My curiosity was recently provoked by a movie (the dark crystal, for all of you born in the 80’s lol) as to the topic of the “double flute”
The main character in the movie played some beautiful harmonies on what basically looked like a recorder with a split chamber.
I was happily surprised when I found that rather than having to shell out for a specialised carved instrument, most double flutes I found were merely two pennywhistles strapped together!
So! Although the only flute exposure I’ve had was learning the recorder in primary school, I’m musically proficient and have been playing the piano since I was six.
Has anybody played in this manner and do you know where I can get some music specifically for the double flute?
I don’t know of any music written specifically for the double whistle.
When I tried one, I just used one for drones and the other for melody,
as I’ve seen others doing. You could probably work up some harmony
if you are creative.
Zampona Italian Bagpipes use the same fingering technique as a double flute. The Egyptian Zummara double reedpipe is another and the Yugoslav’s have a version too. The scale should be the same as a single whistle but there is an optional set of “drone notes” in the major scale of the keynote (octave,5th and third).
The “Gelfling” is playing a “Shepherds pipe”. That particular type is an “Ocarina” style of 12 notes (closed bore).
I’ve heard double ocarinas. Charlie Hind makes a very nice wooden one with the two chambers tunes a fifth apart. http://hindocarina.com/ocarinas.htm (scroll toward bottom of page and be sure to check out the sound samples).
In the ‘Tune Book Two 104 One Octave Tunes, Dances Rounds, Duets’ by Susato Press there is one duet in particular that might serve your purpose.
Pasttime with Good Company, attributed to Henry VIII, only uses 4 notes in one part (playable with 3 fingers of one hand) and 5 notes in the other (takes 4 fingers).
I picked up one of those carved Yugoslavian double whistles on a whim from eBay and have meant to try this very song with it…between losing my job, starting school, keeping 2 teens and a night shift hubby on track–well, you get the idea!
How do you use one for drones? If you’re playing full fingerings on one D whistle, but have another D whistle in your mouth, the only note the other one could be playing is C# it would seem.
Cover all the holes with tape on the left whistle and it plays a bottom d or upper octave d. Then by moving the fipples sideways a little to the mouth you can control when it plays or not. Use rubber bands to hold them side by side.
Cover all the holes with tape on the left whistle and it plays a bottom d or upper octave d. Then by moving the fipples sideways a little to the mouth you can control when it plays or not. Use rubber bands to hold them side by side.
Oh cool. I’d go try it right now if it wasn’t 12:12 AM in a house full of sleeping people. Oh and Tommy I haven’t had a chance to get to the post office yet, but I’ll let you know. I didn’t forget!
Wow, I tried strapping two Generation D’s together and it sounds awesome. The weird thing is I hear a sort of accordian-ie overtone on the E and F. I’m not complaining, it sounds pretty cool.
If you’ve seen the movie (old) 300 Spartans, you might note that travelling fast, afoot, and playing what looks like two low Ds joined at the fipple can be dangerous! The attendant music sure didn’t sound like what was portrayed visually though.
Double whistle possibilities are endless. I’ve built several varieties of brass “biwhistles”.
Drone on one side and full whistle on other.
Three upper holes on one side and three lower holes on the other each cylinder same length.
Same as number 2 except one cylinder is shorter than the other.
Three or four toneholes on one and a thumbholes and three or four toneholes on the other with a thumbhole.
The best way to do a biwhistle is have the barrels (tonebody) separate from the instrument at the tuning joint so that it can reconfigured different ways. Also, some may want the drone on the right instead of the left.
Note: A number of Native flutemakers also make double flutes.
I have one of these flutes myself, actually. Here’s me playing around…
Bought it from Erik the Flutemaker at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Texas. Twig Oaklyn Felwinia Thistlebottom carries one as well… she’s probably the main reason I bought one.
This guy has got some amazing stuff (though not at amazing prices… you pay for the rarity, I supopse.) The bamboo saxaphone is something to look at… same tone as a sax in a fourth of the size or less. Pretty awesome.
I don’t, actually. Perhaps I’ll buy a microphone while I’m out today and record me messing around on it. The name ‘double flute’ just seemed kinda… bleh to me. I named mine a dyrnyi. But I’m weird that way.
If anyone knows another name they’ve been called, please share. I know that they’ve been depicted bing used by satyrs and such on ancient Greek art.
hmmm… ‘dyrnyi’ … like in “Dern ye … if yi donna quit makin’ that infernal racket, I’ll have ye guts fer garters!” … sounds familiar…
And I was thinking you could use a pair of small horns to add that little something of the satyr to your costume… and perhaps a bit of eyelash glue to point your ears?
Fantastic.
The attendant music sure didn’t sound like what was portrayed visually though.
