Need Low G Fingering Chart (7 finger holes)

[noppadon]

Hi,Everyone

I 'm new here.I 'm looking for Low G Dizi with 7 finger holes
fingering chart. If anyone have it or know where or how to have,plese let me know.

[davidmdahl]

Here is a sheet with a chart that includes several keys:



Best wishes,

David

[laplandgerard]

Thanks, great help for me as well. I just came home with my first Dizi and Xiao. Has been a long time since I was on this forum but probably will check back more...

[Taurwen]

Hi, David...
Does this fingering chart apply to all dizis? I don't understand any chinese at all... So I can't read what the text says!
Thanks!
- Pavel

[davidmdahl]

It is not necessary to read Chinese, but the chart is in jianpu, the numeric notation. You can read up on jianpu at www.wikipedia.org. The chart indicates fingering in several different keys, from left to right: G, D, C, A, E. The number 1 indicates the pitch with the three left hand notes covered.

Check out the Wikipedia article first and then post your questions here.

Best wishes,

David

[Taurwen]

Hi!
I've read the wikipedia article... However, I think I understood it wrong, I understood that numerical notation is relative to the key of the music... So that 1 would be a C for an instrument in C, an F for an instrument in F, and so on. Thanks for the reply!

[davidmdahl]

May 1, 2010 21:33:10 GMT Taurwen said:

Hi!
I've read the wikipedia article... However, I think I understood it wrong, I understood that numerical notation is relative to the key of the music... So that 1 would be a C for an instrument in C, an F for an instrument in F, and so on. Thanks for the reply!

You have it mostly right. I would take the instrument qualification out of it. In the key of C, 1=C, 2=D, 3=E and so on. A fingering chart for a dizi in C will assume "1" (C) is the pitch played with the left hand holes covered. You can also play that C dizi in the key of G if you remap your thinking so that 1 = G with all six holes covered.

Best wishes,

David

[nicole]

This particular fingering chart is for a standard 6 holed dizi, right? Does the 7th hole on the large dizi affect the fingering chart, or is this an extra hole to help with tuning?
Sorry....new to this!

[davidmdahl]

May 23, 2010 20:54:02 GMT nicole said:

This particular fingering chart is for a standard 6 holed dizi, right? Does the 7th hole on the large dizi affect the fingering chart, or is this an extra hole to help with tuning?
Sorry....new to this!

I don't play a 7 hole dizi so my comments are worth what you paid for them. I would suppose that the answer to your questions is 'yes'. When the 7th hole is covered or plugged, it will have no effect on the pitch of a sounding note, and the fingering of the other holes will be according to the chart. When uncovered, the extra hole will provide some assistance in playing non-diatonic notes in tune.

There is no standard fingering chart for a 7 hole dizi, so you will have to work out your own fingering.

Best wishes,

David

[xindi]

May 23, 2010 20:54:02 GMT nicole said:

This particular fingering chart is for a standard 6 holed dizi, right? Does the 7th hole on the large dizi affect the fingering chart, or is this an extra hole to help with tuning?
Sorry....new to this!

The fingering for the 6 and 7 hole dizis are virtually identical. Where they differ, the 7 hole dizi has a hole, for instance, in the Key of G - a split 'key' into two holes. Thus, one hole plays F natural, and the other hole plays F sharp, rather than having to do cross-fingerings. It is a feature of the bass range of dizis and it does help with tonal consistency across the octaves. Thus, when you look at the 6 fingered chart for the 7 fingered chart, just merge the index and ring finger keys of the left hand as one whole tone (or two semi-tones).

[davidmdahl]

I recently purchased a seven-hole low G dizi from Eason Music, and am wrestling with the fingering change. On this flute the seventh hole is in the right hand. In effect, the right hand middle hole of a six hole flute is two holes on a seven hole flute. The middle and ring fingers of the right hand cover these holes as one unit, unless playing an accidental. The pinky covers the last finger hole.

Thanks to Sung Wah for straightening me out on the fingering. Now I have to get a dimo on this big boy and get it to sound like a dizi.

Best wishes,

David

[noppadon]

Thanks everyone.I almost forget what I 've asked.
My dizi is same model as david.
Due to It's quite long.I feel strain at my left hand when play for several minutes.
Anyway I do love it's sound.

[xindi]

Wow - your second post and you've returned to your thread

Great to see the two of you have joined the low G club! Yes the finger stretch for the left hand is a surprise, but after a while (if you persist for 5 minutes a day at least!) it becomes second nature.

