How to Make a Ring Flute
A ring flute is very similar in theory to the Western concert flute, or straight metal flute. It's also played in much the same way, by placing the bottom lip on the mouth hole and blowing air directly inside the instrument while playing different notes by covering and uncovering the holes along the body of the flute. The ring flute's distinctive circular shape, though, gives it a very unique sound and greater portability than a traditional flute. With a little elbow grease, you can create and test out a circle flute of your own.
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Things You'll Need
- 1 foot PVC flexible tubing
- 1 pack hole-punch reinforcement labels
- Utility knife
- Hot glue gun
- Marker
Instructions
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1
Draw a nickel-sized circle (on one side of the tube) about 1/2-inch down from one of the openings of the tubing. Carefully trace the outline with your utility knife once and then go back over the outline and cut through the tubing. Discard the piece of tubing that's cut out.
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2
Bend the other end of the tubing over to the side with the hole in it, creating a circle. Insert the end of the tubing into the hole by squeezing the end of the tubing to be inserted and twisting it into the hole until it's about 1/2-inch deep.
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3
Cover the junction of the two pipes with a thin bead of hot glue. Allow the glue to dry for 20 to 30 minutes before proceeding.
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4
Place the tubing down on a hard work surface with the end of the tubing pointing up and away from you. Draw a pea-sized circle at the top of the ring (about 4 inches to the left of the end of the tube). This will be your mouthpiece.
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5
Draw two groups of three pea-sized holes on the right and left sides of the bottom half of the ring. You can space the holes as far apart as you'd like, but make sure leave at least a full inch of space between the first group of three holes and the second.
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6
Cut out the outlines you drew using the utility knife. Make sure to discard the piece of tubing you cut out and don't let it fall into the tubing.
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7
Put a hole-punch reinforcement label over each of the holes. This will make it easier for your mouth and fingers to find the holes and also create a nice finish over them.
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Tips & Warnings
Get PVC tubing that's about 1 to 1 1/2-inches thick, but don't go any smaller or you won't get a great sound from your flute.
Once you're done, spray paint your flute in your favorite color.
Be very careful cutting the tubing. Wear protective gloves and make sure your utility knife is sharp enough to safely cut through the tubing.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images
