The Origins of Music: Preface - Preface

Finally,the size of individual holes has a great influence on changing

pitch.Holes of smaller diameter have less of an effect and larger-

diameter holes have more.But this finding in principle does not apply to

the same extent to all holes in the flute.The closer the hole is to the cut

edge,the more the pitch changes with changes in diameter.We also

tested and demonstrated this on our reconstructions.By way of illustra-

tion let us mention just one comparison of two extreme holes.In playing

the plaster reconstruction as a notched flute,we changed the size of the

hole nearest to the cut edge (hole no.1) and the most distant hole (hole

no.3).The same change in the diameter of the hole from 4 to 6mm

affected pitch differently in the two holes.With hole number 3,the into-

nation was raised by around 30 cents,but with hole number 1,it was

raised by more than 80 cents.

From what has been said,it can be concluded that seeking the possi-

ble tonal sequence of the suspected bone flute may for the moment be

questionable and even senseless,especially since we do not know the

exact length of the instrument,the number of holes in it,or the way of

263 New Perspectives on the Beginnings of Music

Figure 15.15

Tones obtained from a metal reconstruction of the bone flute with various combinations

of closed and open holes.The flute is played at the distal end of the bone as a rim-blown

flute.

Fig.15.15