Whistle - Quena identification

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sponge
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Tell us something.: irish music, specifically slow airs played on different whistle keys, also lower keyed flutes like Bb, but only from modern makers who have managed to get the hole spacing a little closer. And finally learning some fiddle tunes, mainly slow airs again so that the whole family don't go mad with the sound of a cat being strangled.
Location: WEST SUSSEX, ENGLAND

Whistle - Quena identification

Post by sponge »

Hi all,

I have recently and with great difficulty managed to buy a luthier made Ronroco, big brother or sister to the Bolivian Charango, 10 strings in 2 courses, some octave pairs and some in unison,
anyway I was seduced by the sound of the music that film music composer Gustavo Santaolalla, who made the Ronroco very popular over the last 10 or so years, with scores for Brokeback mountain, 21 grams, and the playstation game The last of us, anyway there is a clip link below of the Gustavo and his talented band, at 1:03 the fiddle and guitarist plays what looks like a whistle, the holes are very low down and quite close, would this be a Quena adapted with a fipple, also just so you experience the sound of a Ronroco, jump to 28:10 and Gustavo starts to play it there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh05ckDVj8Q&t=1112s

greatfull for any help on Identification, and if your after a Ronroco, and your in the USA then you can get them from Boliviamall, not sure about Cites as they use Jacaranda and rosewood on the fretboard, I waited months for a used one to come up for sale, then found one in Spain that was custom made for the guy I bought it off, as there is three types of tuning and scale lengths from 42cm to 50cm and strings are also a bugger to get.

cheers sponge :D
tstermitz
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Re: Whistle - Quena identification

Post by tstermitz »

That's a good question regarding the Quena. I can't really tell if there is a fipple or something else. The positioning is a little low-angled, which suggests a fipple. The tone sounds breathy, which suggests regular quena top, but it takes some practice to play the quena well, so it would be reasonable to have an adaptation to make it easier.
The Lurking Fear
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Re: Whistle - Quena identification

Post by The Lurking Fear »

If you look at about 1:37 it looks pretty clearly to be a fipple flute of some type.
sponge
Posts: 531
Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2006 3:20 am
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: irish music, specifically slow airs played on different whistle keys, also lower keyed flutes like Bb, but only from modern makers who have managed to get the hole spacing a little closer. And finally learning some fiddle tunes, mainly slow airs again so that the whole family don't go mad with the sound of a cat being strangled.
Location: WEST SUSSEX, ENGLAND

Re: Whistle - Quena identification

Post by sponge »

I'm pretty sure it is a fipple , trying to find images of various size quena flutes, as I still think the low holes still look odd.
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