Another advantage of the Western flute is that you can buy an open-hole one and some rubber plugs to fit into the holes when you are beginning to learn it and don't have the proper finger positioning figured out yet. The effect is especially noticeable for glissandos that involve transitions larger than a semitone, which are a pain in the behind for non-chromatic instruments. The fact that the Western flute has action (the keys and rods mentioned earlier) gives a lot more control over the speed and quality of glissandos. I find glissando easier on an open-hole Western flute than on a bansuri. And this is where I have to mention that Western flutes come in 2 major flavours: open-hole and closed-hole. I think glissando is easier (and totally possible) on the Western flute. On the other hand, a flute might be easier to transport, as it is usually made out of 3 pieces (headjoint, body and footjoint) that fit into an average backpack or instrument case. A bansuri doesn't have any keys or rods you could accidentally bend or any key pads that will gather mould and spit and will eventually have to be replaced. If you live somewhere humid or with constant temperature jumps (like Australasia), be prepared to have to adjust your embouchure and airflow and make the tuner your best friend.Įase of handling might be important to you as well. After all, a bansuri is not a clarinet and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
Bansuri flutes crack#
I personally avoid instruments made of wood like the plague, because they crack and do not respond well to certain climates, but if you are not too attached to your instrument, that's hardly a problem. Also, as far as I am concerned, flutes lacking a solid silver headjoint or, conversely, fully made out of silver are a waste of money (I am no specialist though). A bansuri is considerably less expensive than an orchestral flute, and you could probably even build one yourself without too much trouble. That being said, one of the things to take into consideration is price. In my opinion, you should play what you enjoy more, because that will mean more consistency and better results down the track. Unfortunately, there is no way to make a small flute sound low and deep.That's a toughie. People of all genders, and especially ones with small hands, please be aware of your hands-size-related limits! Most people like low-sounding flutes but big flutes require well stretched fingers and they have big holes which are not easily covered by small fingertips. When you choose a flute, it’s very important not to buy a flute too big. Note that if you are left-handed (left hand at the bottom) choose left ergonomic grip the in-line grip is symmetrical. For example, it’s not that easy for me to play bass-D without such shifting. But for larger flutes, it may be better to shift the lower and the fourth hole, counting from the end of the flute to the side. Usually, the holes of a bansuri are lined up in one line. So, I give options in terms of how the holes are placed. The size of a hand and the length of fingers vary from person to person and not all the flutes suit every customer. If you want to choose more than one, let me know. By the way, I can adjust the flute to absolutely any system and frequency for an extra fee, if needed. As for me, the form of 432 Hz is a way to make money off of spiritual seekers. Everybody in the world is tuning to 440 hertz. The bansuris that I create come in 2 forms, 440 Hz or 432 Hz. But I also specify a lower note for each flute in the description. To avoid even more confusion, I provide here this very sort of naming. However, if you master playing it, it is a lot of fun.Īpparently to confuse everyone, Indians call the flute’s key by its “middle” note (with the first three holes closed). Bass-D – This one is not for beginners.E – This is the most common flute in Indian music.F – It’s pitched like the common European flute, but is a bansuri.G – If you’ve got small hands, but you want the sound to be lower, check out this one.The sharps and flats of this scale remind of the classic Indian E. A – Indian standard flute for beginners.It’s the smallest one in the list, so you definitely won’t have a problem with it in terms of fingers length. Hi-C – A cool, fun bansuri for fast melodies.Bamboo Bansuri Here’s a small pitch guide:.