How unpredictable and ornate are the paths that lead us to milestones in life! So my interest in the Shakuhachi flute came quite unexpectedly. All the more surprising is (for myself) what I want to offer you on this page. Namely, making a flute with your own hands from PVC. The flute of the Shakuhachi type is quite a simple instrument, structurally. If it could be made hundreds of years ago, now, having modern materials and tools, as well as means for calculations, anyone who sets himself such a goal can make a flute.
A PVC flute has a pleasant, deep, thoughtful, rather strong sound (subject to all the recommendations on this page). By the nature of the PVC timbre, of course, it differs from the babuk, it is no worse and no better, it is just different. But for beginners, as well as for those who want to experiment with tunings, tonalities, this is a great opportunity to realize their creative impulses. In addition, as has already been written a lot in other materials dedicated to PVC flutes, they are unpretentious to the conditions environment and can be a constant companion wherever you go. From my own experience, I can say that making a flute is no less fun than playing it directly. This is already a game, this is already a sound, a melody of inspiration, aspirations realized in such a wonderful instrument as a flute like the Shakuhachi.
Start
When I got my first flute (bamboo) in the key of F (Shakuhachi 1.5), I thought that this was not quite what I expected. It so happened that I ordered a flute before I figured out their sizes and tonalities. Oh, those sudden impulses of the soul! Well, okay, let's leave the lyrics for later. So, ordering a new flute was financially expensive, but I still wanted something more meditative. Thanks to the materials of Eugene () I was interested in the possibility of making a flute from a simple PVC pipe. “And what, inexpensive, accessible, you can experiment, for the first time it’s enough, and then, you see, I’ll get hold of a bamboo flute.” So I thought.
Practice?
Having bought everything you need, he started ... For what? For reflection.
The fact is that the recommended sizes of flutes and the location of the holes varied greatly depending on the source. I am still more of an adherent of the European system of notes, and therefore the accuracy of the sound, and therefore the accuracy of the dimensions of the flute, is an important issue for me. This was especially felt after the first attempt (I still tried to use the recommended sizes) in the process of tuning the flute by turning holes. I clearly noticed correlations between the holes, while I was tuning one hole, the other immediately drifted away in tone, a little, but floated. The bending of the flute certainly evened out the deviations of the notes, but it all seemed uncomfortable.
Theory
If you want to do something, do it yourself.
I began by finding out about the resonance properties of the oscillations of the air column. It turned out that the frequency of vibrations of the air column in a pipe open on both sides is: the speed of sound divided by the length and divided by 2, and for closed pipe one side divided by 4.
Having cut out a piece of pipe corresponding to the calculations and turning the tugaguchi, I found that I did not hit the right note. Flute Shakuhachi is not doubly open pipe and is not closed on one side! She is something in between. Empirically, it was possible to calculate the division factor, it is equal to 2.20031. Now my pipes sounded exactly on the right note. But what about holes?
Having calculated the holes according to the desired frequencies (notes), it turned out that something is clearly not right. It became clear that the position of the holes must be calculated differently, taking into account their diameter and, possibly, the thickness of the pipe wall. After all, the hole also forms a small pipe. I will omit the tedious descriptions of my ordeals in this field, although they captured me in earnest and were about to threaten to give birth to “eureka” ... The materials helped again, to whom I am very grateful!
Now Practice
Pipe
In a plumbing store, I came across a pipe with an inner diameter of 21, a wall thickness of 5.4. It allows you to immediately grind utaguchi without additional, thickening nozzles, which has a very positive effect on the aesthetic appearance of the flute.
Flute "2.9" key F (F) with standard Minier tuning. Pipe 22.5 inner diameter, 6.7 wall thickness. The sound is deep and quite loud. The holes are located in places convenient for fingering. Grooves are made for holes to reduce wall thickness. sound sample
Good luck and happy playing!!!
A custom made flute is a great gift! She will give you many minutes filled with enthusiasm in trying to blow a sound! Especially when the subject heard and saw how they just played it, and how wonderfully she sings, and how easy everything looks!!! ;-) I've already given away almost all the flutes, except for those I play myself, and those who wish are non-decreasing. Dare!!!
Gift copies
From left to right:
1. Flute "1.8" in the key D (Re) with the standard Minier tuning; sound sample
2. Flute "2.0" key C (Do) with standard Minier tuning.
A truly ideal material for making musical wind instruments would be bamboo. Firstly, it is hollow inside, and the stem has partitions, so there will be no need to additionally make a cork. Secondly, bamboo does not need additional drying. And real craftsmen create even saxophones and flutes from bamboo. The most common bamboo flute can be made by hand.
