How to make a PVC DIY transverse flute - Tutorial

[@audpicc]

I used to make professional orchestral flutes for several new england manufacturers and operated my own flute repair shop for a decade after that. And I have to say - you really nailed the design of this. You zeroed in on the most important fundamentals of what makes a flute work, and leaned into that pre-boehm sound. The scale sounds great. The cut of the headjoint sounds great. And if I had my eyes closed I would have guessed this was boxwood.

[@NicolasBras]

Oh, thanks a lot!

[@333Eriana]

yes, i have been playing flutes for decades and want to try new things but can't affords them - i've made some transverse and overtone flutes watching this guy

[@SHUT-UP_MEG]

Pre boehim? I gotta intake this knowledge

[@MxchiefMxker]

I’ve been using pandemic projects to try to remote teach people that creating music is accessible and this video and your passion for it is really inspiring

[@NicolasBras]

thanks!

[@josevalverde7431]

@@NicolasBrasI Want to make a fife flute cpvc in C, buta I haven't measures.can you help me.?

[@Raku777]

Thanks for sharing. I have seen this one before and was happy to see it again. I have done over 100 DIY flutes, inspired by your early videos. I made them out of PVC and some local bamboo. My favorite was a bass bansuri with a diameter of about 1.25 inches. I played it at the Memory Care Clinic with Alzheimer's patients and it brought them back to life and then deeply relaxed them. It is wonderful to make these instruments and always feels like a miracle that one can take a PVC pipe and make it sound beautiful. I also added a simulated wood finish that actually temporarily fooled a few people,, including some owners of a music store that actually put a few up for sale and sold them (they thought the simulated wood look was classy).

[@melodaddies8137]

Amazing how simple and cheap you create instruments and how good they sound on the other hand is your skill at every instruments, its really interessting

[@NicolasBras]

Thanks!

[@DFX2KX]

Suprisingly straightforward, and sounds better then my Recorder ever did.

[@NicolasBras]

thanks!

[@simsim4142]

9

[@yelizaveta1278]

can't wait to play *hot cross buns*! (until I can do JethroTull)

[@victoriarocha9299]

@@simsim4142 ae

[@jilalidhouhi1140]

So

[@RalfAnodin]

One more thing that is important: the distance between the center of the blowing hole and the cork that closes the tube should be equal to the inside diameter of the tube. If the distance is bigger the high notes will sound flat and/or the holes for the higher notes will have to be wider. Except that, amazing amazing amazing tutorial, thanks so much.

[@kumarayyar5025]

tres bien........amazing ...this is what happens when a engineer is a musician as well. Brilliant. no words to the perfection. God bless you . fantastic video

[@dahlavibez5726]

this was absolutely epic at 0.5 speed sir thank you alot for your work happy new year :D

[@terryenglish7132]

He does talk fast

[@elenavangeli8824]

duuuude, this is insaaaane! this is super creative and super interesting.. also the sheer amount of hours you put into it... just hats off, man!

[@NicolasBras]

Thanks a lot!

[@LongerueLui]

What would the dimensions be for the key of C? 26 inch?

[@BB-pn2qv]

You are a gift to music, thank you

[@nathanmiddleton1478]

You said to carefully remove material off the end, but I was hacking off 2-3 mm at a time until I got an A. I'm not too familiar with pipe but mine was rather thick with a PSI rating, so it must've been for water. I just happened across your video and thought it'd be fun to try since I haven't played an instrument in years even though they're just siting there in the other room. Needless to say, even idiots can follow these instructions, so good on on you! :)

[@easy2create948]

I’ve made one have had made a tune and very proud and astonished!

[@surefootprints3484]

This is real creativity.

[@Diembee]

That’s the greatest sounding plastic pipe I’ve ever heard

[@ger.lieder]

No tenes un canal en youtube con tus composiciones musicales para escuchar ? Se nota que sos un gran artista, gracias por compartir tu trabajo. Saludos

[@tommylycan8367]

nailed it bro video was short but full of information thanks a lot, keep it up

[@NicolasBras]

Thanks!

