A Very Interesting Instrument....

- flute -

Salutations! ^_^

Okay, today let's take what we've learned in the past few posts, and make something really cool. This flute has it's origins in ancient China, and India. We'll make this flute in the key of D. This flute has a special added feature that I think you will enjoy.

Taking some more 3/4" inside diameter PVC plastic pipe, about 24" long, plug up one end with cork, a piece of wood dowel, or a PVC end cap, making sure that it is air tight.

Keep in mind that you should now measure this flute's bore length from the wall face of the plug on the interior of the flute.

Now, measuring from this, go ahead and cut it down to about 22 & 1/2", and from that same place, the plug's inner face, make a mark at 3/4" from it, on the flute's body - this will be the centerpoint of the hole to drill for the embouchure, the hole you blow across to make the sound.

Remembering that such a hole should be drilled to half the bore diameter's measurement, go ahead and drill a hole there to be 3/8" wide. Now bevel the airstream splitting edge the same way you did for your last flutes in the previous posts.

Using the minituner program you downloaded before, or some pitch pipes, or electronic tuner that you may have on hand, sound your flute and check it - it may be lower than D, so take off a little bit of the pipe's length at a time until you get a good, crisp D.

Once you have done that, measure from the foot of the flute (the open end) about 4", and mark this as the centerpoint of the first hole to be drilled - this fingerhole should end up at about 1/4" wide - this will be an E. Remember to drill smaller, and use a file to bring it to tune, before you drill the next hole.

The next hole towards the head (the plugged end), should be at about 5 & 13/16" from the foot - mark that centerpoint.... this hole should end up to be about 3/8" wide, and it will be an F#.

The next hole should be about 6 & 13/16" from the foot - ending up a little less than 3/8" wide, this will be a G.

Next is 9" from the foot, 5/16" wide, and an A.

Next is 10 & 1/2" from the foot, 3/8" wide, and a B.

Finally, the last hole is 12" from the foot, a tiny bit more than 3/8" wide, and a C#.

Now, once you get this all to tune, play around with it for a bit before we add the special feature. Get used to it, and see that it is all adjusted to your liking.

Okay, ready? Great....

Now, look at the distance between the embouchure, and the fingerhole that's closest to it - find the center of this distance, then measure about 1/2" from that point, towards the embouchure - mark this as the centerpoint for a very special hole.

This hole should be around 3/8"-1/2", depending on the flute - this seems to depend on how all the other holes are formed and shaped, so all flutes are different.... you're going to have to experiment a little with this one. Start with the smaller hole, and if this works out well with it, then fine - if not, slowly make it larger.

Here is where we need a bit of rice paper - the kind for roll-your-own-cigarettes. Again, if you can't find these, you might get by with a little plastic wrap.

Moisten the outer surface of the flute around this last special hole (not too much!), and place the rice paper over it, covering the hole, sticking it into place. The part of the paper that sits above the hole, covering it, shouldn't be overly tightly covering it - there should be a little looseness. Again, experiment.

Now try playing it - you should hear a buzzing sound added to the note, giving the flute a sound somewhere between a clarinette and a violin.

Pretty cool, huh? Now, if you wish to play this as a regular flute, simply cover the buzzer with tape, or wrap a panel of leather around it, tied into place - this last way alows you to do both, switching back and forth between each mode of play, by turning the wrap back and forth over it.

I hope you like your new Chinese flute! enjoy!

Until next post, have a nice night! ^_^

- flute -