Contrabass Flute
The contrabass flute is the largest member of the flute family. Just picking up this monster instrument can be a challenge, but a fun one! As you might guess, this is an extremely expensive piece of equipment, so you will probably find it only in university music departments or well-funded flute choirs. 

It is pitched two octaves lower than the C flute, but there are also instruments produced in the key of G. These are an octave lower than the alto flute in G. It takes a lot of air to get a tone on the contrabass, but as always, the relaxed embouchure is important. The instrument has made a great contribution to the flute choir by providing a low quality to the overwhelming soprano sound of the flute. Probably the best known maker of contrabass flutes is Eva Kingma.
| Photo courtesy of celesteh | Photo courtesy of dalbera "Henri Tournier à la flûte octobasse en concert (muséeGuimet, Paris)" |
Can you imagine traveling with one of these instruments? Or cleaning it out and putting it back in the case? To play this gargantuan flute, a relaxed embouchure is paramount, plus lots of air. Although the same in theory as the standard C flute, this instrument is quite different to actually play well. If you get the opportunity to play this flute, be sure to take it.
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