[@3colourfulrainbow202]

Good idea, how to do flute in PVC pipes good information, i am also try this in home, God bless you, thank you for sharing this video

[@NicolasBras]

Thanks!

[@Pedro-tt2wo]

hey man, love your vids, i took flute making as a hobby in 2019 (a good thing out of quarentine) and im now printing fipples in my 3d printer, they sound sooooooo good, you should try, my pvc fujara sounds like 300% better

[@NicolasBras]

Oh yes I have to try, it tempts me more and more!

[@Rolf_Golfball]

Thanks man. You are a legend

[@kadoc3730]

mec c'est juste énorme ce que tu fais. je t'ai vu dans une video ou tu en montre plein. c'est juste hallucinant ! gg continue !

[@NicolasBras]

Merci! Je vais continuer, c'est le début!

[@SamWicker-su7rp]

Awesome, I'm going to make a flute! And btw, you rock on it man.

[@NicolasBras]

thanks!

[@rhythm_with_alex]

Wow, I am inspired.

[@frankH117]

YES! another flute. keep making flutes bro!! that's my favorite instrument, and you play it well!! nice. good job.

[@NicolasBras]

Thanks, I'll keep making , there so many more I didn't try!

[@shamardaniel4819]

I love how simple yet effective all your instruments are!! I’m a big fan of your work! In fact, I’m trying making a flute from bamboo. When I began drilling and tuning finger holes, about 3 holes in and I can’t seem to make the note change. No matter how much I enlarge it. What could be the problem? I’ve got other pieces so, Im prepared to start from scratch. Thank you!

[@NicolasBras]

Without seeing the instrument it's hard to tell! The important elements are the block, the place of the mouthpiece, the shape of the pipe, and the size of the holes... Every elements!

[@shamardaniel4819]

@@NicolasBras Ok. Thanks anyways! I’ll just keep experimenting!

[@TheJasonmassia]

Absolutely AMAZING!

[@NicolasBras]

Thanks!

[@jolox.]

Thanks! This was super inspirational. I like how you monitor the notes with each step and adjust the lengths and shape. I'm going to thumbs up and subscribe to help you and your channel!

[@tenzinrigdol5936]

Great video, waste no time, right on point. Keep it up.

[@sqidgery9960]

Does your book include how to calculate the holes for different flutes? I plan on picking it up weather it does or not :)

[@NicolasBras]

No magical formula to calculate the holes from scratch, but all the techniques to understand the physics, and build new ones from all the blueprints included!

[@rodneycookjr6171]

Ndnkjxxhdd

[@nidaasalah1798]

@@NicolasBras CNN video b no v

[@michaelmcguirethis3231]

Pp Lol I'm lllkk I

[@hannahcrowder6036]

I have a question. I have a stick, and if I were to apply the same measurements would it still work?

[@jilalidhouhi1140]

Favorite app

[@Ficalos]

Are there any ways to get closer to a full chromatic range without adding much keywork? Maybe using the recorder fingering system.

[@NicolasBras]

You can't really use the recorder fingering, because holes have to be bigger on a side-blown flute, it would be possible to add some keys, but out of my range! And I love playing 6 holes flutes

[@Ficalos]

@@NicolasBras what about traditional fife fingerings? Don’t people get nearly-chromatic ranges out of 6 hole Irish flutes? I recently got a Yamaha “fife”, but it’s really more of a keyless piccolo. 8 holes, no keys, in C. Nearly chromatic range! It costs $10 - you should check it out if you haven’t seen it. I assume you tune yours with the first finger on the right hand fingering F sharp, not natural like on a concert flute?

[@BriceVincent]

Vous êtes un génie monsieur ! Merci !

[@NicolasBras]

Grand merci!

