Story of the Flute
Smith). Juba, in his Theatrical History describes an Egyptian oblique flute called Photinx, or the crooked flute, owing to its being in the shape of a bull's horn. Possibly it was originally nothing else, or perhaps a cow's horn may have been added to the straight pipe. M. Gevaert, however, thinks it was a side-blown flute like ours. It is mentioned by Apuleius as used in the mysteries of Isis, and the players were consecrated to Serapis.
The Nay played by the Arabs and other kindred nations to-day (readers will recollect the Arab The Arab
"Nay"Nay-player in Mr. Hitchen's Barbary Sheep, perpetually playing the same monotonous tune) greatly resembles these early Egyptian flutes; similar primitive instruments have been found in China, North America, Mexico, Madagascar, and Africa. The Bulgarians still use an instrument of this type called the Kaval. A remarkable feature about these ancient flutes is their small diameter as compared with their length, which would tend to evidence a knowledge of harmonics.
The Fipple:
Finger-holesThe original form of the instrument was a simple vertical pipe blown across the top, which was open. The first step in advance was the cutting or a V-shaped notch in the edge of the open top of the pipe; this facilitated the production of sound. (Fig. 2.) The inventor of this device is unknown. It is found
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