Fue (flute)

is the Japanese word for bamboo flute, and refers to a class of flutes native to Japan. come in many varieties, but are generally high-pitched and made of a bamboo called. The most popular of the is the.

Categorization

are traditionally broken up into two basic categories – the transverse flute and the end-blown flute. Transverse flutes are held to the side, with the musician blowing across a hole near one end; end-blown flutes are held vertically and the musician blows into one end.

History

The earliest may have developed from pitch pipes known as in Chinese. The instrument eventually made its way over to Japan from China in the 5th century, becoming prevalent during the Nara Period.
Soon after the introduction of instruments, members of the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism made normal use of the. These "priests of nothingness" viewed the instruments as spiritual tools, using them for, or "blowing meditation". Modern performance may feature a soloist or involve either a chamber or large ensemble of the instruments.

Instruments

Japanese include many different varieties of Japanese flute, including the following:

Image	Name	Type	Description
		End-blown	One of the most popular and oldest of the Japanese
		End-blown	Made from the same material as the
75px		End-blown	A unique in that it is a double reed instrument.
		Transverse	Traditional
		Transverse	This is for, a type of music used for dances associated with Imperial Court music.
35px		Transverse	Used in Japanese music seeming to have a Chinese origin. Its sound is said to represent the ascension of dragons.
		Transverse	A flute used in the Noh theatre and ensembles.
75px		Transverse	Also called the bamboo flute, it is used for, the background music used in kabuki theatre.
		Transverse	This is used in a type of Japanese music called. At long, it is the longest.
35px		Transverse	Used in ceremony. The sympathetically vibrating membrane, such as on a Chinese, is visible in the photograph between the embouchure hole and finger holes.