Key Clicks
During the twentieth century, composers expanded the available sounds of the flute to include percussion-like effects. The most common of these is the key-click, pioneered by Edgard Varèse in his famous work for solo flute of 1938, Density 21.5. Key clicks can be performed by themselves, in which the flutist fingers a specific pitch and slaps a key without blowing, or in combination with regular notes. Varèse has chosen the latter for this passage. Note the alternation of key-clicked notes with regular pitches. |