Sao (Sáo) - Woodwind
Truc flute is made from a bamboo or hornless bamboo tube with length varying from 40 to 55 cm, diameter varying from 1.5 to 2 cm. At one end of flute, there is an oval hole known as blowing hole. There is a rush pith or a soft wooden piece located inside the tube near the blowing hole and functions to adjust pitches when necessary. Being straightly with the blowing hole are 6 finger holes, of which, the first hole is 12 cm far from the blowing hole, while the others are in the same distance of 1 cm. Uncovering in turns 6 finger holes will give respective tones including Do1, Re1, Mi1, Fa1, Sol1, La1, Si1, and Do2. At the other end on the other side of the flute, there is a non-covering hole called definite-pitched hole.
When playing, flutist holds the flute transversally to the right side and places his mouth at the blowing hole. The flutist can control air column (slight blowing makes air column move slowly and weakly, as opposed to strong blowing makes air column move fast and strongly). Truc flute is usually performed solo or in ensemble with other instruments in orchestras of Vietnamese popular opera Cheo, Van singing genre, and Royal Small Orchestra. |
Tieu (
Tiêu )
Tieu is a kind of popular vertical flute of Viet majority. Tieu is made from a hornless bamboo tube with one node-covered end. The tube is about 45 cm long and 2 cm diameter. At the edge of blowing end, a semi-moon shaped hole is pierced served as a blowing hole that is straightly arranged with 4 finger holes. Two more finger holes are located at the other side of the tube and in charged by flutist's thumbs. The reason, for which, two more holes are made at the other side of the tube is the body of Tieu is quite long and wide diameter, therefore, in order to get needed tones, finger holes must be in big distance with each other, and if the 6 holes were straightly located, the flutist's fingers could not reach out to cover all.
To play Tieu, the flutist holds Tieu vertically and leans his chin near the blowing hole so as to produce sounds when blowing. Sounds of Tieu are so warm and bass. |
