How to Make a Native American Flute Key of A

Learn how to make a Native American Flute tuned to the key of A. Be sure to check out our other videos for how to make and play Native American Flutes as well as other tips and tricks. Visit us at www.bluebearflu... and Look us up on Facebook!

[@sexyman8724]

I have made them in 3 different keys love a its more smooth and relaxing tone . You have helped . Me so much you just don't realize I got disabled last yr after 30yrs of work you have giving me New mining to life God bless hope I can get your book soon .as I get the money

[@Pef273]

Wow, you have made so many that you really make it look easy.

[@mitchellknight2538]

I am proud to say I own a couple of your flutes. Its nice to see the process that produces one of these great instruments.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thanks for watching my friend!

[@TheZooman22]

I still play my cedar flute that I bought on the Blue Bear Web Site. I also enjoyed trying to make several flutes from bamboo.

[@mikehampersr9560]

Yours are the most practical , and still the best- thanks Charlie - mike

[@napolsselvaraj7299]

You are a perfect flute maker with perfect machines and advanced tools. God bless!

[@nanavanr]

Luv all your videos & flutes are beautiful. Your dedication, patience, and willingness to share is commendable to say the least. Thank you & your family. Now to decide which flute to order!

[@jimmyross6009]

Beautiful Charley love it

[@henrycems]

Great video. I can see this is how my flute you made for me was made. Love learning how to play it. Thanks so much.

[@timothybutler7669]

Beautiful

[@jasonwalton1985]

Yeah, after watching several videos and doing some digging on some stuff I'd like to play, I'm wishing I'd ordered an A from you. Lol Titanic hymn of the sea is one of the things I want to play. And it was originally played on an A tin whistle.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

You can play that song on any key flute, but to sound exactly like the song, you might want the A. 🙂

[@jasonwalton1985]

@BlueBearFlutes I'm wanting to keep it as close to the original as possible. But adding the native american flute sound characteristic.

[@DustyKorpse]

Great video 👍🏻💚🙏

[@johnwilkinson5718]

Excellent

[@josephpotterf9459]

Thanks

[@phillipiacobacci1369]

Great video Charlie, this has helped me with a couple problem areas. As always your videos are full of great information. Thanks so much for all the work that you put into making the videos.

[@bo-be-qbarbecueausderseest1663]

thanks for this video! everything is very well explained and therefore easy to understand! I think I'm ready to build my first flute ...

[@pjd2709]

I love the sound of your flutes, even though I really don't know how to play just yet, have done some little practises but there needs to be much, much, much more of that! I would much rather listen to you talking and playing your flute than listening to that radio it does drown you out a little, and am sure it's not good for the video's, as YT may demonitise you for the stuff from the radio. Sorry about that Charlie, I don't want to be a party pooper, just hard to hear sometimes over the radio! You are such a wealth on knowledge, I don't think I will be making any flutes...? (Well you never know). However watching you I may just give it a try....? Thank you so much to you, for your fantastic video's they are ssoooooo awesome!

[@BlueBearFlutes]

I certainly hope no one has a problem with that radio being on in this particular video. It was made forever ago and I think I just didn't turn it off this time. These days we add stock tracks to any spit up portions of our videos. After going back over and listening to this video, I was unable to find any area where the radio was hardly audiable. Please let me know where you're hearing it at the most. Regards

[@mikerobinson2047]

Would it be possible to do a video explaining traditional tuning compared to key tuning... Thanks

[@billhopkins3245]

Great!! Trying to make a bunch of these for native American vets returning home from service thanks for all of you! and any comments you can contribute would be greater!!

[@BlueBearFlutes]

That's fantastic! We donated a bunch to one of the organizations that does this for returning vets once. I'm sure they'll appreciate it!

[@robertwayne3637]

Can you make a very low tone love flute video . I like watching your videos and love the sounds that comes out of the end product but would like to hear a real soft base sounding one that could be played in an apartment so that it doesn't bother anyone in the building. I'm up all hours of the night and into the very early hour of the morning .thankyoy

[@jannitert6576]

Hello Charlie, about slippering after glue, you can avoid that if you use a liitle bit of salt over the glue. ( no joke) it helps you . 🌷🌷🌷greetings, Jan

[@clydemelissadarrow7947]

another great video

[@ArminHirmer]

perfect as usual :)

[@jwormuth]

I'm curious what the measurements are where you're routing the inside two cavities of the flute body. What is the distance from the mouth piece end to where you start routing, then when you stop the air chamber, then again when you start routing the main body of the flute. The length of the main body cavity appears to be the distance to about a half an inch or so of the end of the flute. At 16:05 you mention if we don't have a guide as to where to route, just make sure you route them equally. I'd like to know the guide markings please.

[@len7970]

Hello Charlie, what are the dimensions of the flute blanks before you start routing? Also the distance from where the mouth piece is to where you start routing the air chamber as well as the distance from the end of the air chamber to the start of the sound chamber?

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Hey Darc Raven, those measurements are all relative. Flute makers use many different sizes for the distance from the mouthpiece to the sound hole. And the width of the blank is determined by how thick walled you want the flute to be. I believe we have a video on this in our collection somewhere. :-) thanks for waiting!

