Influence of Traditional Chinese Flutes The Chinese flute is a beautiful instrument that can be traced back to Neolithic China. It is known for its sweet melodies and sounds that imitate nature (The Chinese Membrane Flute). Traditional Chinese flutes have had a great impact on the construction of the modern flute. Traditional Chinese flutes were made of animal bones and had holes to blow into, much like the structure of the modern flute. World-famous symphonies and orchestras use modern flutes to express sweet melodies and natural atmosphere. The construction of the modern flute comes from ancient China. There are many types of Chinese flutes. The first flute is the paixiao, or pan flute (Chinese flute). Many changes were applied after the paixiao, and blown flutes became more popular in the Han Dynasty. This blown flute is called xiao. The xiao is made of bamboo and has a soft timbre. It is blown vertically and has five finger holes with a thumb hole in the back (Xiao musical instrument). The newer traditional flute is called a dizi, or di, for short. Unlike the paixiao or xiao, the di is a transverse flute, which is played horizontally (Di Musical Instrument). The unique sound of di characterizes many aspects of Chinese music, from its elegance in operas to military bands. Although there are many different types of traditional Chinese flute, the structure of these flutes was a key factor in the development of the modern flute. Theobald Boehm has been credited with developing the structure of the standard flute. His flute is made of silver and has a cylindrical body shape. The Boehm flute is played horizontally and has an enlarged mouthpiece, which means blowing hole. The notepad keys have the block... in the center of the paper... traditional flute. Old or new, both types of flute complement each other and have a huge influence on each other. The traditional Chinese flute has left its mark on the modern flute, and its impact has evolved into what is called a flute today. Works Cited "Chinese Flute". Chinese Dizi and Xiao flute. Np, nd Web. February 16, 2014."Of Musical Instrument." Encyclopedia Britannica online. Encyclopedia Britannica, nd Web. 16 February 2014."Shen Yun Performing Arts." Dizi bamboo flute. Shen Yun Performing Arts, 2014. Web. 15 February 2014. “Musical Instrument Xiao.” Encyclopedia Britannica online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 16 February 2014. Carole, Miller B. "A Historical Chronology of the Flute." A historical chronology of the flute. Mostlywind, December 5, 2011. Web. February 16, 2014. Chen, Gia Tsai. “The Chinese Membrane Flute (dizi).” The Chinese membrane flute (dizi). Np, March 2004. Web. 15 February. 2014.