Bamboo flute explained

Bamboo flute
Background:woodwind
Classification:woodwind
Hornbostel Sachs:421
Hornbostel Sachs Desc:421.11 End-blown flutes
421.12 Side-blown flutes
Developed:Unknown where flutes developed. Flutes tens-of-thousands of years old have been discovered in Europe and Asia. Bamboo flutes spread from China and India, along silk road, and across the oceans to Southeast Asia and Africa. Native Americans also made bamboo flutes.

The bamboo flute, especially the bone flute, is one of the oldest musical instruments known.[1] Examples of Paleolithic bone flutes have survived for more than 40,000 years, to be discovered by archaeologists.[1] While the oldest flutes currently known were found in Europe, Asia too has a long history with the instrument that has continued into the present day. In China, a playable bone flute was discovered, about 9000 years old.[2]

Historians have found the bamboo flute has a long history as well, especially China and India. Flutes made history in records and artworks starting in the Zhou dynasty. The oldest written sources reveal the Chinese were using the kuan (a reed instrument) and hsio (or xiao, an end-blown flute, often of bamboo) in the 12th-11th centuries b.c., followed by the chi (or ch'ih) in the 9th century b.c. and the yüeh in the 8th century b.c.[3] Of these, the chi is the oldest documented cross flute or transverse flute, and was made from bamboo.[3] [4] The Chinese have a word, zhudi, which literally means "bamboo flute."[5]

The cross flute (Sanscrit: vāṃśī) was "the outstanding wind instrument of ancient India," according to Curt Sachs.[6] He said that religious artwork depicting "celestial music" instruments was linked to music with an "aristocratic character."[6] The Indian bamboo cross flute, Bansuri, was sacred to Krishna, and he is depicted in Hindu art with the instrument.[6] In India, the cross flute appeared in reliefs from the 1st century a.d. at Sanchi and Amaravati from the 2nd-4th centuries a.d.[6] [7]

In the modern age, bamboo flutes are common in places with ready access to bamboo, including Asia, South and Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa.

See: Chinese flutes

End blown flute mouthpieces

NameDescriptionPicture
Xiao blowing hole (the hole faces away from the player, against the lower lip, making sure the top lip is not concealing the hole, when the instrument is played. Works on the same basics as blowing air over an empty bottle to create noise.)
ShakuhachiKinko school utaguchi (歌口, blowing edge) and inlay. The shakuhachi player blows as one would blow across the top of an empty bottle (though the shakuhachi has a sharp edge to blow against called utaguchi) and therefore has substantial pitch control.
HotchikuSame technique as shakuhachi. The angle of the utaguchi (歌口, lit. "singing mouth"), or blowing edge, of a hotchiku is closer to perpendicular to the bore axis than that of a modern shakuhachi.
QuenaTo produce sound, the player closes the top end of the pipe with the flesh between the chin and lower lip, and blows a stream of air downward, along the axis of the pipe, over an elliptical notch cut into the end.
KhluiThailand. A block has been put into the end of the flute, an internal fipple that creates a hole to blow through, channeling air through a duct to create sound.

List of bamboo flutes, cane flutes, reed flutes

This list is intended to show flutes made of bamboo. It excludes pan flutes or panpipes, and flutes and whistles that don't have finger positions to change notes. It also excludes pipes that use reeds to produce the sound. Bamboo is a grass, and some "cane" or "reed" flutes may get listed here, as long as the plant is being used for a tube that is blown into or across to create noise. Types of flutes include transverse flutes (also called cross flutes), end-blown flutes (ring flutes are included with these) and Nose flutes. Fipple flutes, also called duct flutes, may be added to the list as well, as long as they are bamboo-based instruments. The bamboo variant may be added for instruments that include wood and bamboo versions.

