Classification Woodwind (Aerophone) | ||
Other names Third flute, tierce flute; fr: flûte à tierce; de: Terzflöte Hornbostel–Sachs classification 421.121.12
(open side-blown flute with fingerholes) | ||
The soprano flute (also called a third flute or tierce flute) is a type of flute, a musical instrument in the woodwind family. It is pitched in E♭, a minor third above the concert flute, and is the only member of the modern flute family that is not pitched in C or G. The pitch was set at a time such flutes substituted for the E-flat clarinet, but the instrument is now rare.
In orchestral literature, the soprano flute appears in such standard works as Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, and Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite. However, the instrument is rarely available now. A few American publications for flute choir currently include a part for E♭ (soprano) flute. In these publications, an alternative part is provided either for the C flute or for the piccolo. With the substitution of one of these more commonly found instruments, however, the distinctive colour of a treble flute sound is missing.