Hyperbass flute

Hyperbass flute

Hyperbass flute played by Roberto Fabbriciani in Chemical Free (?) by Nicola Sani, 2014
Woodwind instrument
Classification	Wind Woodwind Aerophone
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	421.121.12-71 (Side-blown Aerophone with tone holes and keys)
Playing range
The lowest note of the hyperbass flute is C0, below the lowest A on the concert piano.
Related instruments
Flutes: Piccolo Treble Soprano Flute Flûte d'amour Alto Bass Contra-alto Contrabass Subcontrabass Double Contrabass Hyperbass

The hyperbass flute is conceptually the largest and lowest-pitched instrument in the flute family, although it is extremely rare. It first appeared at the turn of the 21st century, and only two are known to exist.^[1] With tubing reaching over 8 metres (26 ft) in length, it is pitched in C, four octaves below the concert flute (three octaves below the bass, two below the contrabass, and one octave below the double contrabass). Its lowest note is C₀, one octave below the lowest C on a standard piano, which at 16 hertz is considered at or below the threshold of human hearing.

The first playable example was built by Florentine craftsman Francesco Romei for Italian flutist Roberto Fabbriciani, inventor and first performer of the instrument.^[1] He called it the hyperbass flute (Italian: flauto iperbasso).^[2] This first instrument was made from PVC and wood, with wide tone holes made from standard tee fittings, but without keys; these are covered with the palms of the hands.^[3] Low flute specialist Peter Sheridan commissioned the first fully chromatic hyperbass flute, from the Dutch maker Jelle Hogenhuis in August 2010.^[1][4]