Hello, denizens of the noble flute forum. I’m working on making a flute in the key of A using the whistle design Guido Gonzato came up with, substituting an embouchure hole for the fipple of the flute. In considering the design aspect, I realized that in a normal flute there is anywhere from 2-4 inches of tube behind the embouchure hole, corked and then capped. I wondered what role this part of the flute plays, and whether its length is as important as the section containing the tone holes towards the foot of the instrument.
don’t worry about the cap
you will want to have enough tube on the non-tone hole side of the embouchure so that the stopper will be back at least an inside diameter of the head joint
And you’ll need to read Doug Tipple’s webpages about the Fajardo wedge. If you make your flute without one, you will face endless tedious frustration with the tuning between octaves. I know!
There are those who say the the length and volume of the flute bore between the stopper and the head end of the flute are important. Also, I have a flute that has a small hole in the crown (end cap) that is supposed to enhance the sound of the flute. However, keep in mind that the Chinese dizi flute has a great distance from the cork to the head end, whereas the sough-after Olwell bamboo flute rarely has any distance at all, as a joint in the bamboo serves as a stopper. The deluxe Olwell bamboo flutes do have a conventional flute stopper and end cap, I might add. Frankly, I am more concerned about how the flute looks in terms of proportionality than I am about the acoustic effects of that part of the flute. So, not too long and not too short is my recipe. That is what I tell my barber, who is now my wife, although I used to say, “Take a little bit off and leave some on”.
Thanks for the information, particularity the physics one. I’m much more of a scientist than a musician, so that was quite helpful. I’ve read Doug’s stuff, so it looks like it’s out to the shop for me.
There is also the issue of balance. Adding length to the head slightly increases the weight and leverage of that end of the flute, so it may help to balance the flute.
Nah, I’m satisfied with the open end. Crowns are too fussy for me, and the name zirconium scares me. By the way, Mark Hoza in Australia uses Robert Bigio’s concept on his wooden Irish flutes. I have one of his beautiful flutes made from Cooktown Ironwood, and it will be up on my online store (if I ever get a chance to build it) one of these days. http://woodenflutemaker.com/d-flutes/
Thanks for your input, Doug. Your flutes are highly regarded across the internet, so I’m very grateful for your opinion! This may all be a moot point though; the few times I’ve tried to blow a flute, I haven’t been able to make a sound. Hell, it took me 12 and a half years to figure out how to whistle! (With my lips, not a Susato. That took a little less ). So I’m building a flute (with the aid of a friend who plays) to see if I have any interest in expanding my penny whistle skills to the instrument.
I was gonna leave that until he had a working model
). So I’m building a flute (with the aid of a friend who plays) to see if I have any interest in expanding my penny whistle skills to the instrument.