Mode 1 and 4 pentatonic scales on the same whistle

Whistle
1

Hi.

Some Native American flutes are available with six holes and can play both the mode 1 and mode 4 pentatonic scale. For playing mode 1, T3 is always covered (in some cases with a leather strap) and for playing mode 4, B1 is covered.

I’m thinking of trying to make a pentatonic whistle to play the same two modes. Any idea how to figure out the hole placement and sizes to make the whistle in tune in both modes?

Owen

2

It should work just like any scale. Pick the notes, determine those frequencies and put them in your spreadsheet or calculator. Make a whistle, test the results and adjust as needed.

Feadoggie

3

Yes. This would work for a whistle that plays either the mode 1 or mode 4 pentatonic scale…, but the six hole Native American flute can play either one or the other by keeping either T3 or B1 always closed. Is there a calculator/spreadsheet that will take that into account?

Owen

4

Search and you will find…

http://www.flutekey.com/htm/naflutomat.htm

5

Thanks. A bit complicated…

Owen

6

I’ve used that site before to make Native Flutes.

Go ahead and make the fipple for buy one and obtain a blank shaft to put the holes in. First, cut shaft down until it plays the bottom note of your scale.

Then, measure the internal diameter and the wall thickness.

Go into the NAFlutomat site.

  1. Put in the bore diameter.
  2. Leave the Environment Parameters alone
  3. Ignore the TSH Parameters, Ignore the Bore Parameters and all the other stuff
  4. Go down to the spreadsheet column where you choose the tonehole diameters.
  5. Put your wall thickness into the Wall Thickness for hole 6 and click “Replicated Hole 6 Wall Thickness”.
  6. Choose the key (bottom note) of your instrument in the little drop-down box. Ignore the “Direction hole” stuff, that’s for the extra little non fingered holes on native flutes.
  7. Put your estimated tonehole diameters in and hit calculate.
  8. If you’re happy with the spacing, start drilling. If not, adjust the hole diameters, hit calculate and do these two things until you have the spacing that is comfortable to your hands.
7

Well, I specified metric because I think in metric and most of the measurements (everything except tonehole distance it seems?) stayed imperial which made things rather confusing. I’ll just have to take the time to make the calculations…

Owen