[@chrisakaschulbus4903]

My next instrument will be DIY and probably a flute like this (or a panflute). I never played flute before, so have no idea how good this would work for learning though.

[@jkRatbird]

Absolutely fucking amazing! I really hope you keep making tutorials. Thanks for upgrading the world :)

[@NicolasBras]

I will!

[@zazazelazazel2786]

awesome,👍 wouldn't it be great to make a Bass Sax, or a Bass whistle tone with large diameter pipes/ bamboo

[@lihuenn]

Fantástico ! La suscripción en Patreon solo se puede con tarjeta de crédito?

[@Fate-lp9us]

I really like your channel, the beautiful sound of the instruments. Thank you so much for your work. So I decided to make a transverse flute too. Please tell me what diameter of the lip hole is needed for a pipe with an outer diameter of 25mm and an inner diameter of 22 mm.

[@Davidortegabarytonfrance]

Il faut aussi savoir jouer comme vous!! 👍🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@Ryoshihanaki]

What would be the project to imitate an Oriental Dizi flute?

[@NicolasBras]

I made a few buzzing flutes, I will talk about in a future video!

[@gregorygoujon1640]

Hi there, love your work and your channel 😊 I tried making my own transverse flute following precisely your instructions, and it is quite nice (doesn't sound as good as yours, but I'm no flute player so there's that ahah), but when I get into the high register it is awfully out of tune (sounds almost like a chromatic scale), any idea why and how it can be fixed ?

[@gregorygoujon1640]

My tuning wasn't accurate, I fixed it my best but now most of the notes one the second octave are almost flat I saw online that some people build special wedges to make their flute pseudo-conical and so sharper, but I assume you did not and still your flute is perfectly in tune 🤔 I will try making another one but I would really appreciate your opinion on these issues I'm facing As I said, I really enjoy your videos and your music 🙂

[@NicolasBras]

On those small transverse flutes the playing technique is very sensitive on the pitch, so if your holes are big enough, I think it is the blowing technique !

[@gregorygoujon1640]

@@NicolasBras ok I will work on it, thank you for your insights 😊

[@nicolasbergeron1715]

PLEASE HELP! I attempted to make one of these, and the upper registers were very out of tune, how to fix that?

[@LudicrousTachyon]

Have you done an instrument with a conical bore, like an oboe?

[@NicolasBras]

Not so much, I'm not able to make perfect conical bore for now, maybe in a few times with 3d printing?

[@LudicrousTachyon]

@@NicolasBras Perhaps slicing a wedge from a pipe lengthwise and use rings of pipe to force it into a conical shape. You may need to use a heat gun to make it more pliable. I don't know what tool would be best for cutting a pipe lengthwise.

[@TooSlowTube]

@@LudicrousTachyon The Clarke Tin Whistle (clarketinwhistle.com) is a reverse conical whistle (i.e. shaped like a recorder) made by curling a tapered sheet of metal. You could use plastic if you can find some that's stiff enough but still bends well. The difficult part is joining it neatly. FWIW, if you look down the bore of a Nuvo student flute (an inexpensive fully chromatic plastic concert flute) , you see seams - they're not perfectly round, or smooth, and neither is the Clarke. It doesn't seem to be a major problem.

[@cam-inf-4w5]

Thanks so much for this. I want to make a giant flute but it's not a straight pipe. Is it all about area of space inside the instrument? It doesnt have to be a perfect cylinder? Also if there is something blocking the end of the flute but with holes in it will it still make the note? Like if horns had a cross brace inside to keep the bell from getting crushed would that stop the note? Or just mute the tone a bit?

[@florentowless]

yes, super comme vidéo j'ai trop hâte d'essayé

[@NicolasBras]

merci!

[@miathingys6324]

Finally one that's specific 😀

[@gianallele1]

Great video. What is the name of that tool you use with the red handle to cut the holes? Thanks

[@LorenziLéo]

He says it haha, "deburrer", it's just there to finish the holes (deburr, as the name says)

[@gianallele1]

@@LorenziLéo ah ha yes he does and thank you sir!

