Hello. New to forum. Wondering if my fingers will reach holes on f bass or e bass bansuri. If I could get measurements between the middle of the holes, I could compare them with some other flutes I have. I’m hoping someone would be kind enough to take the time to do these measurements. Thanks very much. Tom
When you say f bass and e bass bansuri, are you referring to the lowest note (with all six tone holes closed) or the note with just the top three tone holes closed? I often see bansuri described using the latter, whereas here on our Irish flute forum, we describe a flute’s key using the note played with all six tone holes closed.
Anyway, I have a set of bansuri flutes, including some really big ones that are too big for me to play, and I’d be happy to take some measurements once I’m sure which keys you are interested in (assuming I have them).
Thank you for your kind offer. For the bansuris I am looking at, I am talking about ones with just the top three tone holes closed. Thank you again.
Here you go! These are already a bit of a stretch for me. I have four more that go progressively lower, including a bass C which is absolutely gigantic. I got them as a 12 flute set in a lucky eBay find.
F bass bansuri tone hole distances in mm from embouchure (center to center):
Hole 1 = 269
Hole 2 = 310
Hole 3 = 353
Hole 4 = 411
Hole 5 = 445
Hole 6 = 500
E bass bansuri tone hole distances in mm from embouchure (center to center):
Hole 1 = 281
Hole 2 = 327
Hole 3 = 376
Hole 4 = 439
Hole 5 = 469
Hole 6 = 524
This is very useful to me, so I can make a rational decision, but I want to be sure I understand. “Hole 1 = 281” means the top hole (the first hole under the embouchure) is 281mm above the next hole down (center to center)? And “Hole 2 - 327mm” means the distance between the second hole and the third? And so on.
And “6 = 500” is the distance between the 6th and 7th hole?
I think you will find that those distances are all from the embouchure and not the distance between holes. Meaning if hole number 1 is 281mm from the embouchure then hole number 2 is 327mm from the embouchure (and not 327mm from the first hole).
OK. I think I understand now. I am 82 and used to be sharper. I was confused over the mm/cm side of my ruler. Thank you again. I’m afraid my hands are too small for either. Congratulations on your eBay find and I appreciate your help.
Geoffrey is correct. The numbers represent the measurement, in mm, from the embouchure to each of the tone holes. If you get a broom stick or other long cylindrical piece of wood you can mark the embouchure, then make a mark at the location of each of the tone holes (each measured from the embouchure) and see if you can reach them.
The reason I did it this way is because the distance from the embouchure also determines whether you can reach the tone holes, because it changes the angle of your wrist and hand.
These bass bansuri are already quite a stretch, but there are some things you can do to help. One is to make sure you use a pipers grip, with straighter fingers and covering the hole with the middle finger joint on each finger rather than the finger tips. The other is that you can use your pinkie finger for the last hole instead of your ring finger.
Thanks for the encouragement to proceed. I think I won’t give up just yet. I greatly appreciate Geoffrey’s measurements and also these suggestions. I hadn’t thought of them.
Happy to assist, but I should mention that paddler was the one who provided the important measurements and suggestions ;-).
I understand and recognize and appreciate the work involved in measuring