Musical instruments

Those that feel they have more time on their hands and wish to make some extra props for their character can start here. We'll be adding to this section as we get instructions ready.

In-Depth overview of some instruments and ideas how to make your own

Consult the forums for discussion about the instruments and their use. Expect this overview to be updated from time to time. Also consult our Music section for further information.

The Witches

Overtone flute
These are instructions for making your own overtone flute. All you need is a knife, a saw, a ruler, a plastic PVC plumber/electric/air pipe (diameter 16-22mm), a piece of wood and 15 minutes. True Witches use copper or iron pipes. Pipe length can be anything from 40cm to 80cm or even longer, whatever you find practical. The flute may be made from a piece of curtain rod and the mouthpiece of a tin whistle too. These instructions are based on an article by Matti Nuortio (Sivarijulkaisu 12/00).

1. Cut the pipe to a length of about 70cm. The lenght can be almost anything you wish, the longer the lower the fundamental frequency etc.

2. Prepare the soundhole. In the picture this is the hole below the blowhole. It should be 12 mm wide and 7 mm deep. The edge of the soundhole should be made sharp as shown in the picture. The sharp edge cuts through the air and makes the sound loud and clear.

3. Prepare the mouthpiece. A piece of a willow trunk is ok, it fits nicely into the pipe and is round enough without much processing. The mouthpiece should be tight enough so that you'd have to force it in and out. The drier wood the better, as damp wood will shrink a bit when it dries. The air shaft from the blowhole to the soundhole should be flat and smooth. Beware of making it too deep first (the picture is not in scale). Pursed lips should be enough to close the blowhole, so better not to make it too wide.

4. Insert the mouthpiece to the pipe and your flute should now be ready. Experiment with the position of the mouthpiece to find the cleanest and loudest sound. If all you hear is blowing noise, your mouthpiece probably needs to be adjusted or prepared again.

Closing the other end of the flute with your hand halves the fundamental frequency and makes the sound even louder and clearer. You can also play melodies and make the pitch bend by opening the end of the flute gradually with your hand.

Detailed pictures can be found here (the text is in Finnish):
http://www.sivarikeskus.fi/sivarilehti/12_00/sivariohje1.html

Metallic rattles

Bells
a set of little bells tied on a string, with a small wooden handle.

Chains
A metal or a wooden bar, with a short chain attached to the other end.

The Dragontamers

Tin whistles
Whistles are pretty hard to make by oneself, but if anyone dares to try here are a few designs:

D-whistle:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/6611/makewhis.htm

A very thorough guide for the whistle makers:
http://www.geocities.com/dwisely/bloodyhand.htm

Another guide for low-D pennywhistle, with less pictures:
http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/low-d.htm

War horns:
http://www.tirbriste.org/dmir/BoneHorn/0404/0404.html

Cinderhill

Flutes

A very simple flute design can be found here:
http://www1.ocn.ne.jp/~tuner/esyaku8.html

Probably the simplest of them all, but hard to play:
http://www.docjazz.com/shibbabeh/shibbabeh.html

For more experienced flute makers (includes bass version too, all measurements in inches):
http://www.markshep.com/flute/Pipe.html

Native American flute:
http://www.nativeaccess.com/ancestral/flute-adv.html

The willow whistle
The willow whistle is best to do in the late spring/early summer. Stick a suitable wooden chip in the blowhole so it won’t close because of drying:
http://www.schizoaffective.org/whistle/whistle2.htm
http://www.countrylovers.co.uk/fun/whistle2.htm
http://www.mathematische-basteleien.de/flute.htm

A scout whistle:
http://www.e-scoutcraft.com/whittling/whistle.html

Clay ocarina
http://www.cr.k12.ia.us/hard/Arts/Visual/oc1.htm

The single note instruments are preferred (ocarinas are great for this and easy to carry too on a string). Only few know how to play complex tunes of more than 3-4 notes. It's not the melody that is important, but the layer of sounds and pitches and the natural breathing rhythm. The melodies form from the single note instruments, played in succession or simultaneously.

Rattles
Walnut shell or similar filled with seeds or little rocks and tied together with a string. Use any materials you like, except metal and metallic objects. The more natural the better.

Whirling strings and bull roarers
Whirling string is a pretty self explanatory instrument; a longish string which is whirled around. Preferably there's a little object at the other end to make the whirling more easy and the sound louder. A bull roarer is a whirling string, where the object at the other end is piece of wood, usually cut to different shapes for different sounds.