Boehm’s original design was in fact a closed-hole instrument, but the players of the day, who were accustomed to playing flutes which were little more than wooden tubes with holes drilled in them, felt uncomfortable with the new design and wanted the familiarity of feeling holes under their fingers.

There are several benefits to playing open-holed flutes, especially the ability they give a player to feel the airstream vibrating under their fingers, confirming to them that they’re producing a full and resonant sound. The holes also ensure that the player’s fingers are curved and positioned correctly over the corresponding keys, thereby eliminating poor technique.