[@ubersausage8866]

Are the measurements in millimeters from the flutes opening?

[@justanotherpiccplayer3511]

Dyou play them more like a classical flute or like a folk (say a Irish folk) flute?

[@NicolasBras]

I think it's closer to a folk flute!

[@cbdtrio3229]

Impressionnant, multi-talents, vous assurez grave...et aiguë aussi...Hum. Avez-vous expérimenté avec un bec de sax ? Encore bravo pour tour votre travail .

[@NicolasBras]

J'ai fabriqué quelques clarinettes PVC, j'en ai parlé sur mon Patreon, mais rien avec bec de sax pour l'instant!

[@justateen8270]

Hey man, can you please make a kaval, thats a Bulgarian type flute with an open end, you can check in google, ive tried but havent succeeded.

[@NicolasBras]

I made a few, but not a specialist!

[@justateen8270]

@@NicolasBras can you give me any advice?

[@tonyg2554]

So nice and sounds beautiful! Nicolas - would the same measurements work out for a renaissance cornetto?

[@NicolasBras]

Probably not, it would be not so far, but I think the inside of the pipe is a lot smaller than this flute

[@tonyg2554]

@@NicolasBras Thanks. One day ... I will try it. Somewhere I have the file for a 3D printed cornetto - it might be possible to adapt those.

[@mathewsmith1400]

Sounds great!! What inside diameter pipe is this flute?

[@NicolasBras]

The inside is 17mm!

[@ishwarbhaiprajapati6385]

Respected sir,I humbly request you to convert this video in indian national language (hindi).

[@chrishoesing5455]

Do you have the ID and OD of the pipe you're using? Or the actual designation such as PN10 or PN16 so I can try to figure out the best size equivelant in imperial pvc sizes? Or would it not work correctly anyhow if the pipe size isn't exact? Would only the hole size change or the spacing as well??

[@rrruryu]

i want to cosplay my avatar character from a fantasy videogame one day soon, and he plays the flute so i thought itd be cool if i could make a functional one! your video is amazing, thank you for all the specs, im so hyped to craft it

[@NicolasBras]

Have fun!

[@AbuoDestiny]

Thanks a lot Sir. Please i will love to know the name of the tool you used to clean the drilled holes before using the round file

[@fabiorosati7830]

Great contents Nicolas! Do you have a list of tools needed to build these whistles? I would like to purchase a basic package and try making some of your projects :)

[@NicolasBras]

I detailled all the tools I use in my ebook, but you can start with very simple tools!

[@martinkiebler294]

Great Video! What tuning app do you use? Thanks

[@NicolasBras]

Tunable, the best one for wind instruments, and a future sponsor of those videos!

[@morganfreeman5171]

This is very cool and a good way to start playing for only a couple of euros ! I'll have to take a look at your other vids :)

[@alebrenna441]

Thanks for sharing Nicolas!! I have a doubt: why do youbuse that extra pvc for the blowing piece? Why noy just make a hole in the body pvc? Also, do you make a "bezel" (don't know if it is the right word, I mean like a sharp, cutting edge, as you see in quenas or shakuhachi 's) where you blow?

[@DrDrolly]

Hey mate, thank you so much for the straight forward tutorial!!! -Do the holes have to be ib one line or could yoy arrange them to fit the the fingers. -can the holes be different diameter, lets say having pa and sa a bit smaller? Cheers mate:)

[@Cine-b3h]

Nice i Will make One. I like to whistle so it's a perfect instrument for me.

[@Jak2100]

Un orificio en la parte de atrás mejoraría el sonido, a qué distancia lo colocaría? gracias 👍

[@YEFILMS]

Super bien expliqué ! Bravo Ps: Le son à la fin défonce !

[@NicolasBras]

Merci!

