Please read our privacy policy to learn how to completely disable cookies in your web browser, basic tools to make a Native American style flutes, How to Make Brach Flute – Part 8: Finishes, How to Build a Jig for Drilling Branch Flutes, How to Make Branch Flute – Part 7: Sound and Tuning, How to Make Branch Flute – Part 6: Sanding and Gluing, How to Make Branch Flute – Part 5: Creating the Sound Mechanism, How to Make Branch Flute – Part 4: Carving the Main Chambers, How to Use Native American Style Flute in Film Scoring, Beauty in Imperfection. Try to cut out some pieces of the surface. This way, the branch will receive additional reinforcements and it should not warp and break as a result of drying process. And I’m going to do so in such way that you have all the necessary information so that you can turn most of your branches into flutes. A couple of branch flutes I made. Article from flutecraft.org. If you can’t dry the wood outside, you can just leave it somewhere in your home – place it in a room where it is dry – don’t use a kitchen, bathroom, basement, because there is too much moisture there. When the weight loss is slowing down until it’s only 1/4 of the “W” factor, and this continues for another two or three weeks, we’re done with drying. If you don’t have to, don’t cut out a branch out of a living tree, when there is a lot of stand-alone branches already on the ground. How to Make Branch Flute - Part 5. Create a simple table, where you can mark the day the branch was collected, and the dates of weighting along with the weight. But the reality is – let’s start with something small. Everything you need to know. And it loses volume, meaning: it shrinks. Once the branch is dry enough, it is ready to be turned into a flute. To make a bamboo flute, you’ll need a drill, a rotary tool such as a Dremel, and attachments for it. Just replace “branch” with any type of lumber you have that is already to proper dimensions. It doesn’t require too many skills nor tools nor strength to create your first, basic flute that sounds great. "Calm Forest" is a Native American Flute songbook for beginners. How to make branch flute. It requires you to do some math. How to Make Branch Flute - Part 5. To make a flute that plays in the key of A, you'll need a 14 inch length of "pipe"... for the key of F, an 18 inch section... and for the key of D, a 21 inch piece. The chambers as far as being round did not seam to make any difference. Then I will explain how to carve the inner chambers, how to create the nest and sound mechanism, and finally how to tune the branch flute to pentatonic scale. Create a nest and sound mechanism – then create a sound mechanism that … The branches were simply lying there for months, up to one year, and that was enough to make them dry enough. Often, a dry branch can be found in the forest, if it got broke off from the tree. This question has inspired me since the beginning of my flute making journey. Along with the dryer…. In this lesson on how to make branch flute you will learn what kind of branches you should look for, and how to dry a branch so that it is ready to be turn into a Native American style flute. But if you dry it too quickly, or you carve it too soon and glue it back together, the branch will continue to dry, but its structure will have a hard time adjusting and breaks will appear. To speed up the process of drying, you can build a simple “kiln” to dry the branches. The surprise of finding the right branch to become a branch flute Although I regularly make branch flutes, usually finding branches for flutes is unexpected. Or, in simpler words: measure the weight of the branch as it dries – when it stops loosing weigth, it’s dry and ready :). Examine the branch to see which way will be the top of the flute. Next month on the very same day, weight the branch again and write the date along with the weight in the table. Example of good and bad branches for a branch flute. You should look for two kinds of branches: Now, you can collect long branches and short branches. This is important, because at first you should really seek softwood, not the hardwood. Last week I was adding the four new branch flutes to the 'family tree' (below), and today's 'kid' is the one closest to the anaconda-size 'trunk' flute at the bottom. It allows us to truly express our inner creativity and attend the crafting process from the very start to very finish, from taking effort to find the proper branch, through patience to dry it, to art in order to turn it into a musical instrument. Crafting Flutes, How to Make Branch Flute April 4th, 2015. It is hard to find the right branch in this wood species. Learn how to build Native American style flutes made of branches (but don't worry, the skills and knowledge applies to NAFs made of other wood, too). Refer to … For example, let’s say that the “W” is 10 grams each week – it means that each week the branch loses 10 grams. Please read our privacy policy to learn how to completely disable cookies in your web browser, make a Native American style branch flute, How to Make Brach Flute – Part 8: Finishes, How to Build a Jig for Drilling Branch Flutes, How to Make Branch Flute – Part 7: Sound and Tuning, How to Make Branch Flute – Part 6: Sanding and Gluing, How to Make Branch Flute – Part 5: Creating the Sound Mechanism, How to Make Branch Flute – Part 4: Carving the Main Chambers, How to Use Native American Style Flute in Film Scoring, Beauty in Imperfection. Create a simple table, where you can mark the day the branch was collected, and the dates of weighting along with the weight. I suggest to look for branches that have fallen down from a tree and are already dry in most past. It takes patience if you can’t find a dry branch and you have to wait a couple of months, but it’s better to wait, than have to remake the flute if it splits on its own. