advice on Native Amer. flute

Subject: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: leeneia
Date: 19 Apr 19 - 01:58 PM

A friend has been given a Native American flute with maker's initials TM on it. It doesn't make any sound when blown into. My breath is blocked; doesn't flow.

Just to reassure ya'll, I have a different NA flute in the house, and I can play it just fine.

The guys think we need to make a trough between the two holes which are under "the bird." This will not be easy.

I'm wondering who TM was and if we can ask him (or her) about this. Or maybe there is a different, simpler answer entirely.

Anybody familiar with the mechanics of these flutes?

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 19 Apr 19 - 03:08 PM

If you find or upload a picture we may be able to help. Every type of flute requires its own lip position. In the end it will come down to experimenting. I have several flutes out of which I seem to be the only person to get a sound. None of them NA though.

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: Jack Campin
Date: 19 Apr 19 - 03:49 PM

I suspect that "bird" may have slipped out of position. Does your breath flow into it at all, or is it like blowing into the end of a broomstick?

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 19 Apr 19 - 05:51 PM

I have now updated my knowledge about the instrument. Blowing technique is not the problem. I agree with Jack.

A modern hollow broomstick can make a wonderful didgeridoo, though.

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: leeneia
Date: 19 Apr 19 - 06:07 PM

Yes, Jack, it is like blowing into a broomstick.

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: Jack Campin
Date: 19 Apr 19 - 06:46 PM

OK, the air isn't getting through from the mouthpiece to the labium. I presume you can get the "bird" off, they're usually tied on with thread. You need to see how to get the air channel open. It'll probably be obvious.

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: leeneia
Date: 20 Apr 19 - 01:44 PM

Yes, the problem is almost certainly that the trough between the two airholes is not deep enough. I'm still hoping to locate TM, who made it, to see if s/he can fix it.

I've watched a video that shows someone making such a flute. He took a bent steel rod of exactly the right diameter, heated it almost to red hot and burned the trough into the wood. Not exactly a handy way to do it.

And now the flute has varnish and oil on it.

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 20 Apr 19 - 02:11 PM

As Jack wrote, you should try to reposition the movable part. Flute makers with a ™ rarely sell effective solid broomsticks.

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: leeneia
Date: 20 Apr 19 - 04:08 PM

It's not movable. It's part of the bore.

TM are the maker's initials - engraved on the bore in a flowing script.

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 20 Apr 19 - 04:37 PM

I see, Leeneia. The model Jack and I were thinking of has a separate "bird" forming the upper part of the windway, tied to the corpus with a string and thus prone to displacement.

"™" is of course one of my jokes; still I cannot imagine that they sell you something they never tried out.

If you need more advice, point us to a picture of a similar instrument. Good luck otherwise!

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: Jack Campin
Date: 20 Apr 19 - 05:44 PM

There will be a plug under the windway. Maybe that got pushed up or down the bore, blocking one end or other of the windway so air can't get through.

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: leeneia
Date: 21 Apr 19 - 10:36 AM

I'll check for that.

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: leeneia
Date: 21 Apr 19 - 07:56 PM

The block is traditionally one with the bore, so it is unlikely to have moved.

I have found two TM's, Turtle Mound and Terry Mack. Let's see what they say.

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: leeneia
Date: 23 Apr 19 - 11:34 AM

Heck. Turtle Mountain and Ms. Terry Mack have both responded that the flute is not their work. Both responded promptly and kindly, and they deserve thanks and credit.

According to Wikipedia, some such flutes have a flattish piece, "the nest", below the bird. I hope that's not it, because nests are hard to duplicate.

Anybody know a flute maker with initials TM?

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 23 Apr 19 - 01:20 PM

Could it be "Tourist Mockery"? A very industrious maker of all kinds of decorative "instruments", active worldwide! Too bad they don't have a service department, and their warranty expires after three seconds.

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: leeneia
Date: 28 Apr 19 - 08:48 AM

Who would sell, or who would buy, a silent flute?

Here's a video of the making of such a flute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9vPurRGb7o&t=1139s

Notice the process at 13 minutes where the wood is burned away from the block under the "bird." In my flute, the wood in that spot is unfinished. It probably swelled in Missouri's temperamental climate and blocked the flow of air.

My dear Husband, the DH, has burned the block further and used carving tools to finish the job. I played the part of Princess Summerfallwinterspring, searching the internet and holding the flute steady. The flute is now playing softly and sweetly. It's in a major key, or close to it.

There's a fine crack along a grainline near the top, and I can feel air coming out of it. The DH will drill small holes at each end to stop propagation of the crack and then fill it with resorcinal glue, taking care not to get glue in the bore. The flute should play louder then.

Subject: RE: advice on Native Amer. flute
From: leeneia
Date: 09 May 19 - 11:59 AM

After delays caused by visiting relatives, the DH added some more glue. The flute is playing beautifully now. It's in the key of D, if you go along with the fact that the lowest note is F#. It's fun to play.

The crack I mentioned above was not just along a grainline. It probably started at the longitudinal join and then went up into the grainline. For some reason, that led to two different gluing sessions.

He applied the glue, put popsicle sticks around the outside away from the glue and then put a hose clamp or two over the popsicle sticks sticks to apply pressure. Then we waited at least ten hours.

For the first minutes, the flute was so breathy, it sounded like a cross between a flute and a rainstick, but very soon that went away, and now it's playing just fine.

Thanks, tM, whoever you are.