Cornwall,
Ontario,
Canada.
I've
played the Irish flute since 1993 and have been
making wooden flutes on a part-time basis since 1999 (you can hear me
play the
Irish flute in the Celtic music duo Greanstalk by visiting this
site).
I got into wood-work specifically because I wanted to make flutes. I am
currently concentrating on instruments in the key of 'D' which is
popular for
traditional music from Celtic regions. These instruments are tuned to
the
modern pitch standard of A-440. By using cross-fingering techniques one
can play
in 'D', 'G' and related keys.
I
have used
a variety of wood types to make flutes. The favoured types among Irish
players
seem to be those of the rosewood family: Indian or Honduran rosewood,
African blackwood and Cocobolo. I also make flutes from domestic fruit-woods
such as
apple and pear. At one time I believed that maple wasn't an ideal wood
for
flutes, however, I have since come-around on this perception
(prejudice?).
While good-quality wood does play an important role in flute making,
I've heard
enough nice sounding flutes made from unusual materials such as
plastic,
bamboo, cedar, ceramic and glass to convince me that the construction
of the
flute is more important than the slight differences imbued by the
material
used.
That
said,
rosewood and the traditional flute woods DO make awesome and beautiful
instruments. This is a true and tested fact. I will certainly also
continue to
use such 'traditional' wood as long as it is a viable option.
All
images
and sound files on this web-site are copyright Brent Santin, not to be
used
without express permission of the author.
Three-Piece
Flutes
I
currently
make flutes that are constructed in three-pieces (a head joint, a
middle joint
and a foot joint). This offers some advantages during the construction
phase of
the instrument (the long pieces of exotic wood needed for a two piece
flute are
harder to get). It also benefits the player by making the flute a
little
smaller to carry when disassembled (easier to find a case which will
fit it)
and offers improved tuning when extending the joints (both joints can
be
extended together for better intonation). The three-piece design was
also
inspired by the form of many 19th century flutes.
The
flutes
that I make are constructed using a variety of woods (featured on this
web-site) and feature polished stainless-steel and simulated ivory
ferrules.
The
following three pictures show flutes made from African blackwood with
simulated
ivory ferrules (rings) at the ends and and custom made stainless steel
rings at
the sockets where the joints meet. African blackwood is well loved for
flutes
because of its rich, dark colour and high density.
Below
is a
flute made from apple wood with synthetic ivory ferrules. While not as
dense as
blackwood, apple makes a nice flute with a creamy brown colour. A
positive
aspect of using apple wood is that it grows quite commonly in North
America and
is not an endangered species (like some exotic hardwoods). Because of
the way
apple trees grow, however, it is sometimes difficult to find nice
straight-grained pieces for flute-making.
Here
are
some examples of me playing this apple wood flute. Absolutely no
effects were
added nor was any equalization done to these recordings:
The
flute
below is made from Canadian Rock (or Sugar) maple. This is one of the
hardest
North American woods (although not as dense as African blackwood). I
first
tried using maple to make Irish flutes in 2004 and am happy to say that
it is
quite suitable. These maple flutes are very pleasant to play, with a
wonderful
loud and resonant sound. A true Canadian instrument!
Here
is a
sound sample (hosted by Soundclick.com) of myself playing one of my
Canadian
Rock maple flutes. The accompanist is Julian Whittam:
|
|
The
picture
above shows the machined, polished stainless steel ferrules at the head
&
middle joints (where the stresses are). They are also an attractive
accent.
Metal ferrules are now standard on any of the flutes I make (regardless
of wood
used).
The
interesting thing about the maple flute is that it dashes the notion
that maple
is not good Irish-flute timber. I find this flute sounds quite
pleasant.
Because maple is less dense than blackwood, the instrument is actually
quite
light weight (which may be an attraction to some). The sound of the
maple flute
can range from a "dusty" mellow tone to a more focused one that
really "barks" (useful for matching the volume of fiddles or
accordions) depending on your embouchure. But don't take my word for
it, follow
the link above to listen to me playing a few reels on a maple flute.