Name in EnglishName in other languagePlace / RegionPictureSoundholeDescription
AtentebenGhana[8] [9] [10]
BansuriBangladesh
BansuriIndia[11]
Bām̐surī(Nepali: बाँसुरी)Nepal
Bata NalawaSri Lanka
China
Dizi
)		China
Daegeum(Korean: 대금)Korea
Dangjeok or JeokHangeul : Korean: 당적
hanja : Korean: 唐笛		Korea[12] thumb|200px|center
DansoHangul


Hanja:

Korea[13]
DonaliدونَلیIran
DongdiChina
Fijian nose fluteNose fluteThis nasal flute is made from a section of bamboo, pierced with nine holes. The entire surface is decorated with geometric patterns of different shapes, forming several registers in the vertical direction. To play the flute, a hole must be applied against one nostril while the other is blocked by the fingers.
Friscolettu[14] Sicily fippleSeven holes on the front, two in the back
Hotchiku法竹Japan[15]
Garau-naiUzbekistan, Tajikistan[16]
India nose-flute bansuriWest BengalFippleIn 1799, artist Frans Balthazar Solvyns depicted an end-blown flute, called Bansuri (like the side-blown flute), being played nasally.
JiKorea
JunggeumHangul


Hanja:)

Korea[17]
Kagurabue(Japanese: 神楽笛))Japan[18]
KhloyCentral Khmer: ខ្លុយ
Burmese: ပုလွ		Cambodia[19]
Myanmar (Burma)		internal
fipple		end-blown duct flute. Mouthhole on bottom of pipe's end, soundhole on flute's bottom (opposite side of the pipe from the fingerholes).[20] This flute may have as many as 8 fingerholes, plus up to 2 additional thumbholes; the thumbholes offer additional notes.
Khlui(Thai: ขลุ่ยThailandinternal
fipple		end-blown duct flute. Mouthhole on top of pipe's end, soundhole on flute's top.
KomabueJapanese: 高麗笛Japan[21]
KoudiChinese: 口笛
pinyin: kǒudí		China[22]
LaloveIndonesia
Malaysian nose fluteSarawakNose flute
Minteki or shintekiminteki: (kanji: 明笛
shinteki: (kanji: 清笛))		Japan
MoseñoAndes mountains[23] [24]
MuraliNepal[25]
Native American fluteUnited States (Native American)
Nohkan能管Japan
NeyIran
Ohe Hano IhuHawaii
Paiwan nose fluteTaiwanNose fluteInstrument of the Paiwan people of Taiwan.
PalendagPhilippines[26]
Palwei (German Wikipedia)Burmese: ပလွေMyanmar
PinkilluPeru, Andes mountains[27]
QuenaAndes
RyūtekiJapan[28]
SáoSáo trúcVietnam[29]
ShakuhachiJapan[30] [31]
Shinobue or takebue Shinobue:

篠笛Takebue:

Japan[32]
Sogeum
Korea[33]
SulingIndonesia[34]
Papua, New Guinea
Tahitian nose fluteTahitiNose fluteBamboo nose flute bound with bands of colored coconut fiber. Collected from Tahiti, the Society Islands during Cook's voyages to the Pacific 1768–1780.
TongsoKorean: 퉁소Korea
VenuSanskrit

Sanskrit: [[wikt:वेणु|वेणु]]

India
WaMyanmar
XiaoChina
XindiChina
Yak약Korea
YokobueJapan
YueChina[35]

