Instructions for Making a Five Hole Native American Flute
Native Americans originally made traditional flutes from pleasantly scented woods like juniper and cedar. The design included five finger holes along the body and a thin plug of material to force the air through air holes at the top of the flute. You can make your own simple version of the Native American flute out of everyday PVC piping. Just follow the measurements in the directions to ensure an authentic sound.
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Things You'll Need
- PVC pipe, 12 ¾-inches long by ¾-inch wide
- PVC pipe, 2-inches long by ½-inch wide
- Power drill
- Wooden disk, ¼-inch thick by ¾-inches in diameter
- PVC coupler, ¾-inch
- ¾-by-½-inch reducer
Instructions
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1
File one end of the 12-¾-inch long PVC pipe with sandpaper. File just the top of the pipe for 1-½ inches from the end of the pipe.
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2
On the same side where you filed, drill finger holes along the top of the pipe with a power drill. Each hole should be 0.19 inches (0.5 centimeters) in diameters.
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3
Make the first hole 4 ¼ inches from the filed end of the pipe. The next hole should be 5.06 inches from the filed end.
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4
Make three more holes at 6.81 inches, 7.81 inches and finally 8 ¾ inches from the filed end of the pipe.
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5
Drill a ¼-inch wide hole at the very end of the filed portion of the pipe.
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6
Make two additional holes ¼-inch away from the first hole in the filed end. The second and third holes should be 1/8-inch in diameter and drilled right next to each other so you end up with an oblong hole.
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7
Press a ¼ inch thick by ¾ inch diameter disk into the sanded end of the pipe so that it completely blocks the end of the pipe.
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8
Push the disk further into the pipe until it is resting between the ¼-inch hole and the oblong-shaped hole at the end of the pipe. Make sure the disk is still standing up, blocking the airflow.
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9
Slide a ¾-inch PVC pipe coupler onto the filed end of the pipe.
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10
Push a ¾ to ½ inch reducer onto the end of the coupler and slide the ½ inch PVC pipe onto the reducer.
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Tips & Warnings
Paint your PVC flute with brown paint and add decorations like feathers and beads to make it look more authentic.
Work slowly and carefully when drilling with the power drill to avoid drilling completely through both sides of the pipe.
