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Embouchure/bamboo troubles
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Jazzmaster1957
(2 points)
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Hello, forum people.
Recently I began trying to create flutes with bamboo, and currently I'm trying to recreate a ceramic one that I purchased recently. I understand how the embouchure works and everything, but I simply don't know how to make bamboo as sharp and clear as one made of glazed ceramic. I can produce an audible sound with the bamboo, though it's quite airy and unpleasant. I'm wondering if there's a good way to solve this, like perhaps a lacquer to make everything a little more solid, but I don't know if this would contrarily dull the embouchure.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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suzie
(472 points)
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I'm willing to bet you that the bore (diameter of the material) on the ceramic is MUCH thicker than the bore of the bamboo you're using. The shape and size of the blow hole/embouchure hole will make a difference as well. Most of the ceramic/porcelain fifes (they're keyless, yes?) I've seen were in the key of G and had a VERY rich tone. How is the length in comparison between the bamboo one you're working on and the ceramic? If the length and bore are off, that's a good sign that it's not going to be very similar. Is the inner area (through the notches in the bamboo) of the bamboo completely hollowed out or is it a small hole through each notch/level? That would also affect the tone. I just remembered earlier yesterday that I tried making a fife out of bamboo when I was in high school. I was quite surprised that it even worked since I had no scale to work with and merely used a drill bit I found to make the holes by twisting the bit with my bare hands. That poor thing cracked however point is that it worked. As with most things, practice makes perfect and I'd suggest trying different materials that may or may not be easier for you to find and mess with. A cheap suggestion would be to go to Ace Hardware (or similar) and purchase a huge piece of pvc tubing/pipe. I think it only costs a few dollars $ and you can request that they cut it down into smaller sections for you free of charge (last I checked). There are a few online sources that can guide you on your pvc way which you could eventually apply once more to the bamboo idea you currently have. Also, you COULD try cutting small pieces of bamboo and trying different shapes and sizes for the blow hole/embouchure hole and see which you like better and experiment between them, etc. Hope this helps and good luck!
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Jazzmaster1957
(2 points)
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This does help, thank you.
I had another idea that I might play around with, though I'm not sure if it's absolute folly:
I'm thinking of getting a piece of steel pipe in the same size as the bamboo that I would be using. I would cut a piece of this steel to be about two or three inches long, and use this part solely for the embouchure hole. Then I could connect bamboo to both sides of the cylinder, one side as the sealed end-piece (sealed by an unpunched bamboo node), and the other side would be the main shaft with the finger holes.
However, I really don't know how I might connect the bamboo to the pipe.
Feedback/suggestions?
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