How to Make a One Octave Flute

Flutes come in different varieties, such as pentatonic bamboo flutes, Irish pennywhistles, and modern orchestral flutes. A variety of materials can be used to make flutes, including metal, clay, bamboo and plastic pipes, such as PVC or CPVC. A simple, one octave flute made from bamboo can be used to play jazz, modern and classical music, as well as Chinese and Japanese meditation and folk songs.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bamboo
• Sandpaper
• Dowel
• Beeswax
• Masking tape
• Drill

1. Use a mature piece of bamboo that is 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 14 inches long. Sand the ends until smooth. Push a dowel through the bamboo to remove debris. Cut the top edge of the bamboo at a 45 degree angle--- this becomes the mouthpiece. Sand it thoroughly and apply a coating of warm beeswax.

2. Wrap masking tape around the bamboo. Measure and mark 1 inch from the top; continue marking at 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 inches. Drill 1/4 inch holes on these marks and remove the masking tape.

3. Use rolled sandpaper to smooth the insides of the holes. Varnish or decorate the flute with paint.

Resources

• About Japanese bamboo flutes
• Chinese music for bamboo flute
• The Yamoto Ensemble: bamboo flute and koto