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My
preference,
in making branch flutes, is to leave the bark on when
I
can, as I feel it to be an important aspect of the
natural beauty and
spirit of a tree -- a spirit that can inspire
communion between the
natural community the tree represents and the
player. When
the
flute
wall at the tone holes turns out to be 1/4" or less
after
boring out the branch, the bark can then be left on,
with no need to
remove or thin it down, as in this unsplit Cottonwood branch
flute. Measuring 19 3/4" in length,
with a
3/4" diameter sound chamber, it is tuned to a sweet
and stable G
minor
pentatonic, modes 1 & 4, also playing
the
Gypsy scale as well as 3
upper octave notes. Elk
lacing
with turquoise and horn bone beads holds the bird to
the nest and the bird
has
been
fitted
with
a
redwood
heartwood shoe to aid
against
wet-out. The branch
for this flute was gathered green from the ground at Discovery
Lake, in San Marcos, CA after a winter storm
toppled a Poplar tree
there. It will hopefully find a home
with someone who
appreciates the simple, natural beauty of a branch and
the sweet voice with which
it can sing. ~ Jon
Sherman
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