Alto flute

Alto Flute

The alto flute is a lower type of Western concert flute from the family of flutes, which also includes the piccolo, bass flute and the regular C-flute.

The alto flute is a transposing instrument tuned in G, one quarter lower than the C-flute. The alto flute is usually played by professional flutists and serious flute students as second flute in addition to their normal C-flute. However, we see more and more that customers consciously choose the alto flute as their first instrument, because of the enchanting warm and deep sound.

In comparison with the C-flute, the alto flute has a thicker and longer tube, and thereby produces a lower sound. The alto flute has the same fingerings as the regular C flute, only because of the greater dimension, the fingers are placed further apart. Also the alto flute requires more breath from its player because of the bigger volume of the instrument.

Alto flute with a straight or a curved headpiece

Alto flutes are either supplied with a regular straight head joint, a curved head joint, or with both

A curved head joint has the advantage that it makes the alto flute shorter and moves the center of gravity of the alto flute nearer to the player’s face. This makes the alto flute feels lighter and it requires less of a stretch for the arms to reach the keys. Especially for people with a shorter body length, an alto flute with a curved head joint can be a good option.

Yet, often players also prefer a straight head joint, because it would give a better intonation and more elegant look. Some flutists choose to purchase both a curved and a straight head joint with their alto flute. The curved head joint can then be used to studying and the straight head joint to perform.

Our selection of alto flutes

Our assortment of alto flutes consists of a number of carefully selected instruments of different brands and price ranges. We only sell alto flutes and accessories in which we have full confidence and where we dare to risk our reputation for. Essentially, we can distinguish three levels in alto flutes:

Alto flutes entirely made of nickel silver, a very durable alloy of copper, zinc and nickel, which is particularly suitable for the production of flutes, but is significantly less expensive than silver. All our nickel-silver alto flutes come with silver plated finishing, making them indistinguishable in appearance from solid silver alto flutes and protected against corrosion. In many cases, the lip plate is made of solid silver.

Alto flutes with a silver head joint: the head joint of an alto flute is the component that most affects the sound and playability and is therefore the most obvious option to upgrade. Silver has a higher density, and provides greater projection and a richer tonal spectrum.

Full silver alto flutes: at the very top of the line, in addition the head joint also the body of the alto flute is made of silver. This provides unsurpassed rich and magical sound.

Ordering an alto flute online

Although we usually recommend to first test-play and compare alto flutes before purchasing, it is very well possible to order an alto flute online. For example, when you already know exactly which model you want to buy, or because there are no specialized flute stores nearby.

We have over fifteen years of online experience and have been sending instruments to customers all over the world. Some of the advantages of buying your alto flute online at Matthews Music are:

• We offer a much wider choice of alto flutes than most physical stores do.
• Your alto flute will be thoroughly checked brought in best condition by an experienced flute specialist before we ship it.
• Guaranteed satisfaction: we will pro-actively keep tracking your order until it has arrived and you have indicated that you are completely satisfied with it.
• Ongoing online support from our flute specialists if you have questions.

In our web-shop we try to define the specifications of our instruments as good as possible and explain what distinguishes one alto flute from another. The filters on the left side of the page can help you to quickly find the alto flute that meets your needs.

Buying an alto flute in our shop

If you have the opportunity to do so, we absolutely recommend to visit our store. Located in the historic center of Edam (20km north of Amsterdam), our shop is not the largest musical instruments shop in the country, but it is home to one of the most extensive flute collections in North-West Europe. The shop has an artistic atmosphere because the workshop where we do flute repairs is in the heart of the building. It is a place where music lovers and people who appreciate old-fashioned craftsmanship will surely feel at home.

For customers looking to buy an alto flute, we always take plenty of time to discuss their wishes and expectations of a flute and help you to walk the difficult but satisfying path of finding the perfect alto flute. Our aim is to have you fall in love with an instrument which helps you to express your musical passion. Still not sure? We offer a trial period with any instrument which allows your infatuation to fully blossom. We advise you to contact us first to make sure that we have the instruments you are interested in, in stock.