Btw - of the low G dizis I've seen from different manufacturers, they all vary ever so slightly in length and finger hole placement - by up to a few centimetres in length, and enough to make it comfortable or uncomfortable for a finger stretch.

...the low F dizi is a real challenge compared to the low G dizi! Not sure about the double bass ones yet ... still haven't found what I'm looking for .... but the tone of these deep bass flutes is just mellow heaven.

[noppadon]

I will try your tip xindi.I 'm interesting in double bass dizi too but not sure about the brand.
I 've seen only XB at Eason Music.

[xindi]

Hi there,

I don't know if it helps - when I was learning the low F dizi, my tutor taught me to practice on 7 hole flutes with the bottom hole always covered, except for the note above. So for example - on your low G flute - the lowest note = 5 (dot under) with all holes covered. The little right finger is used in place at the hole for every other note, except all 6 (dot above; no dot; dot below) notes obviously. With this little right finger, covering the small key in place, the 7 hole di zi is practically a 6 hole hole 90% of the time.

This way, your dexterity will improve without the little finger getting in the way.

Try it and see - you'll find that for solo playing, the tonal difference is not that huge, but it makes the octave transitions easier, as well as moving between notes.


The Eason XB double bass dizi look alright. Their design is not that different from standard commercial double bass dizi made in Hangzhou (double di mo membrane; wooden U bend joint and bamboo type).

The problem at this size of dizi, is that there are so few specialist manufacturers, compared to standard dizis'. They are much harder to make, and there isn't that much variety. At that price though, I'd rather pay extra for a custom double bass dizi (key of D), since I'd only ever buy one double bass di zi.

I've already asked Eason, but still not heard back after the initial enquiries when they stocked the double bass XB di zi. I'm after a double bass dizi with the same quality as the rest of the dizi flutes I play. Maybe if you or other readers of this forum are interested, that would improve our chances of getting a custom low double bass dizi for Eason?

The kind of customisation I'm looking for based on the XB flute:

1. Oxhorn U bend joint
2. Marbled or clear oxhorn end caps (not black oxhorn or white oxbone)
3. Finger spacing for the left hand coverage not to exceed 9cm (otherwise I will need surgery to break my fingers and reset with an extra sixth finger to reach all the holes).

The double di mo holes are good - I'm happy with this design, since it's really hard work to get such a deep resonant flute to buzz with just one di mo hole.

Anyway, not sure anything will come of my asking, but I don't want a di zi which I know won't match the rest of my collection of di zi's I've carefully built up and handpicked over the years!

[vinh]

I bought a Performer Low G dizi a few months ago.

In order to check if my dizi is well tuned, I use my Korg's Electronic Guitar Tuner and find that my dizi is very good. The sound of each fingering is right on.

Therefore, if you want to produce yourself a fingering chart for your instrument, just use an electronic guitar tuner to check each sound. The tuner will tell you exactly what tone it is.

And this is the fingering chart for a 6 hole G dizi:
chinese-flute.com/learn_dizi_finger_chart.php#scale_1_key_2. Based on the same fingering and an extra hole on the chart, play each fingering and check the sound with the tuner. It's so easy.

Anyone can do it.

Let name the farest finger hole from the blowing hole is the hole 1, so the hole closest to your mouth is hole 7. Some of my dizi fingering chart are:
a.- all holes closed: D
b.- hole 1 opened: E
c.- holes 1 and 2 opened: F
d.- holes 1, 2 and 3 opened: F#
e.- holes 1, 2, 3 and 4 opened: G
f.- holes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 opened: A
g.- holes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 opened: B
h.- holes 5 and 6 closed: C
i.- all holes opened: C#
...

By the way, dizi key made in China is based on the first 3 holes closed not all holes closed.

[xindi]

Hi Vinh,

welcome to the forum and to the Low G dizi club!

Some of the older dizi's are not actually tuned to A=440Hz. At least the long tuning tenon allows for this variation, whereas 1 piece dizis (avoid!) and xiao flutes don't.

Does that mean, you have a six hole Low G dizi? Love to see an image if you do.

I've never seen one before. Only the seven hole Low G dizi flutes.

[vinh]

xindi,

My dizi is a 7 hole Low G dizi. Well, I do not have picture of that dizi now. You can see a typical pictures of that type of dizi at:
www.shoppingchinanow.com/shop/maestro-dizi-flute.html
this is where I ordered my dizi

My dizi is a 2 month old dizi. This dizi is tuned accuratly to A= 440Hz. I do not like to have metal joint thus this performer level dizi was ordered specially without joint (tuning tenon). I had to wait a month just for it fabrication.