Notes and References

  1. News: Earliest music instruments found . 25 May 2012 . BBC News . 30 November 2020 . 11 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220411122409/https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-18196349 . live .
  2. Web site: Brookhaven Lab Expert Helps Date Flute Thought to be Oldest Playable Musical Instrument, Bone flute found in China at 9,000-year-old Neolithic site. Brookhaven National Laboratory. 2020-11-30. 2002-02-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20020225215825/https://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/1999/bnlpr092299.html. live.
  3. Book: Sachs, Kurt . The History of Musical Instruments . W. W. Norton & Company . New York . 1940. 178–179 .
  4. Web site: Ancient Chinese Musical Instrument's Depicted On Some Of The Early Monuments In The Museum . . The Erh Ya (c. 400 B.C.) says the ch'ih was made of bamboo, its length was 16 inches, one hole opened upwards, and it was blown transversely. . 2020-11-30 . 2021-08-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210818025939/https://www.penn.museum/sites/journal/1401/ . live .
  5. PhD . Chen-Gia Tsai . Chinese flutes and their music . http://www.gim.ntu.edu.tw/gia/dizi/diss/ch02.pdf . The Chinese Membrane Flute (dizi): Physics and Perception of its Tones . Humboldt-University Berlin . Graduate Institute of Musicology at National Taiwan University . 15 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140222145557/http://www.gim.ntu.edu.tw/gia/dizi/diss/ch02.pdf . 22 February 2014 .
    • This text appears to be: PhD . The Chinese Membrane Flute (dizi): Physics and Perception of its Tones . registration . Chen Gia Tsai . Humbolt University Berlin . 28 November 2003 . Scribd . 30 November 2020 . 30 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230630093934/https://www.scribd.com/document/251561769/The-Chinese-Membrane-Flute-Dizi-Physics-and-Perception-of-Its . live .
  6. Book: Sachs, Kurt . The History of Musical Instruments . W. W. Norton & Company . New York . 1940. 158–159, 180 .
  7. Book: Kadel, Ram Prasad . Musical Instruments of Nepal . Nepali Folk Instrument Museum . Katmandu, Nepal. 2007 . 45. 978-9994688302. Banshi...\transverse flute...made from bamboo with six finger holes...known as Lord Krishna's instrument..
  8. Akrofi. Eric. 2016-11-30. Personalities in World Music Education No 14 – J.H. Kwabena Nketia. International Journal of Music Education. 41–45. en. 10.1177/025576149201900106. 143945839.
  9. Web site: Atenteben - whistle. The Kwela Project. 8 September 2013 . en-US. 2019-10-21. 2019-10-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20191021131941/http://www.kwela.co.uk/atenteben-ghanian-whistle/. live.
  10. New horizons: the world of African art music for flute: African art music offers rich programming opportunities, but scores often are unpublished and can be challenging to find. Insights are offered about some of Africa's foremost composers--among them the author's husband. Onovwerosuoke. Wendy Hymes. 2008-01-01. Flutist Quarterly. 16–26. en. 2019-11-20. 2023-06-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20230630093944/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&id=GALE%7CA265977704&v=2.1&it=r&sid=lms&userGroupName=anon%7E386f8f57&aty=open+web+entry. live.
  11. Book: Suneera Kasliwal. Classical musical instruments. 2004. Rupa. 978-81-291-0425-0. 85–86. 2020-11-30. 2023-06-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20230630094007/https://books.google.com/books?id=GVsUAQAAIAAJ. live.
  12. Web site: Pablo Salcedo. World Flutes Master.. www.pablosalcedo.org. 2015-09-29. Pablo. Salcedo. 2020-02-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20200222102750/http://www.pablosalcedo.org/en/dangjeok.html. live.
  13. Web site: Grinnell College. TANSO . https://web.archive.org/web/20160101135446/https://omeka1.grinnell.edu/MusicalInstruments/items/show/448 . 2016-01-01 .
  14. Scola, Allison. "Friscalettu: Sicily's Reed Flute", Experiencesicily.com website, July 29, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  15. Web site: HOCHIKU vs. SHAKUHACHI . Deaver . Tom . shikan.org . 2020-11-30 . 2019-09-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190907115911/http://shikan.org/bjones/shaku/hochiku_shaku.html . live .
