I’ve been noticing that a lot of players, (specially breton ones) besides from playing their Trad Wooden Flutes, they are actually interested in a flute from India called Bansuri.
I knew that Sylvain Barou was an expert on these flutes, also JM Veillon and american Cornell Kinderknecht (Woodwind instrumentalist & master).
I was wondering if anyone knows the traditional pitch for Bansuri flutes, cause I don’t really think is D’ .. I thought of a G or a G# given by the length of some of the flutes I saw.
Well, if anyone has any idea or knowledge towards this instrument it will be of great help.
The bansuri expert on the C&F board is talasiga. Indian music is his specialty, and although he now resides in eastern Australia, try sending a C&F PM to talasiga. Also, try searching for his earlier C&F posts, for “talasiga” and “bansuri”.
Yes, bansuri flute pitch is described differently than European flute pitch, where the pitch of a European flute could be known in terms of an xxx xxx fingering, while the pitch of a bansuri flute is known by xxx ooo.
Otherwise, there apparently are many similarities between the two flutes. However, a bansuri may, or may not, be pitched at A=440, so be careful.
Hi all, I am really loving the sound of the bansuri flute lately. Can anyone here give me the link to some good recordings and also were can one buy such a flute. Good subject there Diego.
I have bought bansuri’s from http://www.one-world-trading.com/ and have been pleased with the service and the flutes are great(by Pratap Gujar).
I have a low A (all holes closed) and a D. I think a common key is low B(all holes closed) though all sizes(keys) of flutes are used. Finger holes are large for half-holing(pipers grip works fine) and the intonation on the better flutes is excellent all the way up the scale.
the most used pitch for indian classical music is low B (all holes closed). for indian folk music they usually play higher pitch bansuri, like high B or others. for bhajans (devotional songs) a common pitch is G# (easy for the voice, because realy pitch would be C#, with three holes closed, that is the Sa, the first note of the scale).
i was thinking of getting one -----------which one is more common --------the 19" C# or the Cn
the C# of a 19’’ long bansuri refers to the note you get by closing three holes. That would be the same pitch of a flute that plays a G# when all holes are closed:
for bhajans (devotional songs) a common pitch is G# (easy for the voice, because realy pitch would be C#, with three holes closed, that is the Sa, the first note of the scale)
which is the 19’’ flute.
C# (three holes closed) is a common key in India, while with a C flute (3 holes closed) you can play western tunes in common keys… your choice on which is more useful for your needs…
My two cents : I own a bansuri in the key of E (xxx ooo) or B (xxx xxx) and I find it very low, I don’t think it’s the common tuning there, surely something higher.
My two cents : I own a bansuri in the key of E (xxx ooo) or B (xxx xxx) and I find it very low, I don’t think it’s the common tuning there, surely something higher.
I can assure you, it’s the most common pitch for indian classical music (but not for indian folk music). Watch the video mjb128wv posted above, Hariprasad Chaurasia is playing such a flute…
I too own a bansuri in that key.
It IS big. You have to get used to it, and not every people have big enough hands (although most men should be able to, by using piper’s grip). Now I haven’t played it since a while (I’m concentrating on irish music on irish flute in D), and if i try to play it now i won’t be able to, because my fingers need some time (about a week or something) to get used to the extrimely large holes…
And also the blow technique is somewhat different (just like someone noticed me in another recent post). It’s quite frustrating to jump from one flute to another and feel like a beginner again for some days ^^
.. I thought of a G or a G# given by the length of some of the flutes I saw.