Product Description

Simple flutes of bamboo, wood, metal, plastic, or clay can be a joy to play and make. This book gives you the basics of simple flute playing, then offers guidelines for making flutes of your own from a variety of materials. It even includes a handy chart for "where to put the holes." This book is a must for simple flute players and makers!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #69205 in Books
• Published on: 2001-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 44 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780938497189
• Condition: USED - VERY GOOD
• Notes:
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
A slim, elegantly presented, and highly practical guide. . . . First-rate, "user friendly." --Midwest Book Review, Aug. 2002

An excellent overview for those interested in learning more about simple side-blown flutes. -- Monty Levenson, Tai Hei Shakuhachi

Contains the essence of a tremendous amount of experience. -- Sam Hinton in Sing Out

Review
This thin volume contains a wealth of information.

About the Author
Mark Shepard is the author of How to Love Your Flute, called by Paul Horn "a model for our times." He was a professional flutist and simple flutemaker for many years.

Customer Reviews

Basic stuff for makers, players & listeners
The book only contains about 35 pages of large type text, so don't expect much detail. The 5 or so pages on playing are really basic, only helpful to someone who knows absolutely zero about flute playing. The book only gives exact mathematical dimensions for making a pvc flute in G, which you can find at the author's website (www.markshep.com/flute). All other flute dimensions are given as 'about' & 'generally'. Nonetheless, the book provides a foundation for someone with a trained ear to be able to start making simple flutes, refining thier skills through trial & error. Overall the information in the book is more than worth the price. As a half hour read it is well worth reading by everyone interested in making, playing or listening to flutes. The knowledge gained versus the money & time invested ends up being a real bargain. The book also provides resources on where to go for more and more detailed information.

Really good detailed book, but only for transverse flutes
The charts and pages on every aspect of making your own flute
are all here, with explanations of WHY, and several options
for finishes, materials, keys, etc.

If you're going to make anything OTHER than a transverse flute,
such as a Shakuhachi or recorder, look on the Web for supplemental material,
but still I'm still glad I got this as a reference. (He also has a bibliography in the back.)

For instance, even the length/bore ratio changes for some
other woodwinds. But the basic info is very handy to keep around.

A highly practical guide to crafting simple flutes
Simple Flutes by Mark Shepard, a slim (44 pages), elegantly presented, and highly practical guide to crafting simple flutes and making music with them. Flutes of bamboo, wood, claw, metal, and plastic are authoritatively discussed. Simple line drawings and easy-to-understand instructions enhanced and round out this first-rate, "user friendly" guide for anyone with a fondness toward simplicity in their own personal music. Also highly recommended is Mark Shepard's How To Love Your Flute: A Guide To Flues And Flute Playing (0938497103,...).