HOMEGROWN MUSIC: MAKE A BAMBOO FLUTE (PART II)

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Issue #79 - January/February 1983

by Marc Bristol

In my last column (as most of you will remember), I introduced you to Craig Rusbult, a bamboo-flute-maker extraordinaire. And that particular article went on to detail some of the basics of Craig's technique . . . with the aim of allowing you to craft a primitive flute of your own.

We've already discussed where to find the right bamboo for the job . . . how to cut it and remove the central membrane . . . and how to position — and form — the mouthpiece and fingerholes. However, although that column did provide all the information necessary to produce a "playable" instrument, the piece didn't include (because of space limitations) the "three F's" of bamboo-flute construction: fine tuning, finishing, and fingering . . . and I aim to remedy that situation here and now.

FINE TUNING

In the first part of this article I explained the importance of enlarging each hole in gradual increments, in order to "sneak up" on the right pitch . . . but there are some other tuning pointers that I think will also prove helpful.

For example, if you drill a small starter hole that produces an on-pitch but relatively weak note, you can obtain a clearer, more open sound by slightly enlarging the opening on the side closest to the flute's open end. And if a hole produces a very flat note, you can increase its pitch significantly by gradually expanding the opening on the side nearest the mouthpiece.

Of course, there's always the danger of making a hole too large . . . and therefore too sharp. If you find yourself in that situation, you may want to imitate a trick of Craig's: He stands his flute on end (mouthpiece down), applies a little white glue to the upward-facing edge of the offending opening, and allows it to dry. By building up this surface slightly, he's able to lower the pitch produced by the hole.