[@geheimspionchase8658]

Can you build a pvc bagpipe practice chanter? Would be really cool

[@gini879]

Nice one ! Thanks for sharing , this is golden !! 🎉

[@d.r.9888]

I tried to make one some days ago but failed to get the right pitch in the 2nd octave no matter the position of the cork. Any idea to solve that? (it does work perfectly with a whistle head though). J'ai essayé d'en faire une récemment mais je n'arrive pas à obtenir une justesse convenable à l'octave supérieure, peu importe la position du bouchon. Une idée pour résoudre mon problème ? (ma flûte marche parfaitement avec une tête de whistle pourtant)

[@NicolasBras]

Side-blown flutes needs larger holes to be in tune on the 2nd octave compared to recorders, I think that can be your problem!

[@d.r.9888]

@@NicolasBras Thank you for your help, It's weird because some people sell flutes bodys with 2 heads (flute & whistle) I wonder how they manage that.

[@NicolasBras]

@@d.r.9888 I don't recommend 2 head flutes, I made a lot of them, usually both flutes are not very well tuned, but it is possible in the other way, whistle with bigger holes are ok!

[@TooSlowTube]

You could try making a "Tipple-Fajardo wedge" (google that). It's a wedge shape that's wider toward the cork. and fits against the inside of the head joint. It was invented by Fajardo, and refined by Doug Tipple. Tipple scooped out the inside of the wedge (so the inside is curved, not flat), and may have changed where it's placed (I forget). Rather than being placed in the bottom of the head joint, it now faces the air stream going into the flute (I assume while playing the lowest octave). How much that matters, I really don't know. The simplest way I've found to make one is to cut a long thin triangular piece of UHU White Tack (a type of poster putty which comes in a sheet, in a cardboard packet), and push the wider end into the headjoint from the bottom, then press it into place with a cleaning rod. You can experiment with where to put it, and how much White Tack to use. You can probably use Blu Tack too, but White Tack is easier to work with, and maybe a bit stickier. If you put the wedge in while the head joint is dry, and press it against the inside, it should just stay there. Another way is the Sandner "spike", used in Sandner marching flutes. The "spike" is not usually a spike, it's a rod or dowel that fits through a hole drilled through the cork, and protrudes into the headjoint, past the embouchure hole. On a Sandner flute, you can push the rod in further, or out further, and that apparently makes a difference. In both cases, it's to align the octaves better on a flute with a cylindrical head joint, by making it behave more like a conical head joint.

[@AntW11]

Amazing!❤

[@NicolasBras]

Thank you!

[@Chris-cf2kp]

Could you make the mouth piece section and the fingerhole section separate with a pvc connection between them to make scales interchangeable? Bring a real bag of tricks to the gig ?

[@NicolasBras]

Sure, I do this a lot!

[@kallakrastev769]

I love you, man!

[@nufsed7580]

Sounds really nice I made one last week definitely doesn't compare to yours I need to try your version

[@SpardaHorrorFreak]

Je ne comprends pas comment acquérir le livre numérique. On ne peut pas acheter le pdf en téléchargement ? Il faut envoyer de l'argent chaque mois sur patreon pour conserver l'accès au livre ?

[@NicolasBras]

Je suis en train de faire mon nouveau site avec boutique en ligne, la version PDF sera en vente dessus

[@alexandreuroz5968]

C’est quoi l’application que tu utilises pour trouver la bonne note de musique ?

[@NicolasBras]

Tunable, love it!

[@sectronic2947]

The thing I don't understand is when you change the diameter and the tuning. are the holes measured from the end of the flute the same but the lenght of the pipe is longer for a deeper sound? so holes are from the end 61 , 91, 114, 148, 175, 200 ? I would like to make the D Major one. 25mm pipe

[@marleen1]

hi there, i could only find a 19mm tube in the store, will it sound the same if i follow the instructions or will it be out of tune?

