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Music Outfitters, Inc.
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Bansuri FlutesThe Bansuri Flute (bans [bamboo] + swar [musical note]) is a transverse alto flute made of a single length of bamboo and has six or seven open finger holes. An ancient musical instrument associated with cowherds and the pastoral tradition, the flute is linked to the love story of Krishna and Radha, and is depicted in Buddhist paintings from around 100 AD. The flute may be seen in many sacred pictures of Lord Krishna and Saraswati, goddess of music. The Bansuri flute is one of the three original forms of rendering Indian Classical music according to ancient scriptures - Vaani (Vocal), Veena (String) and Venu (Flute). Associated with Krishna's Rasa lila; the tunes on his flute are poetically associated with driving the women of Braj mad. Although they are a simple piece of bamboo or reed, they produce quite a beautiful sound. The transverse blown, embouchure, gives the flexibility and control necessary for classical music. The traditional North Indian Bansuri Flute, associated with Hindustani music, had six holes. In recent years a seventh hole has been adopted to add flexibility and a more accurate pitch when overblown to produce the higher octaves. The introduction of the flute in modern Indian Classical concerts has been rather recent however, and the late Pandit Pannalal Ghosh has been widely recognized for this achievement. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia further enhanced the bansuri playing style, with his innovative fingering and blowing techniques and took bansuri music to yet higher level. One of today's best-know bansuri flute masters is John Wubbenhorst. These Bansuri Flutes have a mouthpiece that is played in a similar way as the western transverse flute. They are made from a single piece of bamboo with seven holes. Becoming a perfect flute maker takes a long time. One must know the materials as well as the craft; and one must have patience. Each flute requires years of preparation and then concentrated attention to details. The professional Bansuri flutes are made from only one type of bamboo, called cinchor. This bamboo only grows in the interior forests of Assam. Only straight Bamboo of 3 to 4 years old and of the proper diameter can be used. The cut bamboo is then treated, dried and stored for years until it is properly seasoned. The longer it is seasoned the better the flute. The correct notes are achieved by piercing the seasoned bamboo with hot iron rods in precise positions along the length of the flute. After testing each note for correct pitch, the flute is polished for up to eight hours. Portions of this article are licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Bansuri". The professional Bansuri flutes are made from only one type of bamboo, called cinchor. This bamboo only grows in the interior forests of Assam. Only straight Bamboo of 3 to 4 years old and of the proper diameter can be used. The cut bamboo is then treated, dried and stored for years until it is properly seasoned. The longer it is seasoned the better the flute. The correct notes are achieved by piercing the seasoned bamboo with hot iron rods in precise positions along the length. IMPORTANT NOTICE! Health and sanitary regulations prohibit the exchange or return for credit of any mouth blown instrument. NOTE: Because of shipping problems in the past, we no long ship Bansuri Flutes outside the United States. |
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