Yes. Equisetum is horsetail. You just slide the horsetail back and forth
at one end and then the other, simultaneously turning the flute slowly with
the other hand. At least, that's what I do and it seems to work just
fine...Using the hot pokers sounds interesting, but again, I was bound to
traditional methods.
Thanks again!
Shelton
JASON CASTNER
<jchanwagenki@yah To: Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu
oo.com> cc: (bcc: Shelton Johnson/YOSE/NPS)
Subject: Re: [Shaku] WOOD FLUTES
03/24/2005 05:25
AM PST
Please respond to
Shakuhachi
equisetum is horsetail right. How do you use it to
smooth the bore? just run it through alot?.... I
might try using it because I like old ways. or I
might run different sized hot pokers down through to
create a tappered bore effect and that leaves the bore
pretty smooth except for the charcoal left behind
which blows out and sands off easily. My grandpa made
flutes from elder trees. He used willow branches to
beat and whip the bark off. I wish I had his guidance
but he passed away before I was born. My grandma made
jam from the berries. You can also make poison darts
and arrows or poison for someones drink.... scary :)
Thanks for your info...
jason
--- Shelton_Johnson@nps.gov wrote:
> Hi!
>
> I work as a park ranger in Yosemite National Park.
> I also play shakuhachi,
> bamboo flutes from China, and other endblown flutes
> from South America.
>
> Coincidentally, I play Miwok Indian flutes which are
> also endblown and made
> from elderberry. You have to be very careful with
> elderberry because of
> toxicity issues with the wood. Certain toxins are
> present in different
> parts of the elderberry plant and what seems to work
> with regard to curing
> the wood is allowing sufficient time to pass before
> you handle the wood.
>
> The flute that I play comes from a branch that sat
> in my house for about a
> year before I began to work the wood using an
> obsidian knife (I was
> creating the flute in the traditional manner....).
> Once the outer bark was
> removed, the inner pith could also be removed using
> a long, slender, sturdy
> stick. The fingerholes were burned in using a nail
> heated over a fire.
> The inside bore was smoothed out using equisetum, a
> scouring rush which
> here in Yosemite Valley picks up silica from the
> soil. The Ahwahneechees
> (Sierra Miwok here in Yosemite Valley) used
> equisetum as sandpaper at
> least in regard to the preparation of flutes. Each
> end of the flute (which
> again was just a branch cut at the nodes) is
> whittled down using an
> obsidian tool.
>
> But none of this is done with freshly cut branches
> because of this issue of
> toxicity. Hope this helps!
>
> Thanks
>
> Shelton Johnson
> Park Ranger
> Yosemite National Park
>
> P.S. Miwok flutes are very challenging to play as
> well as other California
> Indian flutes. I only know of two other people here
> in California that
> play these flutes. Once you can get a sound out of
> them, they have, or can
> have, a beautiful tone...
>
> sj
>
>
>
>
>
>
> JASON CASTNER
>
>
> <jchanwagenki@yah To:
> Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu
>
> oo.com> cc:
> (bcc: Shelton Johnson/YOSE/NPS)
>
>
> Subject: [Shaku] WOOD FLUTES
>
> 03/22/2005 10:43
>
>
> AM PST
>
>
> Please respond to
>
>
> Shakuhachi
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Has anyone made a flute out of Elder wood before?
> In
> Europe people have made Elder tree branches into
> flutes since a long time ago.... I'm going to make
> one this spring. I have to wait for spring to see
> the
> berries and blossoms because thats the only way I
> can
> tell what an Elder tree looks like. The branches
> have
> a very soft pith that can be pushed/burned out to
> make
> a hollow tube. Maybe this is an idea for people
> that
> wanna make their own flutes but bamboo isnt around.
> But be careful...read the lore and myth surrounding
> elder trees and be respectful when cutting your
> branch.
>
> Jason
>
>
>
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