How to Put Holes in a Wooden Flute

It's obvious why wooden flutes are favored and loved by so many around the world. They are beautiful instruments with a soothing sound. Much of that sound, however, is determined by how and where the holes are placed on the flute.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Learn the 2 most basic, important rules of tuning before you put holes in a wooden flute. A note is raised by enlarging the hole or placing it closer to the mouth piece. A note is lowered by making the hole smaller or placing it farther from the mouth piece.

2. Determine which style of music you want to play. The hole pattern and the number of holes is determined by whether you want to play Native American, Irish, Renaissance or one of the many other flute sounds.

3. Tune the lowest note before placing your holes on the flute. To do this you want to slowly cut off small pieces from the bottom of the flute until the sound raises up to the pitch you want to start at.

4. Mark the holes before drilling, once you have tuned the lowest note. The spacing of your holes is determined by the style of music you choose to play.

5. Place a small hand drill in a portable drill press and drill the marked holes in the flute. To tune the wooden flute, start out with small holes and enlarge them from the bottom as needed. You can do this by ear or by using an electronic tuner.