How to Tune Native American Flutes

Learn how to tune a Native American flute. Visit us on the web at www.bluebearflutes.com

[@josephgarduque]

Hi Charlie, I am a retired educator and I would like to say that you are a very good teacher. Thanks for keeping your instruction interesting, simple, easy to understand and motivating....

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thanks Joseph! Be sure to friend us on Facebook as well: facebook.com/bluebear.arts

[@noviddaily780]

Thanks Charlie this video helped me tune a bamboo flute I made

[@jamesapatterson]

Thank you very much! You answered so many questions I had about tuning with this video. I like how you used actual examples, as that really helped me to understand. Tuned flutes are great, but I also love making them based on simple measurements like where my fingers sit, and just eyball everything, then just use the same size for all holes. They come out very random, but its something about that randomness that makes them awesome. Its like you then can learn its individual song that no other flute will ever have.

[@chrisbellis4762]

Sorry I pressed the button too soon I couldn't find it on Amazon that was my fault I was searching for the wrong I have now and ordered one and it's arrived this afternoon. It is unbelievable, it is superb, I have only had chance to skim through it, but it is put together in such a nice way and the photos are so informative, I think your wife is most talented. Thank you for pointing me in the correct direction. I look forward to studying at length. Regards Chris

[@BlueBearFlutes]

"Correct" certainly is in the eye of the beholder! You could have bought the book from my website as I told you.

[@c.e.jarvis1512]

Charlie, I just got the capability to leave comments again! I wanted to say that I truly love the BEAUTIFUL FLUTE that you made for me. I'm soo glad I went with the Cedar Flute, just sitting on its stand in my little office, it makes the whole office smell great. Then when I start playing it, the office is changed for the better again. (: Thanks it's awesome and a true piece of art, well worth the price. I appreciate how easy you are to communicate with and deal with during the ordering process. I was very happy with the short amount of time it took from ordering until I was holding it in my hands, as well. Thanks very much, you're a Master. CJ

[@michelnagumaqmorton]

Thank you Charlie , excelent video ! I have been making and tuning flutes for long time now and appreciate a good teacher when I see one, remembering tips is key :o) . Hope we can meet in person some day . A Ho !

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thank you my friend for your kind words!

[@DeanMarsh1962]

Thank you very much. I'm making one out of bamboo, and everything is working out just right. With the info you just gave me I will finish the holes tomorrow. Thanks!

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Awesome!

[@Fishermansplues]

Enjoying your videos Charlie thank you

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thanks for watching!

[@nvdawahyaify]

Hi Charlie. The name g string comes from what the turner was originally meant for, the guitar, which has a string tuned to g. Thank you for everything you do Mike (usdiwahya) Daniels.

[@stuartdavey]

Absolutely wonderful video, Charlie. Thank you! I didn't catch in the video how to tune a flute to itself without the meter and 26 years of experience. A chart of the relative notes/frequencies as Jens suggested would be a great help.

[@timdefelice2570]

this is an awesome lesson. thank you. my ears thank you too

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thanks for watching!

[@coolweirdgreat]

I would like to thank you for these videos! Using your instruction I was able to make my own lovely flute. One thing I could recommend is carving on them with dental drills! You can get some really beautiful stuff if you have access to one. Often times dentist will retire a drill because it no longer meets their standards, but these still work great for carving and will be considerably cheaper to buy. So glad you are keeping this are alive! Live life my friend!

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thanks!

[@gregpetre]

BlueBearArts Hmmmm, what would make a dental drill better and/or more affordable than a dremel? Just curious :)

[@mountainwarrior68]

ty for thease video your teachings on how to make the native america flute has been most helpful with what you have explained in these video i have been able to take that and make two flutes and today day i just made my first five hole drone flute thanks again for all the advice creator blessings .........wado

[@BlueBearFlutes]

+Johnathan Mckinney Thank you Jonathan. So happy I could help you :)

[@davidrabensburg4954]

wow hi Charlie you did it agin..you just not only helped me understand how flutes are tuned, but because of something you sed I just learned how to play better..example. 6 hole flute..3rd and 4th hole closed I couldn't make that note..you sed less air higher note...lol now I can make that note..thanks...keep talking...While you teach. Every word helps..

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thank you!

[@kimnichols1169]

Awesome thank you so much

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thanks for watching! 😀

[@jpomalay3367]

as usual you are great

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thanks so much JP! More to come next week!

[@jpomalay3367]

you're welcome

[@MartinVlkMrnous]

Thank you for perfect tutorial - I love your videos! :-)

[@jgort01]

Great video. This was one of my main questions always. I know you mention in the vid the notes of each hole but could you just make a chart or something on what note goes on each hole. Thanks again for a great vid

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Hey Jens. Love the icon btw, Asterix and Obelix are some of my favorite cartoon characters! I made this vid because you and a couple others had asked about tuning. We are currently putting together some charts!

