The gizmo key is a key commonly found on the B foot joint of certain models of flute. It closes the low B tone hole without closing the low C tone hole or the low C♯ tone hole, which is intended to facilitate the performance of the fourth octave C.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f3/Flute_parts_illustration.svg/450px-Flute_parts_illustration.svg.png)
The gizmo key was introduced by Verne Q. Powell (Powell Flutes), in response to criticisms of the B foot joint by performers such as Jean-Pierre Rampal, who believed that the lengthened tube made it harder for them to produce the highest notes. It is now common on the instrument.
Further reading
edit- Nancy Toff, The Flute Book (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1985). The Development of the Modern Flute, pp. 23-24