Contra-alto flute

For the smaller flute labeled "contralto" in some languages, see alto flute.

The contra-alto flute is a large member of the flute family, pitched between the bass and the contrabass. It is a transposing instrument either in G (a perfect fourth below the bass and one octave below the alto) or in F (a perfect fifth below the bass and a major ninth below the alto). The instrument's body is held vertically with an adjustable floor peg similar to that of the bass clarinet. The instrument maker Eva Kingma calls her contra-alto flute a "contr'alto flute in G,"^[1] while Kotato & Fukushima call their instrument a "bass flute in F."^[2] Kotato & Fukushima's instrument sells for US$17,500.

Contra-alto flute

Woodwind instrument
Classification	Wind Woodwind Aerophone
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	421.121.12-71 (Side-blown Aerophone with tone holes and keys)
Playing range
The contra-alto flute, notated in treble clef, sounds an octave and a fourth lower than written. The tessitura is G2–D5.
Related instruments
Flutes: Piccolo Treble Soprano C flute Flûte d'amour Alto Bass Contra-alto Contrabass Subcontrabass Double Contrabass Hyperbass