Renaissance transverse flute: history, construction and experiment with Brazilian woods

Originated from the German Querflöte from the 12th century, the Renaissance transverse flute reached its highest popularity between the 16th and 17th centuries. Like several other acoustical musical instruments, the Renaissance transverse flute has its material selection, as well as its construction technique dictated by tradition and intuitive generalization rather than by scientific empirical research. This paper presents a brief history of Renaissance flutes and their making. We also have evaluated, in a qualitative way, the relevance of material selection for the instrument features. So far, it was possible to show the feasibility of a non-traditional wood choice, as Brazilian woods (such as imbuia and sucupira) were chosen to build and yielded good exemplars of this instrument.

Renaissance transverse flute; Renaissance music; Musical instruments making; Brazilian woods in instrument making