My new bamboo flute

The good and the bad you get for $20, a dimo hack

It was yesterday’s rainy tropical afternoon that I took delivery of a new Chinese DiZi. This one is a no-brand, non master-made instrument, but claims to use aged / dried bamboo. Indeed when handled, it was light, and resonant to the feel, tap, and sound.

Joining the two halves together, I quickly found out that it was pretty much a one-way street. I don’t think they’re coming apart again anytime soon. Not a very big issue except that the handy case included can’t be used.

I chose the key of F as it sounds to my ear, cheerful compared to the darkish C. Furthermore, I lacked a dimo (membrane) and so used ‘paid’ reel tape instead, scrounged off a Mr DIY product Dad and I bought some time back. When stretched tight, it seems to produce good sound and yes, the vibrations can be felt just like with a proper bamboo paper dimo.

In fact I like the plastic dimo sound a bit better than the raspy paper sound. I had considered thin Bible paper as well but decided not to take a scissors to it.

The model ‘8529' from Shopee Malaysia is not listed on AliExpress as far as I’ve searched. Despite the superior sound to my old SuDong ‘Peacock’ and better aesthetics, this one is a little shoddily made. Some bindings have gaps and the brass joint sleeve free-spins. I was glad for the tasteful calligraphy and lighter varnish but for $20, I guess this is what you get. Treat it carefully, drop it never — it’s delicate.

For those looking into learning the DiZi, I think $20 is a reasonable place to start. Lots of flutes sold in Malaysia go for under half that and can inhibit one’s learning. The model ‘525’, somehow very popular here, is just 28RM. I may therefore be very wrong, not having sampled one.

On a tight budget most of the year (except on my birthday and after Spring Festival celebrations).

…

This morning, family are gathering for our favorite grandaunt’s funeral. She was good woman. My cousin from the north and I bunked together in the bigger house (not this shoebox where there is only 1 bathroom to share between 4 people). I got a chance to test my old SuDong, finding that one of the end caps had come loose as I wiped off the dust. Even my old master grade’s top-most bindings loosened a bit when run over hard. UHU to the rescue. But the point is, bamboo flutes are delicate and do break after some time. Just like our bodies, when we grow old.

I like to think of DiZi as sonic origami. Like a Japanese paper crane -the breath is paper, the folded form, it’s music. The melody, like the crane, lives a long life.