  16. Web site: Nai. thefreedictionary.com. The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979)...An Uzbek and Tadzhik transverse flute...Depending on the material from which it is made the nai is called agach-nai (wooden), garau-nai (bamboo), misnai (tin), and brindgzhi-nai (brass). 2020-11-30. 2021-04-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20210413092827/https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Nai. live.
  17. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20070928074106/http://munye.bizhomep.com/?pagecode=m02&albummode=singlist&sw=&intalbumseq=11. 문예진흥원 홈페이지. September 28, 2007.
  18. Book: David Petersen. An Invitation to Kagura: Hidden Gem of the Traditional Japanese Performing Arts. 17 July 2011. March 2007. David Petersen. 978-1-84753-006-6. 275–.
  19. Book: Sam-Ang, Sam. https://books.google.com/books?id=Z8OSAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA97. The Garland Handbook of Southeast Asian Music. Taylor & Francis. 2008. Miller. Terry E.. New York, US. 97. The Khmer People of Cambodia. 9781135901547. Williams. Sean. 2020-11-30. 2023-06-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20230630093945/https://books.google.com/books?id=Z8OSAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA97. live.
  20. Web site: ប្រវត្តិ "ខ្លុយ" (translation:History of the Khloy . 6 July 2010 . choukhmer.wordpress.com . រន្ធ មាន បង្ហើរ ខ្យល់ ចោល មួយ ឬ ពីរ ស្ថិត នៅ លើ ក្រោម ឬ ចំហៀង តួ សម្រាប់ ជួយ តម្រូវ សំនៀង របស់ រន្ធ ចំ រន្ធ ទី ៧ ឬ រន្ធ ទី ៨ ។(translation: One or two vents on the bottom or side of the body to help adjust the tone of the seventh hole or eighth hole) . 5 December 2020 . 5 December 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201205153835/https://choukhmer.wordpress.com/2010/07/06/kloy/ . live .
  21. [Shigeo Kishibe]
  22. Book: Wang, Lisheng. Introduction to Koudi. 2007. China.
  23. Web site: MOXEÑO o MOSEÑO . system of insufflation...placing a cane of conduit towards the mouth...to blow through the artificial "mouth"...due to the great distance from the normal mouth to the holes. . 2020-12-01 . 2020-11-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201130193259/https://www.kaypacha.com.ar/en/instruments/moxeno.htm . live .
  24. Web site: La Quena . ...a flute originally from South America, from the Andean zone (Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina... . 2020-12-01 . 2020-02-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200206094047/http://www.portaldesalta.gov.ar/quena.html . live .
  25. Web site: Haamra Lokbaajaaharu (translation with subtitle: Our Musical Instruments, 'A course book for school children.') . Kadel . Ram Prasad . The [Nepal] Ministry of Education, Curriculum Department of Nepal Government . 2006 . ne . 7 . 2020-11-30 . 2021-10-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211017134519/http://musicmuseumnepal.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/RS344_HAMRA-BAJAHURU-BALBODH-21.pdf . live .
  26. Web site: Palandag, Group: Bagobo. kipas.nl/. 2020-11-30. 2020-02-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20200222143157/http://www.kipas.nl/Instruments/Palandag.htm. live.
  27. Encyclopedia: Pincullo - Pinkullo o Pinkullu . Enciclopedia Digital de la Provincia de Salta, Argentina . http://www.portaldesalta.gov.ar/pincullo.html.
  28. Web site: Instrumentos del mundo: Ryuteki. 11 November 2017. es. https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032802/http://www.musicaparaver.org/instru.asp?id_org1=4&id_geo1=3&o1=0&o2=0&o3=0&g1=0&g2=0&g3=0&atal=2&id_instr=232&orri=1&nondik=&zeinstr=12&guztira=21&hizk=2. 1 December 2017.
  29. Web site: Sáo trúc. https://web.archive.org/web/20031103151733/http://www.tienghatquehuong.com/instruments/SaoTruc.htm. 3 November 2003. Tieng Hat Que Huong. 14 September 2013.
  30. http://www.shintozanryu.jp/shakuhachi.html 新都山流 心安らぐあたたかな音色 尺八
  31. http://www.tozanryu.com/introduction/shakuhachi/shakuhachi01/ 公益財団法人 都山流尺八学会
  32. Web site: Shinobue (Bamboo flute). https://web.archive.org/web/20080209191108/http://jtrad.columbia.jp/eng/i_shinobue.html. 2008-02-09.
  33. Web site: 문예진흥원 홈페이지 . 2007-09-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070928074106/http://munye.bizhomep.com/?pagecode=m02&albummode=singlist&sw=&intalbumseq=11 . 2007-09-28 .
  34. Book: Taylor, Eric . Musical Instruments of Southeast Asia . Oxford University Press . New York. 1989 . 0-19-588894-4. 49.
  35. Encyclopedia: Yue . Thrasher . Alan R. . 2015 . Grove Music Online . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.L2281949.

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