First you need to choose a suitable bamboo stalk. It can be grown very quickly in the country or even on an ordinary windowsill. In addition, an old bamboo rod or part of a curtain will do if it is made of stems of sufficient length. The diameter of the bamboo should be from 2 to 2.5 cm. But nothing terrible will happen if the tool turns out to be a little thicker or thinner.
Using a jigsaw with a fine file, cut a piece of bamboo about half a meter long. You need to saw off so that at one end of the flute there is a natural cork.
Mark the first, inlet, hole, for which, from the end on which the cork is located, measure 2.5 cm with a ruler. It will be convenient to make marks with a regular marker. From the applied first mark, measure another 15-20 cm on the same side, making a second mark. Stepping back from the second mark again 2.5 cm, put the third mark. Make 4 more exactly the same marks. If everything is done correctly, you will end up with 4 marks.
Next, you need to get rid of unnecessary natural partitions. Most likely there will be 2-3 of them. And you need one, only the one that closes the tool from the end. You can get rid of them using a heated steel rod. With its help, excess fibrous plugs are burned out. First you need to heat the rod either on gas burner, or at the stake red-hot. At the same time, hold the other end of the rod with an oven mitt, for example, using a kitchen mitt.
The next step in creating a flute is drilling holes. It is best to do this with a drill with a diameter of just over 0.6 cm. Do not use an electric drill for this, otherwise cracks will appear on the bamboo. Can apply hand drill, but the handle must be turned slowly with care. The drill needs to be red-hot.
Of course, the potholder will no longer help here, so it's better to use pliers.
And the last moment. Wrap fine sandpaper, such as knitting or bicycle needles, and process the inside of the flute.
How to make a bamboo flute
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A truly ideal material for making musical wind instruments would be bamboo. Firstly, it is hollow inside, and the stem has partitions, so there will be no need to additionally make a cork. Secondly, bamboo does not need additional drying. And real craftsmen create even saxophones and flutes from bamboo. The most common bamboo flute can be made by hand. First you need to choose […]
Guest - 2017-03-04 23:06
Instruments not only do not build, but even with mastery it is difficult to intotone due to the very low quality of the processing of the labium hole. But a whistle will do for a child, if you are not going to send the child to a music school. And that will ruin your hearing
Thank you so much for this
TA-MUSICA - 2013-06-26 20:09
Thank you so much for such a detailed review! We are sure that it will be useful to many who are interested in transverse flutes. Unfortunately, we do not know any traditional name for this instrument, and the manufacturer does not use another word than just "flute".
Bamboo flute
Guest - 2013-06-26 19:24
When this bamboo flute caught my eye, I was browsing the Internet in search of a simple transverse flute at a reasonable price. I am an amateur. besides, a beginner, and was looking for the simplest transverse flute for myself in order to learn how to extract sounds from it. The usual choice for a beginner would be a Yamaha fife, but in Izhevsk you will find its horseradish, and for some reason there were no people who wanted to bring it, even for an advance payment. What was available of homemade wooden transverse flutes looked doubtful, and cost an unreasonably high price. Since I did not manage to extract at least one sound from them, it was scary to take it. The option "simple, inexpensive, and transverse", which I saw here, completely suited me.
Well, first about the good:
1. The flute sounds pleasant, and it turned out to be quite simple to extract a sound from it, and not a bad hiss and whistle. Three hours of diligent whistling and hissing, and I managed to do it consistently.
2. Looks good, and pleasant to the touch. Like it or not, bamboo is wood, not plastic. And it smells good) Light and neat. This is if you are not a fan of inlays and decorative elements. But, if you need decor and a beautiful souvenir thing, then this pipe will not interest you.
Now some criticism:
1. In principle, looking at the price of the product, I soberly assessed the possible flaws of the tool. The outer part of the flute was polished and even varnished, but the inner "finish" let us down. Having drilled the channels of the holes, the manufacturer did not bother to make amends for the consequences of their drilling, the remaining fringes stick out in the flute channel. As a result, until I discovered and corrected this (fine sanding + knitting needle), it was difficult to get an even sound. The slightest movement of the hand, and again only a sip, or rattling, was heard.
2. The flute is supplied without fingering. This is not a terrible drawback (there is everything on the Internet!), But still.