[xindi]

That's certainly waiting 2 months for, a hand-finished/adjusted dizi! Yes I know that site - never ordered from them, but what impressed me was the complete consistency of reviews from their buyers over the past 4 years.

It looks standard, but as a one piece, it must be quite awesome with the same resonances in the head joint and body. Not an easy task to tune one piece.

It costs 2x more than my most expensive low G flute lol. I know some of the reviewers say, that these are the best flutes they have ever heard, but I would want to know, what exactly are the other flutes they have heard, before reaching my own conclusions lol.

Any chance you can post an image of the flute maker's chop or a sound clip?

[Blue]

This is actually a flute made by fandizhi (樊迪知) that I was previously talking about.
It takes approximately three weeks for him to handcraft the dizi which is either made of 湘妃竹 (mottled bamboo) or 蕲竹 (QiZhu). I took the risk and spent approximately US$100 including shipping to purchase directly from fandizhi. Here's the link of the flute that I actually received: www.fandizhi.com/shownews1.asp?id=1591

Yes, he literally posts on his website the flute you'll actually get!
I tried my new flute tuned in D over the weekend, and yes, the music is truly superb!
The flute is also the most beautiful flute I have ever encountered.
The only thing that frustrated me is that I cannot play high So and high La (OXXXXX and 0XX0XX).
You could argue that I have a more difficult time with high notes, but I could reasonably play high So and high La on both a bitter flute tuned in D and C. (But curiously, is it much easier to play high So and high La on lower pitched flutes?)

After a few videos e-mailed to him plus a phone call, I convinced him to let me mail the flute back to him to see if he could make adjustments so that it could be more playable in higher tunes. He said that he's surprised that there are problems at all since he was the one hand tuning it. He said that five to six years ago there may occasionally be problems, but he has reached maturity that these problems should no longer exist. Fortunately it's not that expensive to ship stuff between China and Taiwan, but it's just a hassle given my busy life at work.

I'm still trying to figure out if this is my problem in terms of blowing technique . . . maybe the flute maker made the margin of being able to blow high notes not that high for an intermediate player and he didn't sense a problem 'cause he's a pro flute player.

[Blue]

Let me rephrase my last statement:
I'm still trying to figure out if this is my problem in terms of blowing technique . . . maybe the flute maker made the margin of being able to blow high notes too high for an intermediate player and he didn't sense a problem 'cause he's a pro flute player.

[xindi]

(But curiously, is it much easier to play high So and high La on lower pitched flutes?)

Hi Allen,

This makes perfect sense - this is why I keep reiterating, that you might prefer an alto low pitched flute.

The embouchure is far more relaxed - the lower pitched the flute, the more relaxed it becomes. You clearly have some anatomical embouchure issue, which makes the higher pitched octave harder for you to attain - perhaps this will improve with practice, however bear in mind, after a year on a standard D key dizi, I still struggle to get 4.. (two dots above).

If you can translate for him, ask him to 'undercut' the embouchure even more, and widen it for more easy blowing. I'm not sure how these terms will translate into chinese, however the principles of flute blowing are the same: if you are finding the highest octave a pinch, then you will need to blow deeper 'into' the embouchure hole, using a faster upward directed airstream.

This is really exhausting - at least I find. The high pitched notes I make are ear piercing, which merely means, I have still got to learn embouchure control, so that I can pitch the note, and reduce the volume. Since I can't do both, it necessarily follows, that my embouchure control at the third octave ... is way less than perfected.

This is no surprise, since I rarely play such high pitched flutes. I think it is down to embouchure technique - and even on a lesser made flute, you would still hit the third octave, although the note may be rather unpleasant.

Yes - you may be correct: many professional flute makers (those who can play the flute - many can't!) do try to make a more 'focussed' embouchure - this requires more precision, but offers greater tone colour.

[Blue]

To my point of view
4.. = High Fa
5.. = High So
6.. = High La

4.. has never been a problem for me on an alto-D.
Most alto-D flutes I've encountered I don't have issues with 5..
But one-third of those alto-D flutes, I've had difficulty with 6..

I hope I didn't insult the flute maker, and maybe I'll by an alto-C from him as well after I see what happens to the alto-D flute. But he was polite.

[vinh]

Here are some pictures of my dizi.

Allen is right. My dizi look the same as the dizis made by Fandizhi. Unfortunatly, I dont know chinese to order other dizis directly from him.

Regards.

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[vinh]

and this

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