The Magical Flute VII: Crafting the Flute By Lew Paxton Price When you have decided what you want, you should record your decisions and why you made them. Then draw your proposed flute so you understand it (no one else need ever see the drawing). Be sure that you have your proposed dimensions on the drawing and the general shape of the flute. You may wish to make several views of the flute and its parts to be certain that you can understand it all later. As you read this, think of how you wish to craft your flute, step-by-step. Be sure to read this entire chapter before you start. Once you have read the whole thing, think of each step you plan to use and exactly how you plan to do it for your own individual flute. Then think of how the steps fit, each with the other, for a complete plan. Once you have a complete idea of what you want to do, it is time to buy the materials and any tools you need. You need not buy all of them at once, because it will take you a bit of time to complete your flute, and you won't need all the tools and materials for each operation. If you plan to simply split a branch from a tree and hollow it out with hand tools, remember that you may wish to age it a bit first. The procedure depends upon the type of wood, your climate, and things like humidity. It is best to check other sources to be sure of what to do in this regard. You may choose to use a router to cut out a board or just gouge the wood by hand. You may decide upon a more elaborate boring and plugging method. But whatever your crafting method, when you are about to begin the actual cutting, remember to leave in the parts you need to act as the plug and the head end (if that is part of your plan). Let's assume that you plan to use the traditional way of creating two parts that are to join. First, hollow out the parts that will be the low-speed chamber and the sound chamber. Second, sand the interior while the pieces are still separate. Third, do what is necessary to create the portion of the sound mechanism that is part of the main body of the flute. Fourth, apply your sealer or finishing material (preferably Tung oil) to the inside of the flute and let it dry (repeat for as many coats as you desire). Fifth, apply glue to the parts of the halves to be joined and then clamp them together. Take care that the edges meet, as they should inside the barrel and that you do not clamp so tightly as to break the flute. Be careful that the glue is not excessive or it will squeeze out when you clamp and harden inside the barrel where you cannot reach it to remove it. You may find that rubber bands are very helpful during this operation. Be sure that the glue is well cured before you remove the clamps or rubber bands. The bird and nest (if you use one) should be fashioned next. You may apply the finish to them at this point or not, as you wish. If you are not using tuning holes (sound holes); it is time to tie on the bird and nest (if you are using one). Blow into the blowhole and see what kind of note you have. Blow hard and blow softly, and then pick something in between. You will notice that when you blow hard the sound is higher than when you blow softly. You will also notice that the sound is louder when you blow hard than it is when you blow softly. Get used to this variation and then blow way you plan to be blowing when playing the flute after it is complete (somewhere between the extremes). Check this note against a pitchpipe (if you have a good ear) or an electronic device. Adjust the flute upward in pitch by very slowly shortening it at the foot end until it plays the note you want. This is the same note that is to be the key of flute (the fundamental). Now shape the outside of the flute where the playing and tuning holes are to go. This is necessary to set the correct wall thickness at these points before you tune the flute. If you wish to shape the entire flute at this point, that is all right too. If you are using a tuning hole or holes, refer to the chart for tuning hole placements and mark off where it or they are to go. Drill inch pilot holes at the appropriate spot(s). Be certain that the flute is exactly the length and the shape you wish it to be at the foot when it is complete. Now gradually enlarge the tuning hole(s) (about inch in diameter at time) until you have the note you want. Now you need to refer to the charts to determine where to place the playing holes. Mark off the places that they are to be and pilot drill them with an inch drill bit. Begin with only the first hole open (the one nearest the foot end of the flute). Be sure that you hold the other holes completely closed or that you do not even pilot drill them until later. Enlarge this hole an inch in diameter at a time until you hear the correct note when you blow with the same intensity that you determined earlier. This is much the same as when you were tuning the flute for the fundamental. If you are crafting a five-hole flute, repeat this procedure to tune the second hole (now it will be done with only holes one and two open). For the third hole tuning, you need holes one, two and three open. For the fourth hole, you need one, two, three and four open. And for the fifth hole, all should be open. As a cross check, you should get the same note with all five open that you get with them all closed when you overblow (blow hard). If you are crafting a six-hole flute, you have one more hole to go, but the method is almost the same. The difference comes when you get to the fourth hole. This hole must be closed until you have the flute tuned, by the five hole method, to a mode one pentatonic scale—in this case, you will be tuning holes one, two three, five, and six—and you won't even drill a pilot hole for hole four until the other holes have been tuned. Once the flute is tuned to the five hole pentatonic scale, pilot drill the fourth hole and then enlarge it until tuned with holes one, two and three open, and holes five and six closed. Now you are finished with the tuning. When you have completed tuning the flute, you may wish to use a woodburner or some rolled up sandpaper to lightly smooth the inside of the holes. Be careful not to enlarge the holes very much during this procedure. The entire outside of the flute can now be shaped and finished. If you wish to use a lathe for the rough shaping, you must find a way to hold the flute in place in the lathe to do the job. This might mean that some of the previous steps need to be altered. If you use a belt sander or just hand tools, the procedure is simple. You rough shape the flute with your rasp or belt sander. You fine shape it with rough sandpaper or emery. And you fine sand it with first medium and then fine sandpaper or emery. Now you may woodburn or carve anything you wish on the surface—such as the key, your name, the mode, the type of wood used, etc. And lastly, you may apply the finishing material, allowing plenty of time for each coat to dry or cure, and applying enough coats to do the job the way you want it. Remember that this instrument you are creating is for you to use when you want only pleasant thoughts and healing influences. So you should have only very pleasant memories associated with its creation. While you perform the noisier operations, you should think only about pleasant things and let the musical part of your brain hum some good music to you. While you do the less noisy operations, you may wish to listen to tapes of Native American flutes, or any other favorites. Before you begin work each time; be sure that you are looking forward to doing the particular operation you plan to do next. The night before you begin, think of working on your flute the next day. If you react emotionally as if it were a dreaded chore, or if it seems to be just a humdrum activity, wait until you feel more disposed to do the next operation. If you are looking forward to the task, then think of how you will do it and your subconscious will smooth things for you the next day by doing some careful planning while you sleep. Now that you have reviewed this article, you can begin your detailed planning for creating the flute. By the time you have it completed, you will be longing play it and ready to begin the pleasurable task of training your fingers and breath to achieve the most favorable result. 1994 by Lew Paxton Price Notes of the Pentatonic Scale All Lowest Lowest Lowest Lowest Lowest
Holes Hole 2 Holes 3 Holes 4 Holes 5 Holes
Key Closed Open Open Open Open Open Mode 1
F F G# A# C D# F
F# F# A B C# E F#
G G A# C D F G
G# G# B C# D# F# G#
A A C D E G A Mode 4
F F G# A# C# D# F
F# F# A B D E F#
G G A# C D# F G
G# G# B C# E F# G#
A A C D F G A Mode 5
F F G A# C D F
F# F# G# B C# D# F#
G G A C D E G
G# G# A# C# D# F G#
A A B D E F# A To tune a mode 1 & 4 combination: keep the 4th hole from the open end closed for mode 1, and keep the 3rd hole from the open end closed for mode 4. It may be necessary to make a compromise with the 5th hole from the open end, as its placement will vary up to inch according to which mode you are using. This is not significant when the average placement is chosen because then each mode is only off inch. The dimension chart averages the placement for you and you need only realize that you should tune for mode 1 first and then adjust by alternating between modes 1 and 4 while enlarging the hole. See the side bar with Magical Flute VI in NMR 6:6 for the dimension charts. | 