[@arlandrister5578]

Can you do a video on how to add a accent to the end of a flute wanting to extend my flute maybe add a totem to the end

[@Redarkrome]

Hi Charlie, you are a great! Thank you very mutch for sharing your experience. I follow your tutorials that are so interesting and full of important details. I try to make a bambù flute and now I proceed at tuning by home made burning tools. Every think is ok, but there remains an unpleasant smell of burnt on the flute. How can I get it removed? Thanks in advance. A dear greet from North West Italy. Dario

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thanks!

[@HokeTheDog]

Two Questions: I ordered an expensive flute form one of the more well known makers. The root note of the instrument (bass D

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Hi Linda. I made a video to answer your question :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnSmZ6pjjs6AmaM

[@DeanMarsh1962]

Great, love all your videos. All holes, C,D,E,G,A are all supposed to be 440 hertz like the 440 A flute? Best

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Hi Dean, thanks for the question. No, only the A would be 440. All other notes are tuned with A at 440. If A is 440, then C will be 523, D would be 587, E 659, G 783, and A 880. When we say 440 tuning that is the curve by which everything revolves around. 440 is the designation for the note A.

[@noahramirez6178]

We're do you get the wood

[@skipmackenna7057]

Hey Charlie, this was so helpful. You spout out so mu,ch information, I have to watch multiple times just to get some of what you said. G String Tuner is still there and works great. Not having a good ear for notes, I have to have a measure. I don't like the 440 standard, but understand that is the industry. Wow, what a fantastic video. Thanks. I built another using the plug in the end, and it tuned straight away to A. The more I listen to you, the better my flutes are getting. I may purchase one of your burning tools, I am using a soldering iron with a sharp tip, but it does not have the bend.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Thanks Skip!

[@c.e.f4916]

Wait I'm sort of confused. Do you make the holes bigger for a higher pitch or for a lower pitch? I saw a Erik the flute-maker video where I think he said make the holes bigger for a higher pitch but in any music class you learn all about the size pitch relationship and that just goes against that.

[@mrbrown6421]

When we understand the nature of wind and rain, we understand everything else. A short whistle is higher in pitch than a long whistle. True? Yes. A hole makes the pitch higher because it effectively shortens the length of the flute. A Larger Hole makes the pitch even higher. Rest well.

[@micahjanes8916]

hey charlie sorry to bother you i asked about what traditionally tuned sounds like i now feel like an idiot cause i watch a ton of your videos lol anyway , i cant figure out if i want to get you flute kit or your five hole western cedar flute and ill tell you why i want to make something partially of my own but im worried it wont sound correct, and if i get the western cedar i wont be making anything of my own but i know it will sound amazing can you help me decide .thanks for your amazing informative videos !!!!!!

[@BlueBearFlutes]

+Micah Janes First off, thank you so much for watching my videos. My suggestion to you would be to make your flute as it will give you some experience and help you to overcome you fears. Don't be afraid to try and I am always willing to assist potential flute makers on their journey!

[@jannepotter509]

What power tool are you using to cut your flute shorter? Is there a pdf that charts what to do...hole larger/ smaller ,cut off a bit etc...when you arent tuned

[@BlueBearFlutes]

In this particular video I was using a scroll saw however you can use any type of Saw to cut the end off with. We also have a band saw and chop saw to use for that purpose. Likewise you may find some benefit in downloading the flute kit instruction sheet from my info page. Of course, to get the holes just right I very much recommend watching our flute kit tuning video.

[@Ben-pz7wo]

im super late, i hope youll respond, but i cant find the artist you were talking about at the beginning? i liked it a lot does anyone know?

[@BlueBearFlutes]

You'll forgive me, when non-music folk call people "artists" I'm not certain if you mean musician or painter? If you're talking about the music I mentioned, the band is Jamiroquai.

[@jessevsm]

didn't catch this offhand, but what do you make the plugs out of? I haven't played one of those kind of flutes before, but some of the same things apply to the bamboo flute I have. It's mostly in tune except the bottom note. So I went ahead and used a bit of 3m adhesive pads as a temporary 'plug' which helped pull the pitch down a bit. But I'm curious what you use for your flutes.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

If we're talking about resizing the fingerings I usually use either a little sawdust and glue or if you need a plug in the bottom it depends on the material I'm using. I'll usually try to use the same trype of material that the flute is made of.