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. Every branch is unique. Try to drill the inside holes. Like on the branch number 2, the lower area below the offshot is good, it can be cut off and split into two. Finally repeat with the 3-tubes pan flute. I let the shape of the branch decide this for me. Be sure to check my Native American Flute songbook, Calm Forest, available for Kindle and as Paperback. sharing the beauty of native american flutes since 2014. When stored inside, the branch should be seasoned for half a year or even a year, at minimum. When you cut a branch you want an already dead branch with the bark still on. When I was starting out with my flute craft journey, I prefered branches because they already had the necessary round shape and since I had no lathe or other tools to round the wood, and I had problems with a wood itself, the branches easily available were an obvious choice. Knots in the branch are not welcome that much – the clearer the branch is, the better for the flutemaker. When you find the right place, take a piece of yarn and wrap it around the ends of the first group of five of tubes (C, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb, E). In order to make a Native American style branch flute, you need to follow the steps: Grab a branch – find a proper branch and dry it, so that it’s perfect for your own flute. Oh, and be careful not to focus the Sun’s rays – or your branches will turn to ash. That’s why it’s a better idea to dry a branch before making a flute out of it. How to Make Branch Flute. It is an ability to create wonderful instrument with your own hands. I recommend using a branch of pine, spruce or similar soft wood at first – soft wood is good for beginners. These branch flute by far are my favotite. Instead, I will guide you now through phases of turning a branch into a flute explaining the math behind the flute, so that you can apply it to any branch you find. What surprises happen in making branch flutes! Also, it’s simpler to make short flutes work than to make long flutes work. Learn how to create the heart of the Native American Flute - the sound mechanism with true sound hole and windway. It’s normal – but after few branches, you will figure out how to make it sound good. September 2020. There is a different approach to drying a branch. Split the branch in half. For now, I will teach you how to make split flutes, because building a machine to drill the branches is a lot more complex and requires more tools, time, money and space. Split the branch and carve the chambers – split the branch in two, and use chisels to carve the two inner chambers of the flute. Branches 2 and 3 are not good – they can be drilled, or cut on a band saw, but it may not be possible to split them with a  knife, because they have too many knots/offshot areas. It's available as e-book for Kindle on Amazon. Photo: Mike Oitzman, September 30, 2008. 6 Steps to Make a Branch Flute. Jul 3, 2020 - In this lesson on how to make a Native American style branch flute, you will learn how to prepare a workspace and split the branch … I sanded it, I created a nest, I played with a knife only to see how the wood behaves – what may go wrong, how many pieces can be cut out accidentaly, what kind of pressure and strenght I need to apply for this type of wood and such. The branch should be 9 to 12 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Or you can simply tune the notes of the flute to each other, in the do‑re‑mi pattern, with the low note as do. I will guide you from start to finish on your flutemaking journey. How to make a Native American Style Flute from a branch: Dry the branch. Cut a small wedge from the branch about an 1 1/2 inches from the end of the branch. Just remember to put some alluminium foil to reflect the heat; place the branches on a rack, for example made of wooden or metal dowels so the heat can surround the branches, and make sure you make holes in the dryer, so the air can flow through – this way, mold should not develop inside the solar dryer. Measure and mark with a pen the centre point of the branch 5 inches in length and 1/2 inch in diameter. To do so, you need some cardboard box, some lightbulbs and alluminium foil. double branch flute. They’re “dead”, so their drying time will be shorter than a drying time of a branch that has been just cut from the tree. As the branch dries, it loses weight. Any lichen growing on the branch can even be preserved, as in the English Walnut branch flute pictured to the right. A quick, non-branch related tip for amateur woodworkers. The wood is so dense that the branches usually crack before they can be harvested. 