Look at this new concept of low whistle from a french whistle maker. This is a half-whistle/half quena flute. It’s sounds good !
Looks interesting, probably adds a degree or two of difficulty with the attendant rewards.
I wonder if he will make a high D open whistle?
I like the idea… but I cannot get a reliable note out of a flute so this would probably be wasted on me. Or would it? Would this be easier than a flute?
I’ve made the exact same thing out of PVC (quite a few, actually) - I just assumed it was still a quena, not something new and innovative! They do sound more like flutes than whistles. I have found that the low D is a lot harder to play than the equivalent whistle, though, because you need to hold the instrument a little more horizontally (i.e. the tail end needs to be higher off the floor). Most of the ones I’ve made are in G. Hmmm… Haven’t done it for a while - maybe I’ll make a few more!
I was just thinking I’d have a go at making one this afternoon
if I’ve got a bit of spare time.
@ plunk111,
is the length from the embouchure to bottom end (for want of a better description)
similar to a flute?
@narrowdog: yup - I used the whistle numbers when calculating the holes, etc, though. Don’t remember where I got the data, though. I printed a bunch of pages from a website somewhere… I suspect you could use the calculator that is referenced on Doug Tipple’s site, though.
that’ll do thanks 
In this topic, the maker explains how he created this low whistle : http://fluteirlandaise.space-forums.com/open-whistle-t312.html (Hope you can read and understand the french ?)
“Google translate” does a pretty fair job translating…
Plunk111, did your design incorporate a pinch hole on the back side for playing the second octave? I’m just curious what your experience with that might be.
Feadoggie
Isn’t it just a xiao?
@Feadoggie: No octave hole - I basically just made a quena using whistle finger hole spacing. I can play the full 2 octaves on mine with no trouble.
The embouchure is much easier to make than flutes or whistles, btw. All you need to do is use a dremel with the right size sander bit and then do a little smoothing. As I think back on it, I kinda used a whistle as my starting point and so I filed the blade from the top. Hmmm… If I were to assume it was more like a flute I would have undercut it instead - I may try that later tonight!
Pat
Thanks, Pat. I know you don’t have to incorporate a pinch hole to get two octaves but quite a few quena makers still do.
Most, if not all, of the edge blown flutes I ahve seen cut the edge from the outside as you have done, either with a diagonal cut to the top of the tube or with a pronounced notched channel. I am not sure what undercutting may add as long as you get a good edge to create the necessary oscillations within the tube. It’d probably work and worth giving a try to see how it compares.
Oh, and I would agree that there is really nothing new in the Open Whistle design that I have not seen elsewhere. But it is still a good idea. The notch embouchure allows a nice range of tonal expression.
Perhaps this just illustrates my ignorance, but isn’t the xiao tube closed at the top end by a node wall of the bamboo? Otherwise, quite similar. There seem to be edge blown flutes from cultures all across the globe with similar characteristics.
Feadoggie
It is, but the portion of the top directly adjacent to the blowing edge is removed, so the top is partially open. Not sure how much of a difference this makes. The other thing is that a standard xiao has the same exact tuning as a D low whistle.
The difference in having the end closed like a xiao makes it more easy to focus an air stream across the hole.
With quena the end is open and the player needs to adjust his lower lip to cover it and focus an air stream.
The difference in having the end closed like a xiao makes it more easy to focus an air stream across the hole.
With quena the end is open and the player needs to adjust his lower lip to cover it and focus an air stream.
Years ago I bought a bamboo instrument from a gift shop in Duluth, Minnesota that resembled a xiao. Except that there was a narrow strip of bamboo wrapped around the end that the mouth put to it would focus the air across the hole. It would be like a low tech whistle with a 1/4’’ long windway. The bamboo wrap did become loose and I got to where I could play it without it.
I like the tone of his open whistle, so I tried making one out of 7/8" aluminum tubing. I beveled the lip from the top but in his FAQ’s he says he doesn’t bevel at all. I will have to give it another try as so far I am not getting a good sound (need to try his technique of putting pressure on the lower lip- re FAQ’s). Plunk111- for your open whistle did you start your distance to the holes from the bottom of the lip ? Besides liking the tone I suspect there may be no condensation problems with this design - I’m having terrific condensation problems with all the regular low D whistles I’m making out of this tubing.
Further info… I tried both outside and inside tube ramps for the blade and the outside version was definitely better. Guess there’s a reason quenas are made that way!
But how hard is it to play? I can believe that it is harder to play than a whistle - that it requires more skill to form the right windway characteristics.
“The mouthpiece may first be seen as an obstacle but after a few tests you will be delighted to produce such a powerful sound.”
But is it as hard as a flute, at which I have so far had minimal success…? I do not expect anyone here has one of these ‘open whistles’ already, but many here may have experience with that kind of mouth piece.
I like the simplicity of the design, and might be tempted to buy one…
I had a go at making one yesterday evening, I didn’t have a tuner
with me so just copied a Low D hole spacing.
How much difference does wall thickness make to the embouchure?
The other thing is I made the embouchure 1/2" dia, is this about the right
size? What should it be?
As for playing 
I think some practice time is in order.
Thinking back to when I first tried a flute (some 4 years ago)
this is very different but when I did get a sound from it, it sounded
really quite nice.
I’ll be making some more 