[@jessevsm]

BlueBearFlutes Many thanks for the reply! I was speaking of a plug on the bottom though. Resizing the finger holes is interesting though. I suppose I didn't think of the glue sawdust thing. Hmmm. Do you typically just use a normal wood glue for this? Or something more specific? I was just trying to do what I could because there was a song I was playing that required an flute or pennywhistle in E flat. Unfortunately, finding cheap pennywhistles in that key isn't actually that easy. I found a single kind, but found out I had a bamboo flute in E flat, so I figured I'd just use that since I already had it. But it was a bit sharp compared to the other instruments. I put a make-shift plug of sorts in the end of it to try and lower the intonation to be less flat. It worked well enough. Of course, I didn't plug the whole opening there. Just a little. I was just curious in how to use proper methods to try and adjust such a thing so that way if I need to play something in the key of E flat again, I can pick that up and not have it be horribly out of tune. :) I can take a couple of pictures if a visual may help. I may consider resizing the finger holes a little as they are definitely a bit larger than they should be ordinarily. The largest finger holes on it right now is about 7/16" and the smallest is about 5/16"

[@BlueBearFlutes]

In the shop we use cyanoacrylate glue and sawdust because it dries super fast. It can be dangerous and you have to be very careful when using this method. I'm glad that you have put so much thought and effort into how you can tune your flute the way you need to. Trial and error are important for us to learn ad grow. I would be glad to take a look at it for you :)

[@jannepotter509]

If the flute is a with all holes covered what should each hole be lining up with on the tuner

[@BlueBearFlutes]

You can find a list of all of the minor pentatonic scales on our info page: bluebearflutes.com/info We do have quite a few other videos on tuning flutes as well. I hope that helps.

[@lucienmacrose8567]

Hey man how it goin'. Making my first flute after seeing your video on making these and I have tone but it seems quiet. How deep should the air channel be? I don't have finger hole yet. What would make it louder? Any ideas? Help me out here teach:) Thanks!

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Please contact me through our website at bluebearflutes.com and I can help you.

[@hunterblassingame945]

Do you tune other flute makers flutes? I recently got a flat that needs to be retuned but I would only trust a pro to do it. Can you help me out?

[@BlueBearFlutes]

I have done that on occasion. Feel free to send us a message through our contact form on our website bluebearflutes.com so that we can get an idea of what it will take. Thanks for watching! 🙂

[@josephgarduque]

Hi Charlie, Please show me specifically what flute "In-Lays" look like and "How do you set in-lays into flute holes?

[@BlueBearFlutes]

I would be happy to show you Joseph. Just email me via the contact form on my website and I can send some pics. We'll be doing a video soon on inlay.

[@josephgarduque]

Hi Charlie, sorry for taking so long to respond to your messages . I've been staying with my daughter t a local hospital. We just returned home.. Thank you for your responses to my questions...I will be reviewing the info you sent very soon... God Bless you and your family....Joseph

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Hey Joseph, no worries. Hope all is well with your daughter.

[@uglytothebone5]

In place of burning the holes can I just drill them? Thanks

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Sure you can! Drill them, sand them, file them... whatever works for you using whatever you have on hand.

[@southernexposure123]

If the entire flute gets hot while tuning it will change noticeably when it cools down.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Yes, especially if you are firing the flute to darken it. For these instances it is best to tune afterwards.

[@southernexposure123]

That's exactly right. I usually darken my cane during the first or second heat treatment, and then wait about 8 months before touching the flute again. Then - if the flute passes the pinch test I start making the sound hole etc. If I'm using wood instead of cane all that wait time and the pinch test isn't necessary to prevent splitting. Those steps are for cane flutes Whenever I use red hot rods to make the tuning holes I get the tuning sort of close, and then let the flute get cold and then fine tune the flute to its final tuning. Even then sometimes the tuning changes slightly and to get the final tuning just right takes several tuning sessions. The tuning will change a little because the breath warms up the flute slightly, but measuring for that and trying to correct for that is pretty nit pickey. A flute maker could lose his sanity trying to correct for all those kinds of things. lol

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Yes, it is definitely not for the weak of heart and mind ;)

[@mmmarvelousmerchandise]

NATIVE folks traded flutes for beads

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Wow, just wow

[@chrisbellis4762]

Dear Charlie Well what can I say, a few weeks ago I sent you a message saying that I couldn't find a copy of your book on native American flute making anywhere in the United Kingdom, you suggested that I should try Amazon

[@BlueBearFlutes]

Your question: Sorry to bother you. I have looked at many of your videos on KZbin, and in many you mention your book . Unfortunately the shipping costs from the USA to the UK are extremely high and so are the import taxes, let's hope that your President, Mr. Biden strikes a deal with Boris. I have looked on Amazon and eBay but can not find a listing. Do you have a UK distributor? Regards Chris My reply:Hey Chris! Thanks for messaging and for your interest in our book! We do ship to the United Kingdom and it cost $15 USD to ship the book. I am uncertain about the taxes you would need to pay once it arrives, although our government's certainly have been making it more difficult to do business, especially a small business. Amazon does have our book for sale and you should be able to find it there. Hopefully we can all make it through this crazy crisis and come out Allied in the end. I wish you the best of luck and should you decide to purchase for me, you will receive an email with the tracking information once it ships. If I can help you with anything else please let me know. Thanks so much and have a great day!Charlie Mato-Toyela I answered your questions and told you the shipping cost from my website as well.. Perhaps there is a language barrier?

[@manifestdestinytv]

Buy a mic. Thanks for the videos.

[@BlueBearFlutes]

You're welcome.