- Flageolet
Infobox Instrument
color1=#FFD700
color2=#FFEC8B
name=Flageolet
names=Flageolet
classification=
*Woodwind
*Wind
*Aerophone
range=
related=
*Simple-system flute
*Pipe and tabor
*Shvi A flageolet is a
woodwind musical instrument and a member of the fipple flute family. Its invention is ascribed to the 16th century Sieur Juvigny in 1581. [Stanley Sadie (editor). Norton/Grove "The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians", 1980/1995 ISBN 1561591742] It had 4 holes on the front and 2 on the back. The English instrument maker William Bainbridge developed it further and patented the "improved English flageolet" in 1803 as well as the double flageolet around 1805. [ [http://www.flageolets.com/biographies/bainbridge.php The Pleasant Companion: The Flageolet's Site "William Bainbridge Biography"] ] They were continued to be made until the 20th century when it was succeeded by thetin whistle .Flageolets have varied greatly during the last 400 years. The first flageolets were called "French flageolets", and have four tone-holes on the front and two on the back. This instrument was played by
Frédéric Chalon andSamuel Pepys , andHenry Purcell andGeorge Frideric Handel both wrote pieces for it.Small versions of this instrument, called bird flageolets were also made and were used for teaching
birds to sing.The number of keys on French flageolets range from none to seven, the exception being the
Boehm system French flageolet made byBuffet crampon which had thirteen keys.In the late 18th and early 19th century certain English instrument makers started to make flageolets with six finger-holes on the front. These instruments are called "English flageolets" and were eventually produced in metal as
tin whistle s. Fact|date=August 2007 The keys range between none and six. Some were produced with changeable top joints which allowed the flageolet to be played as aflute or fife [ [http://www.flageolets.com/articles/flageolet_family.php The Pleasant Companion: The Flageolets Site "The Flageolet Family"] ] .An English maker, William Bainbridge, in around 1810 patented a double flageolet [http://members.tripod.com/~Music_Treasures/flgroup7.jpg] which consisted of two English flageolets joined together so that the player could
harmonise the tunes that he played. He also produced a triple flageolet which added a third, drone pipe which was fingered in a similar way to anocarina .The flageolet was eventually entirely replaced by the
tin whistle and is rarely played today.Fact|date=August 2007 However, it is a very easy instrument to play and the tone is soft and gentle. It has a range of about twooctave s.ee also
*
Shvi
*Ney
*Duduk Instrument
*Kaval References
External links
* [http://www.flageolets.com/ flageolets.com] — a site devoted to the flageolet
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