[@waynerobbins1880]

Charlie great video.. what are the measurements on the router guide. Im new to this and I really want to start off on the right foot. also the length of the block between the air chambers. And since I'm here and asking the overall length and also is your book still available. Thanks for helping us all enjoy flute making.

[@amyjones7962]

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@BlueBearFlutes]

@@amyjones7962 we're actually about to make another video just like this one! 😉

[@usernamemykel]

In your book, have you charts and measurements for 6 hole flutes?

[@BlueBearFlutes]

I do have them for the way that six-hole flutes originally played however I do not have measurements on making the modern version. I only state that you should make a 5-hole flute and drill an additional hole anywhere you like. 🙂 Then keep it covered all the time. Please be sure to check out my videos about 6 hole flutes.

[@samschultz2412]

Woah! Hey Charlie what size roundover bit was that.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

1" (I think)

[@bennyhill3642]

😇🙏👍 Gr8 job

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thanks a lot 😊

[@howlingmadmurdock798]

Could I use a free tuner on my phone? Or would you recommend a physical tuner? Thanks again.😀

[@jeremyhunter2319]

Very interesting! I'm adapting the plans using the finger holes for dried and undried angelica stem which is used by the Sami people of Finland.what size are the finger holes here?

[@TheZooman22]

Its interesting to try different materials. The hole sizes vary from flute to flute. You basically have to tune each hole to the flute with a digital tuner. Charlie makes it look easy :) .

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Start with a 1/4" hole and tune it from there.

[@irishwanderer4206]

i love everything about your channel except jamiroquai or however its spelt hahah sorry, i was out collecting elderberry today for flute making there's alot in my area the cherokee whistle plays so i'm quite happy about that, as for the flute is a mini flute possible? i've tried and its very high pitched but again the holes cause problems i understand now how much filing and such needs to be done it's quite a finicky task but very fun my favourite tone is G4 and being irish im ashamed i only learned what a fyfe was yesterday, im 27 years old and my names darren im here to stay i have no connections with the native american people or cherokee but im still very interested as im a woodcarver and bushcrafter i record some of my projects so soon i will do a thank you video and also a shout out in a video with the flutes and whistles i've made please if you have time check out some of my work i also do pyrography an play guitar but not great oh and if you do decide to watch i apologise for the language lest not forget im irish Cheers agus Slainte.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Go raibh maith agat! You may yet have something in common with Cherokee people! Many folks I've met have Cherokee and Irish family. We (Blue Bear Flutes) also have quite a few customers on the Emerald Isle. And very often I listen to the Irish Pub station on Pandora! Éire go brách!

[@irishwanderer4206]

@@BlueBearFlutes Many thanks for the reply, i should really look into cherokee more because all this started first messing around with flintknapping now its flute making and bushcraft that has my attention i've been watching your videos with a week or two now maybe 3 its starting to stick i don't watch tv ,i have never heard of that station i must look into it .take care and stay safe .

[@billhopkins3245]

does haveing any excess glue in the chamber have any sound effect?

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Not terribly as long as its not impeding the track.

[@mikegman7502]

What size round over bit do you use to round it before sanding 1/2 or 3/4 inch

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Depending on the size of the flute, I have three different roundover bits. One is 1/2 inch, another is 1 inch and the last is 1 1/2". The one I use the most however is the half inch.

[@mikegman7502]

Very cool thank you I'm a carpenter from Massachusetts i had a guy ask if I could make one for him might give it a whirl

[@145tak]

Great video! I made an E flat flute but I'm having trouble keeping the low note from jumping up an octave even when blowing slowly. What can I do to fix it? By the way I used bamboo.

[@RustyGunn7]

Charlie, why would we want the SAC to absorb water, as mentioned? Won't the moisture warp and/or swell the flute? Thank you.

[@54ChickenHawk]

When you first did a tune adjust, what did you sand?

[@joe8172]

Hi Charlie, What do you use for your burning rods and did you make the track rod specifically for that purpose, or was it a tool made for another purpose that suited your use? Thanks :)

[@BlueBearFlutes]

I buy the rods from a hardware store and make my own tools. Here's the video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoe1Z2Wpi9GhnqM

[@jogee1]

+BlueBearFlutes fantastic, thanks :)

[@jsxgmanfam]

I am glad you said you had to make a bigger c-hole and not a bigger a-hole! LOL

[@BlueBearFlutes]

:))))

[@leahmcginley4057]

hey Charlie, what's your recent video.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Most recent as of this moment is this one.

[@bobbyb7127]

On the sound chamber section, why don't you route with the 3/4" router bit all the way through.? I understand on the slow air chamber part you'll end up drilling a 3/8" diameter hole +/-. I'm an amateur flute maker and would like to know the reason, if there is on . LOL. Thanks for a all your videos, I've really learned a lot from them.

[@jimmyhaley727]

get rid of that crappy background music,,,,, please

[@BlueBearFlutes]

No

[@jimmyhaley727]

I cant understand you,,, don't need music,, ole farts hearing is only capable of one sound at a time,,,, hheheheh

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Try miracle ear. Lol

[@jimmyhaley727]

your a rascal,,, hehhe,,, got one of your flutes long ago (turtle on top ) and back when I still had two lungs it was beautiful ,, but now I will try to make one that has a smaller hole ( 3/4 inch) and maybe I can still tute,,,, the flute,,, ole fart Jimmy

[@AlvinHanson1708]

Whole lot of knowhow!