][4] Its lowest note is C1, the lowest C on the piano.
The subcontrabass flutes are rarely used outside of flute choirs. Their projection is limited without amplification, especially in larger ensembles.[4]
At present, they are only available as a custom order from specialty makers Eva Kingma or Kotato and Fukushima.[1] Higher quality instruments are made of silver- or chrome-plated metal, usually brass.[5] Dutch maker Jelle Hogenhuis built subcontrabass flutes in metal, and offered a version built using polypropylene plastic tubing, which was cheaper and half the weight.[6]
Compositions
- "And the Giant Began to Dance..." (2009) from the album Below: Music for Low Flutes by Peter Sheridan[7]
References
- ^ a b Instruments in G or F:
Instruments in C:
- "Subcontrabass flutes". Grolloo: Eva Kingma Flutemaker. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- "Subcontrabass Flute (in F)". Miyoshi, Saitama: Kotato & Fukushima Flutes. Archived from the original on 13 January 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- "Double Contrabass flute". Grolloo: Eva Kingma Flutemaker. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- "Subcontrabass Flute". Miyoshi, Saitama: Kotato & Fukushima Flutes. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 21 February 2025.
- ^ Pinksterboer, Hugo (2009). Tipbook Flute and Piccolo: The Complete Guide (Third ed.). Hal Leonard. p. 143. ISBN 978-1-42346-525-6. OCLC 316826005.
- ^ Miller, R. J. (2015). Contemporary Orchestration: A Practical Guide to Instruments, Ensembles, and Musicians. Taylor & Francis. p. 174. ISBN 978-1-317-8062-57. OCLC 900827870.
- ^ a b Maclagan, Susan J. (2019). A Dictionary for the Modern Flutist (2nd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 270. ISBN 978-1-5381-0666-2. OCLC 1035775945.
- ^ Toff, Nancy (2012). The Flute Book: A Complete Guide for Students and Performers (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 74–75. ISBN 978-0-19-537307-3. OCLC 756278780.
- ^ "Subcontrabass flute". Hogenhuis Flutes. Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- ^ Stevens, Cynthia (Summer 2011). "Below: Music for Low Flutes". The Flutist Quarterly. 36 (4): 81.
External links
- YouTube: "The Majestic Kingma Double Contrabass Flute at The Library of Congress", with Matthaias Ziegler and Eva Kingma, July 2024.
Media related to Subcontrabass flutes at Wikimedia Commons
