Chiff and Fipple Forums

Previously the honors went to the 9,000 year old (Playable!!!) Red Crane wing bone flutes of Jiahu China and researched by the Brookhaven Labs http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/1999/bnlpr092299.html The new record goes to the Conrad team in Tuebingen Germany. It's 35,000 years old!!! . http://www.h...

Hi Anita. The design of the labium ramp is the key factor here. Higher registers on a Duct Flute require greater velocity of the airstream to achieve overblown notes. If the ramp has a shallow angle and a large bore diameter (Low D), the airstream requires very high velocity to hit the 3rd octave (4...

Tuning a Bell note/Keynote/Fundamental/Root note, is done by changing the bore end hole diameter. If the note is sharp, reduction of the diameter with "Blu-Tack" or other type putty will flatten the note. The reverse is also true. Quena Makers use this technique on short bore Bamboo to low...

Sardinian "Launeddas" use your "reversed reeds" as well as many other types of small reed pipes, like the Zummara and Shepherd's Pipes. Here is a close up of Launeddas reeds. Look closely and you will see that some reed tips have been sanded and one has wax added to its tip. This...

I added the "Mythology" because of recent UK-wide DNA testing to determine genetic origins. The results indicate a strong link to middle eastern genetics in Ireland and Lowland Scotland ("The Dark Ones"). On Topic: These pipes are rather simple to make with modified Clarinet/Sax ...

I believe you have a leak near one of the Anti-Nodes (places of highest vibration). The easiest and quickest way to find the source is a Smoke Test . With all pads closed and the Embouchure plugged (Cork/Tape etc.) Inject smoke at the bore end. Use a strong light source. You will see the leak immedi...

The Pibgorn is a 6 hole single reed pipe with a horn reedcap and bell. The internal bore is between 4mm and 12mm in diameter. The ancient Complaynt of Scotland lists the pibgorn... "The feyrd playit on ane cornepipe" The Pibgorn is also known as the Pibcorn and Whithorn and is related to T...

Tip #1: Tuning the Susato is easier if you apply Cork Grease , not Cork Wax to the tuning slide. This will also seal the joint for improved play. Tip #2: Use a pencil (eraser first) to push out the fipple plug. Insert the pencil at the slide end and push up towards the Voicing. This feature is for c...

I suggest you apply Gilding (aka, Yellow Gold Leaf). Gold Leaf does not oxidize. The techniques for application are very easy and the Leaf is not that expensive. After burnishing/polishing, you can add an acrylic clearcoat. You have the Option of Red,Yellow or White Gold Leaf as well as Silver and P...

I assume the purpose here is to use this "Fraising" tool to undercut toneholes? I use a cut-off dovetail router bit with my fingers for minor adjustments, but I make my flute bores and chanters in 2 halves and use a countersink bit. I undercut the toneholes from the inside on my vernier mi...

If you have a great deal of trouble finding a supplier of thin brass/bronze tubing, you may want to learn how to spin brass or bronze tubing on a small lathe. This Technique, and others, are fairly simple but books can be hard to find on the subject. Alternate terms for this are Roller Forming, Shea...

I don't wish to be argumentative, but... ...Using the laws of acoustics, BOTH the size of the bore diameter and the diameter and depth of the tone holes will have the greatest effect on loudness. Larger bores will favor high frequency harmonics and will be louder. Smaller bores, such as in a Parlor ...

The best advice I can give to amateur whistlemakers is to read the booklets of Lew Paxton Price and Bart Hopkin. These books were written with the amateur in mind and give layman explanations with simple calculator formulae for flute/whistle design

http://www.shakuhachi.com/TOC-CM.html

Your question is rather vague Dain...Modifications to the blade and voicing can have many outcomes. It is the job of the voicing to generate oscillating sound waves. The waveform is called a "Von Karman vortex street". The shape of the labium edge and the ramp surface are used to create th...

Aerodynamics is very similar to Hydrodynamics. If you can imagine what a flowing stream of water will do when it encounters the bulge , you will start to understand. The airstream must cross the open window and strike the ramp just above the edge (most of it anyway). It then travels up the ramp and ...