Look at this new concept of low whistle from a french whistle maker. This is a half-whistle/half quena flute. It's sounds good !

http://www.open-whistle.com/en/?Media

Looks interesting, probably adds a degree or two of difficulty with the attendant rewards.
I wonder if he will make a high D open whistle?

I like the idea...... but I cannot get a reliable note out of a flute so this would probably be wasted on me. Or would it? Would this be easier than a flute?

I've made the exact same thing out of PVC (quite a few, actually) - I just assumed it was still a quena, not something new and innovative! They do sound more like flutes than whistles. I have found that the low D is a lot harder to play than the equivalent whistle, though, because you need to hold the instrument a little more horizontally (i.e. the tail end needs to be higher off the floor). Most of the ones I've made are in G. Hmmm... Haven't done it for a while - maybe I'll make a few more!

I was just thinking I'd have a go at making one this afternoon
if I've got a bit of spare time.
@ plunk111,
is the length from the embouchure to bottom end (for want of a better description)
similar to a flute?

@narrowdog: yup - I used the whistle numbers when calculating the holes, etc, though. Don't remember where I got the data, though. I printed a bunch of pages from a website somewhere... I suspect you could use the calculator that is referenced on Doug Tipple's site, though.

that'll do thanks

In this topic, the maker explains how he created this low whistle : http://fluteirlandaise.space-forums.com/open-whistle-t312.html (Hope you can read and understand the french ?)

"Google translate" does a pretty fair job translating...

Plunk111, did your design incorporate a pinch hole on the back side for playing the second octave? I'm just curious what your experience with that might be.

Feadoggie

Isn't it just a xiao?

@Feadoggie: No octave hole - I basically just made a quena using whistle finger hole spacing. I can play the full 2 octaves on mine with no trouble.

The embouchure is much easier to make than flutes or whistles, btw. All you need to do is use a dremel with the right size sander bit and then do a little smoothing. As I think back on it, I kinda used a whistle as my starting point and so I filed the blade from the top. Hmmm... If I were to assume it was more like a flute I would have undercut it instead - I may try that later tonight!

Pat

Thanks, Pat. I know you don't have to incorporate a pinch hole to get two octaves but quite a few quena makers still do.

Most, if not all, of the edge blown flutes I ahve seen cut the edge from the outside as you have done, either with a diagonal cut to the top of the tube or with a pronounced notched channel. I am not sure what undercutting may add as long as you get a good edge to create the necessary oscillations within the tube. It'd probably work and worth giving a try to see how it compares.

Oh, and I would agree that there is really nothing new in the Open Whistle design that I have not seen elsewhere. But it is still a good idea. The notch embouchure allows a nice range of tonal expression.

Perhaps this just illustrates my ignorance, but isn't the xiao tube closed at the top end by a node wall of the bamboo? Otherwise, quite similar. There seem to be edge blown flutes from cultures all across the globe with similar characteristics.

Feadoggie

It is, but the portion of the top directly adjacent to the blowing edge is removed, so the top is partially open. Not sure how much of a difference this makes. The other thing is that a standard xiao has the same exact tuning as a D low whistle.

The difference in having the end closed like a xiao makes it more easy to focus an air stream across the hole.
With quena the end is open and the player needs to adjust his lower lip to cover it and focus an air stream.