as i am new to flute making,is it possible to just start out with a given length of flute and see what the basic key is , then whatever the key i can go forward with tuning the flute. i hear some say use an 18 to 1 ratio for a given bore diameter to tune to a key you want to start out for.

As longs as your length to bore ration is is sort of "in the ballpark", then there is nothing to stop you from just taking the fundamental note (basic note created by cutting the flute to a given length) and proceeding from there.

However, if your length to bore ratio is too far out on either end of the useful spectrum, then you might have trouble. The ideal length to bore ratio is not a fixed number, since it all depends upon what your ideal flute is. I use length to bore ratios that are as low as 15 to 1 in order to acheive certain performance characteristics. Lower than that doesn't really work, since you start to encounter things like nodal interference on the topmost note (don't ask me to explain the physics--suffice to say that the air molecules bouncing around inside the bore start to interfere with the air molecules that are dancing around the TSH). This causes the note to crack.

If you get the ratio too high (something over 20 to 1) you will start to experience an unstable fundamental. The higher you go, the worse it gets, plus the finger hole spacing starts to stretch out further and further...

Rick,

Good luck and have fun with your first flute.

I would advise picking up a good book on the subject. I would suggest Russ Wolfs Flute Shop manual, it is easy to follow and will give you a great start and makes a good reference therafter. It is available from the Oregon Flute store or Amazon.

Ed

at least the first reply was informative. you can buy every book and dvd out there and still you won't get an answer on some things. kind of like there own trade secrets... the great people of a good forum will help out any way they can . i like a lot out there will go through the trial and error
bit in learning this craft. it is not like we live around a great bunch of people building flutes... lets help,
lets teach, lets prosper

Sorry that you didn't like my advise Rick. It was my effort to refer you to a book that I feel is very informative and helpful for anyone aspiring to learn the craft, including length to bore ratios that Geoffrey had already answered.
You are right in that most of the little nuances cannot be found in one book, instead they are learned by doing. In all honesty I didn't even know what questions to ask until I'd takled a dozen or so flutes.

Russ Wolf is one of the masters of the craft and does a very good job introducing a lot of the concepts and considrations to a new maker in this book. I sincerly hope that you would consider picking up a copy for yourself. FYI, Russ will often post and reply to questions here too.

Additionally, I would refer you to a couple discussion groups over on Yahoo (basic_naf_making & nativeflutewoodworking). The focus is on Flutemaking and I am confident that you will find a wealth of information there as I have.

Hello Rick. I am new at the art as well (made all of 2 flutes) so, take this advice for the 2 flutes that it's worth. Here is what I have found to be one of the more challenging aspects of flute making; every good flute maker, as in all crafts, has varying ways of accomplishing the goal of making a flute. You have already pointed this out. What I have found in the research process that it is overwhelming, at least to me, to get it all down before actually making a flute. There is just too much information and too many different ways to skin a cat (sorry Jan ) So what I am saying and what I think Ed is trying to communicate as well, is to just pick up something that will get you started. For me it was a manual I ordered, for you it may be the book Ed has recommended or a different one. So, start with 18:1 ,which is accepted by many flute makers as a good starting point, and make yourself enough flutes, exactly the same, so that you feel comfortable with the mechanics and the physics of the process. At that point, then experiment with other ratios and other things that come up in your journey that interest you, ratios included. I'm glad you found the forum and look forward to sharing good and bad experiences in our first flutes. You are right in that we should help, teach and prosper together.

dd

I'll forgive you - THIS time!

How come nobody ever thinks of skinning a dog or horse or ...

Watch out, we will have to start calling you Cruela Deville .

I wouldn't THINK of skinning an animal! Especially not cats or cute little spotted puppies!

Well tootie, if it makes you feel any better, we have a stray that my wife took in right before we got married. I spent many hours getting the cat to like me and now, she loves me best. I think it was a test from my wife and I guess I passed. But, there is more to this story. The cat apperently had gotten up in a car engine and a fan blade, well, the cat is missing an ear, part of an eye lid and has no fur on that side of her head. We affectionatly call her Scar. So, I feel am qualified to make cat jokes. By the way, our vet said he could do plastic surgery on her and move hair from her belly to her head. I declined.

Cheers,
dd

Oh, how sweet! OK, you're back on my good list!

a thank you to all the kind flute makers out there that got indepth to my subject. also thank you for pointing me toward , what you think is a good book on this subject..
i wonder if your vet will save me a little cat fur so i can make my own one of a kind furry bird...
no wiskers please..

Watch it there, Mister! You're treading on thin ice!!