What is a flageolet?
Q: What is a flageolet?
A: A flageolet is an old woodwind instrument that belongs to the end-blown flute family.
Q: What is the history of the flageolet?
A: The flageolet started to be used in the 16th century for folk music. Soon there were two kinds: the French kind and the English.
Q: How do the French and English flageolets differ?
A: The French flageolet had four holes in the front and two in the back. The English flageolet had six holes in the front.
Q: Is the flageolet similar to any other instrument?
A: Yes, the flageolet is quite similar to the recorder.
Q: What changes were made to the flageolet in the 18th century?
A: A narrow mouthpiece made of ivory or bone was added at the top. This led into another section which bulged out. There was a soft sponge at the end of this.
Q: What other instruments developed from the flageolet?
A: The piccolo and the tin whistle both developed from the flageolet.
Q: Who wrote pieces for the flageolet?
A: Henry Purcell and George Frideric Handel both wrote pieces for the flageolet.