3. I would like to know if this type of cross bamboo pipe has a traditional name? This would greatly facilitate the search for item 2)
What can be said in general:
This is a good option for those who have never dealt with a transverse flute before and do not want to shell out extra money for an expensive and unknown instrument, because they are not sure if this hobby is "for a long time". This is an opportunity to get acquainted with the basics, the very first step, moreover, for a very symbolic price.
So I'm happy with the tool. Thank you)
Sincerely, Evgenia.
On the contrary, its quality is very
Impossible wolf - 2013-03-29 22:20
On the contrary, its quality is very good, if we talk about the sound. But her processing leaves much to be desired. or want nothing at all. An elementary refinement, consisting in varnishing the inner channel of the flute and / or applying windings in 3, 4 places, can easily lengthen its life from half an hour to several years. Alas, I realized the need for improvement, already looking at the wide gap.
Making a panflute is a tricky business, but don't let that scare you. We will help you with this with our advice.
The first problem you immediately face is the material. Exclusive tools are made from bamboo and are very expensive because the bamboo is of high quality. It is extremely difficult to find bamboo tubes that would be evenly tapered, and even absolutely round. In this regard, it is easier with a tree - it is enough to process it competently. As for plastic, an unpleasant problem arises here - pipes of only a strictly defined diameter are offered for sale. Ideally, each panflute tube should be individual in size - this is the uniqueness of this instrument.
Here are some tips for making wooden panflutes:
Clay panflute
If desired, you can make a panflute from clay. We present to your attention several options for manufacturing tools:- A flute is molded from a piece of thick clay. Then, using a stick, make holes in it. This method is simple, but only suitable for very small and "high" instruments.
- First, a set of sticks is made. They must match the shape. internal surfaces channels in the panflute. These sticks are usually made from wax. Then the sticks are fastened by the tips not covered with wax. Further, this structure is covered with clay, that is, the panflute itself is made around the holes already assembled together. During firing, the wax melts and flows out of the clay.
- We wrap a steep clay batch around a separate stick. Then the clay-wrapped tubes are pressed against each other and fired. It turns out a flute.
- Prepare very liquid clay. Separate sticks are made, then these tubes are dipped into clay. You have to dip a few times. As a result, layer by layer, the desired thickness is gained and the panflute is ready.
Here are the basic ways of making a panflute that are known among amateurs and, we hope, will be useful to you. Good luck!
Materials:
- Gas torch or fire for heating a metal rod;
- Steel rod with a minimum diameter of 12 mm;
- Potholder or heavy cloth;
- Hacksaw for metal with frequent teeth;
- Marker;
- A sheet of sandpaper with fine grain;
- Old drill with a diameter of 6mm;
- Pliers;
- Old bamboo fishing rod;
- Roulette;
- Linseed oil and a rag.
Instruction:
Cut a piece of bamboo at least 45-50 cm long and 20-25 mm in diameter from the bottom of the old bamboo rod. Be sure to cut it off so that one end is covered by a partition between the sections. (see pic.) 
Measure and mark a spot 25mm apart at the end of the covered part of the bamboo. Measure 150mm from the first mark and make five more marks 25mm apart. When you're done, you should have a total of seven marks. (see pic.)
In the next step, you need to use a 12 mm rod to burn through the unnecessary partitions and clean out the unnecessary fibers from the bamboo flute. To do this, heat one end of a steel rod until it turns red. *WARNING* - be sure to use an oven mitt or heavy cloth when holding the other end of the rod as it will be very hot. When the rod is hot, insert it into the open end of the bamboo and apply light pressure to burn through the partitions. Be sure to leave the last baffle (the end of the flute) (see pic.)
Next you need to heat up the 6mm drill bit. Use pliers to do this and burn holes in the places you marked. Don't drill holes in the bamboo as it will burst (see pic.) 
Take a piece of fine grit sandpaper, about 7cm x 7cm, and roll it up. Using rolled sandpaper, remove the bamboo embers from any burnt holes. You can also use sandpaper to widen the blow hole. This will make it easier to get sound, but make sure you don't make the hole too big.
Cover the flute with a layer linseed oil. Place three fingers of each hand on 6 holes. Blow into the inlet (near the closed end of the flute) at an angle. Practice until you get a consistent tone. Now you can remove your finger to get a different sound. If it doesn't work out well, you can try to practice on an empty bottle. Try blowing into the bottle by touching the neck with your lower lip. The same principle is used when extracting sound from a flute. Don't be discouraged if you don't succeed right away. Playing the flute requires a certain amount of skill.