The only
thing someone owning a maple flute should be aware of is that (like any
white
wood - boxwood, etc.) it can show up finger dirt more easily and it is
quite
oil-hungry at first. Wiping it with regularly with oil (something
you
should do with any wooden lute) will both keep it clean and quenched!
By
extending or closing the joints slightly, the flutes can be tuned
within the
range of a semitone in order to play with other instruments (button
accordions,
etc. which cannot be tuned easily). The tenons are lapped with
bees-waxed
thread to prevent water absorption and promote a good seal.
Here
is a video demonstration of a couple of my maple flutes being
played alongside one of my blackwood flutes.
Below you
can see some
pictures of some two-section flutes I have made. Please note that I no
longer
make two piece flutes, although these design elements can be
incorporated into
my three-section flutes.
The
following pictures are of two flutes that I made from Honduran rosewood. The
top one has simple lines and metal (turned aluminum) rings. The bottom
one is
more elaborate, with thinner walls and turned wood rings. Honduran rosewood is
a milk-chocolate coloured wood with a slightly sweet smell. It's often
used for
the fret-boards of guitars. This wood is lighter in colour and less
dense than
cocobolo or ebony.
The
next
three pictures all show a Cocobolo flute I made with turned aluminum
rings. You
can see the striking figure in the wood! Cocobolo is a dense, heavy
wood that
is variously striped with dark brown, light brown, red and occasionally
black
streaks. This is a really great wood for flutes and equal to blackwood
in my
opinion. Cocobolo darkens over time with exposure to air.
Here
you
can see the two piece flutes again in their dis-assembled state. The
two flutes
shown here are actually the same size, but the angle of perspective
when this
photo was taken made the top one appear smaller.
My
Approach to
Flute-Making
All
my
flutes are hand-made and many of the tools I use were also constructed
by
myself from scratch. My tactile and empirical approach to instrument
making is
based more on musical intuition and direct experience than scientific
analysis
(although precision does play a great role). I use a wood-lathe and
turning
tools rather than a machinist lathe and cross-feed, for instance. It's
an older
method that's not used as much by 21st century woodwind makers, but
it's one
that served some of the great flute-makers of the 16th, 17th and 18th
centuries
quite well. Reaming and turning flute parts by hand means I only
produce a
'handful' of instruments each year, but this direct approach keeps
things fun
and interesting for me. I try to learn and improve my understanding of
flute
making with every instrument I produce. I am never ashamed to say there
is always
something for me to learn about flutes!
Because
my
flutes are hand-made, every one has its own character. Each one is
slightly
different. However the only flutes that leave my shop are ones that I
would be
happy to play myself.
Besides
experimenting with other woods, I'd like to try making some flutes with
a few
metal keys and then adding a metal tuning slide. I hope that these are
some
things I can begin to try in the next few years. Please note that I do
use Tung
oil on the flutes. This type of oil contains no driers, and therefore
is
non-toxic. I'm not sure if this would affect someone with an allergy to
nuts.
If you are concerned about this, please let me know and I will use
another type
of oil.
As stated
above, I am a
dedicated but part-time flute maker (I have a day job). I make several
flutes a
year. I do sell flutes to people who ask. So if you're interested in a
flute
send me an e-mail and see if I have any ready and for sale. You can
contact me
at: woodenflutes@yahoo.ca
Brent
Santin,
Ontario, Canada
I
have made
several bodhrans (the Celtic goat-skin drum) and published an article
on-line
with instructions on how to make your own bodhran. You
can read the article here.
I
am
fortunate to live in an area of Ontario where there is a quite a bit of
interest and support for Celtic culture. Please check out the web-site
for the
non-profit Glengarry Celtic Arts Society, the Brockville Irish Cultural
Society
and Irish Music Ottawa by following the banners below:
