54 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown
54 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
title: "3D Printed Flute"
|
|
date: 2024-12-04
|
|
tags:
|
|
- music
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
I 3D printed a flute!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is an "Irish" flute, which apparently means it's based on a pre-Boehm flute from
|
|
around the 1600s.
|
|
It was designed by some Russians named Marat Axianoff and Marina Tiik.
|
|
It's open-hole, no keys anywhere, and it was a very easy print.
|
|
|
|
I probably used about $5 worth of PLA filament making it.
|
|
For comparison, a new Doug Tipple flute, made of PVC pipe,
|
|
looks to be selling for $135 right now.
|
|
And a used wood flute is about $215.
|
|
|
|
I'm not a flute player (yet) so I can't really comment on the tone.
|
|
I can tell you, however, that I'm able to play all 8 scale notes,
|
|
I can easily get into the second octave,
|
|
and everything sounds in tune.
|
|
|
|
The flute is tunable by adjusting the head joint,
|
|
although my print appears to be on the flat side,
|
|
so I'm playing with the head joint inserted all the way.
|
|
If I find I need to get even more sharp,
|
|
I will probably re-print a head joint that I've trimmed down by a few millimeters,
|
|
which would not be an option with any other sort of flute.
|
|
|
|
I'm discovering I actually like playing the flute!
|
|
It's not a whole bunch more difficult than the tin whistle,
|
|
and the tone is much less shrill,
|
|
so it's not as annoying to other people in the house.
|
|
Interestingly, the bagpipe is turning out to be less annoying than the tin whistle!
|
|
|
|
Anyway, that's the news for now.
|
|
I'm learning the flute, the tin whistle,
|
|
and the uilleann pipes.
|
|
They're all pretty similar so far,
|
|
when compared to something like a Mandolin or Guitar or Piano.
|
|
In fact, last night I dreamed about building an Oboe,
|
|
and woke up realizing that I could start with my bagpipe chanter,
|
|
and add a bunch of keys for accidentals and extended range.
|
|
The fingering is, at core, the same on the Oboe (which I at one time played rather well)
|
|
and the flute, whistle, and pipes.
|
|
|
|
At some point I am probably going to recreate this design in OpenSCAD
|
|
so I can twiddle it, maybe add keys, or print a flute in a different key.
|
|
But for now I'm having a nice time learning to play some tunes.
|