[@NicolasBras]

Yes it should work!

[@Ezreal213]

Do you give a way some of your Collection?? I really want to have a C flute PVC pipe.. thank you for your knowledge and sharing it for us... God blessed you always..

[@baroquer]

THANK YOU! ♥ Errrrrr...is it possible to order/purchase your flutes and where/how❓

[@alexandreuroz5968]

C’est malin ! Tu me donnes envie de créer un instrument et d’en jouer !

[@NicolasBras]

C'est l'idée!

[@dunyannenstruman1514]

Thanks Nicholas

[@gabyhuidobro2866]

Hi, I saw your work, and I really like it. You could pass me, if you can the measurements to make one in C? thanks!

[@NicolasBras]

Hi! The other measurements I got are in my ebook or on Patreon!

[@ryanrinn4041]

i love your channel :D

[@lorcanzepf7828]

i am curious is keyless bass flutes exsist were you use you arm to cover on hole and youhand he second, on a bend bass flute, as jt would allow youto play more notes, does it exsist?

[@Guhhgur]

As a Percussionist.. I’m heading to homedepo for PCP pipe.

[@NicolasBras]

I came to flutes with percussions too!

[@michaljaworski4627]

I'm currently doing my first one. It's out of tune in octave ( nearly to ab than a). Is that normal, or I did something wrong? Wrong mouthplace? Tested by my wife which plays transverse flute few yers.

[@NicolasBras]

the fundamental note, all holes closed, is an Ab on the high octave? There is indeed a problem, maybe the position of the block?

[@michaljaworski4627]

@@NicolasBras Yes, before holes drilling. Maybe something between ab and a. I made second one and there's same problem. I check messurements and there are correct. I have been reading about that problem for bamboo flutes so it's probably normal.

[@wanimajugaming9777]

Probably the only pvc pipe that could be maded as any instrument you want

[@TotalDec]

Let me get this right, are you tuning to harmonics or SI notes?

[@shawnfunstuff]

Awesome work, and the other instruments you built, genial!

[@NicolasBras]

Thank you!

[@luism.vegal.9760]

Hola @Nicolas Bras ¿Me podria ayudar a hacer una flauta trasversal? Pero con tubo de pvc de 1/2 pulgada pero en tono SOL mayor Por favor

[@carmennichting8468]

Hello, I have a question, is there a ring around the blow hole (seems like it) and is the hole diameter 9,5 mm diameter?

[@LordKrishna-u1b]

Nine... Our Indian or Bangladesh syam flute....i like it

[@Zack-xz1ph]

how do you calculate the hole positions for other keys? especially the bass flutes with right angle connectors

[@SSRT_JubyDuby8742]

Nice project 😎

[@NicolasBras]

Thanks!

[@hereformost7774]

Would it be possible to make this chromatic by adding subholes/holes on the side for the sharp/flat notes?

[@terryenglish7132]

So the side of your finger covers A sharp and your finger tip covers A ? On a recorder , chromatic notes are done by half covering a hole. Easier said than done.

[@justinreid2422]

You're smart. I like you🙏💯💪

[@TangamandapioTanga]

where's the book? I wanna buy it

[@NicolasBras]

Available on my Patreon, www.patreon.com/nicolasbras

[@JohnOnChans]

Can this be made using straws?

[@Boogerweldz]

Can this be adapted to the ‘pipes’ used as qw or helmholtz tubes on vented speaker boxes?

[@avinashjayswal9487]

Wow, your video content is really wonderful.

[@NicolasBras]

Thanks a lot!

[@mathacademybykhokannath8893]

Please give me the link of this flute tunner app. Plz plz

[@NicolasBras]

Tunable, my affiliate link is in the description!

[@AD-zh7bo]

Hi, do you have any videos showing how to make Arabian and or Egyptian flutes?

[@Thelittleleaf]

I would like to know if you have any blueprints for a 1 1/4 size pvc pipe flute?