Hello Hibiki !
You can access a Fingering Chart for the “Di” at the Canadian
“World Flute Maven”, Ron Korb’s site:
http://www.ronkorb.com/pdfs/chinese.pdf
Mr. Korb gives this chart for a Flute in G, which is the 3 finger
note (the upper hand, 3 holes).
There are several sizes
of Dizi Flutes which can be longer or shorter in length.
These other Flutes have other keynotes, such as a
(larger) 3 finger F, or a (shorter) 3 finger A, and so on.
Modern Chinese Flutes always have the lower tetra-chord, i.e.
for the Flute in G, the lowest note is:
Sol (D), La (E), Si(F#) , leading to “G” or Do.
If it’s an F keynote, the lowest 6 finger note would be C,
5 fingers down would be D, the 4 finger note would be E,
which is the leading note to the Keynote, F.
In regard to the modern printed Music, Chinese Scholars
have adapted our Western Music Staff as a background,
for a row of Numbers for the Scales and Melodies.
(This takes some getting use to if you read standard
Music notation, but it is fairly simple and straight forward).
The numbers are further modified to indicate the Time
Values…Whole Note, Dotted Half Note, Half Note, Quarter Notes,
Eighth Notes, Sixteenth Notes and so on.
Most Music is in 4/4. These Values are printed above the Numbers.
So… Numbers for a G Flute, starts with the Lowest Note,
D, and this is represented by the number 5, with a dot underneath
the Number, next is E, with the Number 6 with a dot underneath.
The leading Note F#, is Number 7 with dot underneath, and
finally Number ONE (no dots above or below) for G.
It’s followed by 2 for A, 3 for B, 4 for C, 5 for mid-D.
Second octave E is 6, 2nd octave F# is 7, and then 2nd Octave
Keynote is 1, with a DOT over it. These “dots over the numbers”
continue on in the high octave 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on,
to the highest notes.
Music can be ordered from U.S.-Chinese Bookstores that specialize
in Chinese Publications. There are a number of these, in San Francisco,
and Los Angeles, California. There is a Chinese Music Store on
Sacramento Street in “San Fran”, called “Clarion Music” and they
also deal in instruments and supplies
(Dimo Membranes, Music, Recordings etc.).
In regard to the DIMO, “Mirliton”, or the Buzzing Membrane
(a rind of the inside dermis of the Bamboo),
the simplest way to affix it over it’s particular hole
(which is at the top of the row of finger holes, just above the
first top finger hole) is to CUT OPEN a Clove of GARLIC and smear
the STICKY JUICE of the GARLIC, all around this hole.
The DIMO is now laid GENTLY over the hole, as if you were applying
a piece of Scotch-Tape (Cello-Tape in Brit-Tain) over the hole.
It is important to have 3 very small creases in the Membrane,
but the Membrane TENSION must not be on too Tight or too Slack
(or Loose).
Practice makes perfect with this particular operation,
and the Membrane has to be renewed FREQUENTLY.
Professional Flute Players keep Extra Flutes
(in the same key) close at hand, in case the DIMO gets
Broken, or “Blown-Out”. It the Player only has one Flute, then they
just put some Cello-Tape on quickly, over the hole, and continue
PLAYING…even though the Tone of this
“Flute/Kazoo” is now MISSING !
I hope that this advice is of some use to you !
Regards !
Sean Folsom
