Questions from a begginer

[barbao]

Hi all. My name is Marcelo, I'm from Brazil, currently living in Argentina. I'm Mandarim (both Simplified and Traditional) student and I love almost everything related to China (taoism, tai chi chuan, moveis, books) and of course the music. I know how to play the flute and the recorder, so it was natural my interest for dizi and xiao. I have one of each, but they were made by a luthier here in Argentina. Both are incredible, made with care and they sound great. But... of course they are not "genuine".

Next September I'm going to Taiwan and China and one of my goals is to buy the real one. My question then: regardless of the money, is it worth to buy the whole set of dizis, which mean 11 flutes? CarriotMusic in Hong Kong, for example, sells 4 soprano (F,G,A,Bb), 3 Alto (C,D,E) and 4 Bass (F,G,A,Bb). Would you buy all of them or is it just some crazy thought of a begginer?

Thanks!

[edcat7]

Hi Marcelo and welcome. If you are going to China and Taiwan in September it would be like my kids in an Apple store. (A few years ago I would have said candy or toy shop ) I envy your opportunity to try before you buy directly in a shop.

I would get in order of importance: D,C,G,F, low G and if you are advanced E. Have a look at a C hulusi and possibly a F. Xuns are good fun too. Sorry I can't advise on xiaos.

Also just for fun get a white flowing Tai Chi uniform and tea from Taiwan. Buy your instruments from China as I understand it costs far more in Taiwan.

best wishes

Ed

[barbao]

Thanks edcat7. It will sure be a great trip. As the Argentinian say: I'm happier than a dog with two tails. Thanks for the advices on which dizis I should buy. One more question: the criteria for your order of importance. I'd like to know why this is like this (there are more song in D than F, for example). I am not questioning your answer just like to know how and why you came to this order. Thanks a lot!

[edcat7]

Lately I've spent very little time on the dizi preferring my erhu instead. At best (so far) my dizi was at intermediate level. The hulusi is an instrument I've played when asked to perform at very short or no notice.

A lot of tunes are composed in D and for me the finger stretch is ideal. I bought a C dizi for my first and so far serious piece Gusu Xing. A lot of tunes are composed in G and I suggested to my teacher I practise G tunes as the same time I was practising the key of G on the erhu.

However my teacher is only really interested in playing tunes which interest him and his G dizi pieces are quite advanced. To be honest I have not used the F dizi much. The low G dizi I was given and so far only use it to play "Autumn meditation at the dressing table". The E dizi I got solely to play another piece which is at the moment too advanced for me.

If you know where to look and don't pay tourist rates you should be able to get a dizi cheaper than buying online and paying for postage. But the most important thing about buying direct in a shop is that you can choose the best in a whole bunch.

Flo and David are regulars on this forum and are far better dizi players than me and will give you further advice.

ps. I'm going to play Wailing River on a D dizi after I have learnt it on the erhu. On the erhu it's played in Bb and C but somehow Flo manages a brilliant rendition of it on a D dizi.

hope this helps.

[davidmdahl]

Welcome to the forum, Marcelo. I sometimes play dizi in a Chinese music ensemble. So far, I have only needed flutes in the keys of D and G, and G being the most common. This may depend on the ensemble. Most full dizi sets are made up of budget quality flutes. If you want well-playing dizi flutes that play in tune, it is best to acquire them one by one when you find a dizi that really sings. I suggest that the keys of G, D, and C are the most useful and enjoyable. It is possible that an ensemble will also play a tune in F, but that is pretty rare. When you play tunes by yourself, choose whatever key you like. If a tune is indicated in a particular key like D, you might need to play a D dizi when in an ensemble, but by yourself, play it on a C dizi. I prefer dizi flutes in the keys of Bb-C-D, since they don't require much of a finger stretch, and the embouchure is comfortable. A high G dizi has relatively cramped finger holes, and the embouchure requires more focus. However, this is a great dizi for playing in an ensemble, and is a popular choice. The low G dizi has a great sound, but requires an advanced finger technique due to the large stretch.

It is great when you can choose the best dizi from a batch, and a big advantage when a vendor will let you do that. Even expensive dizi flutes from well-respected makers will vary. If you find a dizi that you really like, it almost does not matter what key it is in. If you plan to play in ensembles, then certainly make sure you have the standard keys covered. I don't recommend buying a dizi in every key though unless you really like each of the flutes. I have found it more useful to have duplicates of D and G keys so I have a dizi ready to go if I mess up a membrane during a gig.

Best wishes,

David

[barbao]

Thanks a lot, David. Very useful information. Now everything is much clearer.