Request for Tang-Xiao measurements

[ambientflute]

Hi there! I have a somewhat weird request. I'm in de process of building my own Xiao's. I have first bought a set of 3 Ren Xiao-blanks and managed to build a flute that's in tune and plays OK. After that I build several bamboo-fluits with the same measurements, with mixed results; most flutes cracked and I had problems with the tuning.

Are there owners of Tang-xiaos on the forum that are willing to take measurements of their instruments? My idea is to take all the measurements and use the average to have a starting point.  It would really be appreciated. The flute that I want to build is a Tang-xiao in F:

Measurements:

Total length:

Inner diameter at mouthpiece: 

Possible info on taper of the bore:

Lenght from mouthpiece to
1st hole (thumb):
2nd hole:
3rd hole:
4th hole:
5th hole:
6th hole:
7th hole:
8th hole:

If possible also the diameter of the holes.

I'll keep the forum up to date on the building process!

[dizixiao]

I have a Xiao with tang mouth piece,but it quite different from Winson. Each xiao is quite different from each other. I am not sure having different measurement will help you.

[ambientflute]

May 9, 2019 14:29:33 GMT dizixiao said:

I have a Xiao with tang mouth piece,but it quite different from Winson. Each xiao is quite different from each other. I am not sure having different measurement will help you.

I realise that not every flute will have the same placement of the holes, (mainly because of the diameter of the bamboo). My idea is to start with a existing flute (Shakuhachi Yuu). My idea is to fill the holes with resin (the flute is made of resin in the first place). I'm pondering to make the flute longer by inserting a piece in the middle to make it 2.0 (F/C). I can drill (and fill and redrill if necessary) the new holes. Most of my music I'm performing is for a F/C flute, hence my reason the make the flute longer.

The reason to use a resin-flute comes from 2 ideas: the possibillity to refill/redrill the holes and thus finding the right position for the holes and to prevent using bamboo. I've ordered 4 bamboo-flutes in the last year and a half: none of them were in in tune and 3 cracked. So I started looking for other options: I already have a Yuu flute and am also looking at the Bell-shakuhachi (made by Jon Kypros).

My request for the measurements is to prevent from having to drill too many holes. I have already made several flutes so far, with mixed results. My Ren Xiao-kit plays wonderful and is in tune. Also: the more measurents I have the better I get into the ballpark with the resin-flute.

[phoenixiao]

This video is interesting. It's in Chinese but you can make out what Winson is trying to demonstrate regarding length of the flute and how the pentatonic scale is formed when lengths of 1/3 are reduced/added to the flute.



youtu.be/JkSL5mtrGI4