What impact do open holes actually have on flute performance?

Question:

What impact do open holes actually have on flute performance?

Do the holes actually impact sound? How?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: An open hole flute is actually just a little tougher to play...it's the "grown-up" version of the student flute you probably started with. Your fingers have to get used to covering the entire hole for the sound to be precise. Other than that...no diff.