The Indian bamboo flute is usually made of special bamboo sourced from the mountains of Assam. A number of renowned flute makers have been in this profession for generations together and have learnt the craft from their elders. Unfortunately the profession, like all other artistic professions is becoming scarce but a few stalwarts are keeping it alive and are spreading smiles and love through music their instruments create.
If you find yourself typing ‘flute learning classes near me’ in the search engine and are interested in flute classes online, this will be an interesting read for you.
Most of the craftsmen who make flutes hail from Assam and those who live in other cities have a strong supply chain built with the bamboo dealers there. While flute making can be mechanized to some extent, each bamboo is unique and needs a keen understanding of acoustics to play the right notes without modifying the basic structure of the bansuri.
The first step of the bansuri making process starts in the workshop where the craftsman segregates the bamboo shoots into various sizes. Each one of these bambooks will be manually designed into bansuris of different scales and sizes. The flutes are then painted in a specific way so it acts like a code to denote the scale of the instrument.
Most flute makers are also accomplished flautists themselves. Being able to play the bansuri like an expert is, in fact, a prerequisite to becoming a craftsman making the instrument. While the standard flute has a fixed number of holes, it is not possible to have a standard manufacturing method.
Each bamboo has a unique build and dimensions and so the holes need to be carefully designed so every bansuri of the same scale produces the same sound at every hole. This needs careful understanding of how far away the holes should be and how big they should be. This skill involves highly developed intuition and ability to recognize notes.
A typical active flute craftsman makes 2000-3000 flutes a year and sells them all around the world. While online websites and digital advertising is making procuring flutes easy, just like online flute classes are making it easy to learn the instrument, word of mouth plays a big role in patrons finding the right craftsman for their bansuri. The relationship between an artist and the craftsman is sacred and typically lasts a lifetime.
Like everything in the world, Covid19 majorly disrupted the supply chain of the flute business making it difficult for craftsmen to sell their bansuri’s. However, interest in learning bansuri has peaked given people have more time on their hands now. Online flute classes have become popular and in response to that, flute makers are rapidly shifting their business online.
If you are interested in learning bansuri, we welcome you to checkout online flute classes on themysticbamboo.com. The course is designed by Shri Himanshu Nanda who is a senior disciple of Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia. The first module of the course is free and you are free to explore it. We can also help you with connecting you to some of the best flute makers in the country who can make the best instruments for you. If you have any questions you want to be answered, feel free to visit the FAQ page and find the answers to most common questions beginners have. Happy learning!
