Lately, I've been adding to the collection of various flutes I have simply because I'm finding a bunch that are cheap! I found instructions (measurements, really) to make a Japanese Shinobue and now have two huge shinobue flutes. Since the bamboo is supposed to be 1.7 centimeters in diameter and I've only been able to find six-foot poles that are 3 cm in diameter. Still looking for bamboo the right size, though. If you have any ideas of where to find bamboo aside from the internet and Hobby Lobby (which is where I found the six-foot poles), I'd be glad to know! I've just got to adjust my flutes so that their tone comes out better, but they're pretty well tuned, I think. I've got a range on the two of them so far that goes from B (just below C in the middle of both staffs) to A# just above the treble cleff. I just got a Chinese dragon flute, and I'm supposed to be getting two Di Zi flutes in the mail any time now.  I'm working at making fingering charts on my Shinobue flutes, which are different because I screwed up the mouthpiece on one of them. Odd enough, I think the one I screwed up on sounds better. The tone just comes out clearer.

I'm already really attached to both of the Shinobue flutes I've made, but I still plan to sell at least one of them because, they're basically the same thing and I could use the money to buy... MORE FLUTES! Specifically an Irish piccolo. Those cost around thirty bucks on Ebay. Shinobue flutes rarely show up anywhere and sell for around fifty bucks at the cheapest. And people still fight over them on Ebay! However, it's still cheaper than Japanese Ryuteki flutes that I've seen for no cheaper than 100 bucks... And Korean flutes take the cheese at absolutely no cheaper than $1,000! Maybe when I'm a famous musician, but... Maybe I'll ask the muffin man!

The dragon flute is proving hard because I can't get the sound to come out right for about half of the notes, but... Isn't that where I always start out with a new flute? I've been working at it, so it won't be too long before I can play some real music. I'm mostly excited because of the history and legends behind Dragon flutes! Japanese actually adopted their Ryuteki flute from the Chinese and, like many things Japanese, used it as their own before remaking their own, truly Japanese version. Shinobue.

Odd enough, after all of this... I don't have a plain bamboo flute. Ordinary bamboo flutes are different because di zi flutes because di zi flutes have a VERY distinctive sound because the space to the left of the mouth hole is so much longer than other flutes and they have a hole for tuning that I've never seen on any other flute. Bamboo flutes are easily distinguishable from Shinobue flutes because Shinubue flutes have seven finger holes, not six. And Ryuteki flutes aren't bamboo flutes because... Ryuteki flutes don't sound like anything else I've ever heard. Ordinary bamboo flutes never come with just one or two at a time, either. You have to buy these ridiculous packages with anywhere from 18 to 62. I just want one, because they're so cheap. That package of 62 was about fifty bucks, which is less than a dollar per flute, but it's still fifty bucks for... 62 of the exact same thing. I'm guessing they're either really easy to make or they just brake easily. Which is odd because I can't imagine the process of making them is that different than making Shinobue flutes.

Well, I'm up to four Irish jigs mamorized on my Irish flute, and I can play all of the half-hole notes. They're horribly out of time, but they're not just air anymore!

In case you're wondering, I only do transverse flutes (side-blown). I will NEVER have a shakuhachi, Xiao, or Native American flute simply because half of the fun of a flute, in my opinion, is getting the sound to come out, which is only hard to do because they're side-blown. Plus, there's something about transverse flutes that just makes them so much more... Pretty, which is what got me into the flute in the first place, so I'm sticking with them! Even if Xiao and Hichiriki are fun to say. Ok, so Hichiriki is more like an oboe, but... The reeds are impossible to find at a price below fifty bucks! I would never try inflicting such an instrument on either my brother or  my "Little Buddy" that is both taller than me and plays the oboe.

Meanwhile, I've been listening to this because I love Ryuteki flutes because the music is fascinating and they're pretty and out of my price range! I so badly want one, but the cheapest I've found a nice Ryuteki flute is $80. T-T I will save the money! Once I find a place to buy bamboo the right size, I'm selling lots of Shinobue flutes for cheap so people will buy them and I WILL get a Ryuteki flute and play it ALL the time!!

Working at my flute solo... I still suck. I get to play piccolo for Perthire Majesty by Samuel Hazo, which is AWESOME! This --> [link]

Fluteness! That's right, I love my music!

Still writing away!