21-3/8" overall length of the flute. At first, you may make a lot of mistakes, like me when I was just starting out. Make sure to angle the cut. For tuning, the notes of the flute can be compared to the notes of a piano, pitchpipe, or other tuning instrument. Crafting a flute out of a branch is a careful and true art of craft – it requires care, patience and enjoyment in what you do. Its bark can create wonderful textures, too. May 20, 2018 - In this tutorial on making a Native American branch flute, you will learn how to create the main chambers of the instrument. First, you need a branch – it can be collected in a local forest, or in your garden if you have proper trees growing there. In order to make a Native American style branch flute, you need to follow the steps: Generally, these are the main steps to turn a branch into a flute. You will learn how to find a branch, what kind of branches are good for flutes and what kind of branches are not good, and you will learn how to dry the branch, so that becomes ready to be turned into a flute. Read the book! Sanding the bore of a branch flute … They are covered with shellac which gives them this “yellowish” look. ... make a flute? This entire series of tutorials will cover all these elements in details, so that you learn how to craft the flute. Make 2-3 turn, then knot the end and trim the exceeding yarn. I collect my branches in local woods. The branch should remain this way for a couple of months until it’s dry enough. I have made too many cane flute to remember. Go to the Hill at the top of the map and grab the stick from the bottom left corner of the screen. On the photo below, you see my idea of great branches for flutes and bad branches for flutes. After strong winds or storms, a lot of branches breaks and falls down. The next tutorial will cover the branches. Let’s call this a “W” factor. Continue to weight the branch and make notes for the next few months. Learn how to recognize them by looking at them, their leafs or needles, or their bark etc. It’s a good idea to do some test work. This method of making flute is typically used by makers who build highly individualized instruments and craft flutes one at a time. Never put green elderberry branches in your mouth. Partake in this traditional form of playing music while learning more about the endangered elderberry beetle and bush. By starting with a green branch the finished flute can still radiate signs that the dryad , spirit, or life force of a tree is inhabiting it, though now the leaves of that branch be music. When I was just starting out, I had a room in my place that was unoccupied, and it was very sunny at the same time. A flute out of bamboo is one of the most common musical instruments. Without the glue, the branch shouldn’t break or split during the drying process. The ring should be approximately 2 … Learn how to build Native American style flutes made of branches (but don't worry, the skills and knowledge applies to NAFs made of other wood, too). It's available as e-book for Kindle on Amazon. Learn the anatomy of the Native American Flute first. Either you split the branch and use chisels to carve the inner chambers, or you drill the branch. Also, even if you split the branch, it may be very hard to carve through the knot, because it’s much harder part of the wood. Carving recorders from wood makes a great hobby, and with a little patience and some basic knowledge, you can make your own recorders to play, collect or even sell. A member of “The Flute Portal” recently asked about sanding the bore of a sunflower stalk flute he is working on. Use a chisel and a long screwdriver to carve out the centre of the branch, removing the pithy substance until the centre is hollow. Jon published a post on his website with some general info regarding the kiln: check it out here. Make your first mark about 1 1/2 inches from the "head" of the flute. For example, you can watch Steve Ramsay’s channel – his videos are not focused on flutes, but on different wood projects, but just by watching how others do things, you can learn a lot. Note nuances of shape. "Calm Forest" is a Native American Flute songbook for beginners. If it does, the breaks are small and can be filled with some artistic inlay, like with crushed minerals, that fill the breaks with help of epoxy glue. I had not yet split it, only cut the mouthpiece area (which is on the right end) and sanded the rough areas off the flute Pick up some piece of a type of a wood that you wish to make flutes with. A pre-drilled branch dries quicker, because it has smaller volume and greater evaporation space. This is an idea I’ve found on the website of Jon Sherman who makes his famous “Dryad Flutes” made of unsplitted branches. Branch number 4 is pretty good :). There is some kind of magic in this uniqueness. Also, if you make a flute out of a branch that is not dry enough, it will continue to dry and even if it doesn’t break or split on its own, you will lose the tuning and you will have to re-tune the flute again. Sometimes, a branch found in a forest may not be dry, but already rotted – rotted branches cannot be turned into flutes, because they’re soft and fragile. There is a simple way to figure out if the branch is dry enough. I remove the bark and let it sit in a protected place. Basically, two strong lightbulbs heat the box filled wtih alluminium foil, and branches lie down above the lightbulbs, on a rack. The branch used to make this flute was harvested from a Rocky Mountain Maple tree. Also, it’s a good idea to bind the branch together with straps or twine after removing the clamps used for glueing. You’ll also need a general purpose hand-held sander, masking tape, a saw, a ruler or measuring tape, and a box cutter or sharp knife. Lightbulbs and alluminium foil, and already dry in most past 1 inch in diameter to, ’. Some test work and subscribe to new posts via RSS or via email was just starting out, but can! To lumber bought in how to make a branch flute hardware store or lumber stock Janka wood hardness.... Will focus on splitting the branch looses every week or thin and have. Do some test work this, but you can build a simple to! And carving the inner chambers, or you drill the branch with the tip of your.. 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