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Post by andrea83 on Jun 21, 2013 10:14:05 GMT
Hi everyone, I'm Andrea from Italy. Thanks for this wonderful forum, it's very interesting and helpful! I'm writing 'cause I got some problems in making a bawu, well not really in making but in making it play well. I took some measures on the web (I post it now so you can see) and make a bawu in bamboo. I made also the reed from brass, but it didn't play well. it does play completely out of tune with no difference in opening or closing many holes. So I ordered some reeds from china, but the problems still stays. What could be the problem? really thanks for attention! Have a nice day! Andrea  |
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Post by davidmdahl on Jun 21, 2013 18:35:34 GMT
Welcome to the forum, Andrea! I am impressed that you are so ambitious as to make a bawu. I am afraid that I can't offer any useful advice out of experience, but have you examined and played a known working bawu? If you haven't, it might be useful to check your playing technique on an instrument of known functionality. Then you can compare your own bawu with the Chinese-made instrument and identify the differences.
Many people attempt to play the bawu at first without blowing hard enough. It takes a lot more pressure than you might think. It could be that your bawu is fine, but you just need to blow harder. If you don't get much of an effect from covering the finger holes, then this is good clue that either you need to blow harder, or your reed needs adjustment.
Can we hear what your bawu sounds like? That might help us to figure out what is wrong. You might post a video on Youtube or an audio file (eg. MP3) on another website, and post the link here.
Best wishes,
David
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Post by edcat7 on Jun 21, 2013 23:42:18 GMT
Hi and welcome,
Unlike a dizi the bawu is blocked at the end. What key is it supposed to be in? The most common keys for the bawu is G and F.
I've just noticed, a bawu has six holes plus another for the thumb. I've not seen a eight-hole bawu before.
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Post by davidmdahl on Jun 22, 2013 1:05:52 GMT
Hi and welcome, Unlike a dizi the bawu is blocked at the end. What key is it supposed to be in? The most common keys for the bawu is G and F. I've just noticed, a bawu has six holes plus another for the thumb. I've not seen a eight-hole bawu before. My bawu is open at the foot end, although the opening is small. I think that the hole in the drawing nearest the foot is a vent, rather than a finger hole. My bawu has such a hole. Best wishes, David |
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Post by andrea83 on Jun 22, 2013 17:23:07 GMT
Hi! thanks for answering!
to david:
I got a bit experience in making other kinds of flutes. you're right, with an original bawu it would be easier to understand.
but I got a hulusi and I know what you mean with "blowing harder". but that's not the problem (at least I think so)
anyway I'm gonna do another bawu as soon as I can with other measures to be sure and make some recordings so you can hear.
thanks again!
Andrea
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Post by Blue on Jun 22, 2013 19:18:20 GMT
Yep, the rightmost hole is a vent that is also often found on dizis and xiaos. Would serve either an excellent place to connect a tassel or a loop to hang the flute. The author of that bawu schematic ( devotewht.blog.163.com/) seems to be an engineer as this is another of his drawings of a totally different subject:  7-hole (excluding thumb hole) bamboo flutes are very common among Shinobues as well as the bamboo flute that I encountered in Hanoi. Xiaos nowadays have 7-holes (ignoring the thumb hole). Therefore, it shouldn't be that surprising to encounter a bawu design with 7 non-thumb finger holes. On the other hand, I've even encountered purple bamboo short xiaos that have six non-thumb finger holes instead of the standard five or seven. Therefore, anything goes. You can ask for a custom-made xiao that has the fingering of a quena, but the notch and bamboo material of a dongxiao! |
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Post by andrea83 on Jun 23, 2013 6:44:39 GMT
Hi! I think that the vent holes are important to improve intonation in flutes. you can find them even in indian bansuri, but in india it has nothing to do with "hanging" or something like that.
you can find them also in bulgarian kaval and in irish flutes and still they're important to achieve a perfect intonation in the higher notes.
anyway they weren't part of my problem.
thanks.
Andrea
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