I just invented a smart NAF that doesn't wet out. It has a duel slow air chamber system filled with desiccant beads. The flute also works as a rattle/shaker that you can play in your recording sessions. Soon to be Blue"bear"tooth enabled.

Your videos are so helpful! First time ever I have wetted out on one of my flutes. You provide some great information. Thank you!

Thanks Charlie. I bought one of your flutes this past August...i love it! Im lucky enough to live by the ocean and a river, so i take it with me on my bike and go down and sit by the river in the woods and play. Its one of my favourite things to do. I did however discover bees dont like it...i read later that vibrations make them angry, hence why i got bit...im getting more comfortable playing in front of an audience...which means for me having people around when im down by the beach...it took a few months or so, but im ok with people that happen to catch me playing. Its such a lovely instrument, and i have no music background..its just practice. I would tell anyone thats wants to play to not worry that they never played anything before..just do it! Thanks

LOVE your humor...along with the very helpful information and tips !

Thanks for this "The Secret of Native American Flutes Series" videos they are very helpfully Charlie! 👍🙂👍

Thanks for this. Good information!

Thanks brother, I will. All I have is time anyway. So I’m gonna be patient. Thanks

Thanks for the awesome video

Thank you so much!

great intro! love it

Question regarding the quena flute which I know you have made. I thank you for all your videos and information you provide, as a new flute player since December 2020 , it has been very much appreciated. I am from Atlantic Canada and purchased my flutes from Ontario, Canada. I have an A 432htz flute and a G 432 htz flute. I have fallen totally in love with their tone and resonance. I am at the point where my finger muscles now memorize the melodies and do not sound robotic unless i'm learning a new tune. I have been following Alexandro Querevalu a Puruvian musician who puts such soul into his flute playing. I wanted to try the quena flute so I purchased a C quena flute. As you know, your chin and bottom lip close off the top opening and you blow down into the opening. I have accomplished this part the second day after I received the flute. Very low, resonating sound. My problem is the finger hole distancing. My small female hands can't possibly reach these finger holes on this larger flute and the holes themselves my finger hardly covers the opening. I love this flute, is there any other suggestions I could try. I am not willing to give up, I'll restretch my fingers if possibly :). Hoping you may have some helpful suggestions. Margaret

Thanks again Charlie!!!!!!

Thank you Charlie my hero

the fipple is also the name of the sharp edge that the air is blown across in native american flutes, recorders, tin whistles,etc. they are all known to organologists as fipple flutes. i love your videos.

Again....thanks! Was lookin’ at how to make Indian bannock an’ you popped up on the next video. How cool was that! Been tryin’ to make flutes from pvc, an’ successful with a few. Now there’s a flute that "wets".! Need to try lookin’ at wood, but buyin’ yours just seems down right easier, an’ I like easier! Well....keep the film rollin, an’ look forward to your next one. An’ again...thanks for sharin’ your craft!

Hope to see you at the Cahokia Mounds Indian market in a couple weeks. Looking to get one of your hawk whistles that are usually sold out. Thank You!

Yep, I wondered why my newly built flutes would stop playing after a while. Very frustrating till I realized they were clogged with...uh...stuff...ya...know. I sling them out, and will stop that bad habit the day I sling that flute into the shop floor...duh me. Thanks Again Charlie.

😊❤

Charlie awesome video thanks for the heads up on wetting. I have a question. Would a hair dryer work instead of using compressed air? Thanks love my flute that you made for me! Western Cedar 6 hole flute in the key of G.

I was thinkin’ mopping the channel out with a foam cleaning stick thingie. I like canned air though.

👍

Hi Charlie, I have been looking into how to prevent and preserve my flutes. Two thing came to mind as I was watching your video. Thank you so much for teaching through your videos. What do you think of himalayan salt lamp? I am thinking of having my flutes nearby of it to help drying then out before putting them away, wrapped into my knitted 100% wool jumper. So these are my ideals, himalayan salt lamp and wool jumper wrap. It'll keep them dry enough yet it'll breath, keeps them in good even temperature but prevent them from constant humidity. Yes? no? maybe? What do you reckon?

In short, the wood fibers swell and distort, throwing it out of tune when exposed to moisture. Additionally, there is something called "grain raising". It's when the ends of the wood fibers curl upward, creating thousands of micro eddies or wind turbulence. Grain raising can be minimized in the manufacturing process, by intentionally moistening the bore, allow the grain to raise and then sand it out with very fine sandpaper.

I wonder if you couldn't mitigate wetting out by polishing the bore, breath chamber and nest with an extremely thin layer of beeswax?

Wondering if a hair dryer would work or would it cause any damage to the flute?

Bahahahahaaaaa! 🤣 I hate the word "fipple". It sounds so... well, yeah. I'm working in my second flute. The first one needs a lot of remedial work, lol. It plays but I can't quite get in tuned in. I haven't given up on it but I am laying it aside for now. I learned a lot. I'll go back to it. But I started over on another. It just happened to be the perfect length for F#. This one is going better. It had better. I've already anointed it with my life's blood twice. The first time with a razor blade (I knew better, the words "this is a bad idea" actually went through my mind at the start-) the second time with my craft knife exactly opposite the first on my poor thumb. This flute will always hold a place on my heart 😁 especially if it will play. All my measurements are right...

I live in humid climate and no AC. I got it about 8 months ago as a beginner and played with it just fine. Now I pick it up after it sitting for about 2 months and it's squeeking so bad I can't get the 2 lower notes at all. So can this happen just from sitting in a humid room and not even playing it? In that case, how do I remedy this? thanks.

Are there certain woods that are less likely to wet out? The cedar flute l just got from High Spirits seems to wet out really easily, and unfortunately no way to move or remove the block on this one (432 Hz Spanish cedar flute in Gm).

how are you all doing Charlie and Jessi and aniastutsa😉😁..do you still have otter bag and wouldn't know a opossum named "Myron".. still keeping on the good red road, hold yourself in the road... brother

Hey man! I have a flute that sounds kinda raspy and have not been able to figure it out, I finally got a good look inside and noticed that whoever made it drilled the note holes too far. Putting little "pot holes" inside the flute directly under the holes. Is that the problem??

How about the Navajo flute does it wet out

Hello Charlie! I am also a Native American flute maker, and watched this video. There is a flute maker out there that says that he uses a ceramic flue that is guaranteed to not wet out... do you think that is possible? Wetout just seems to be a part of our crafts... also just want to say thank you for the videos, they do have a lot of good hints...

Knowing how much waste ends up in landfills and eventually the ocean, it's very disappointing you would promote these metal cans with plastic tops.. You could easily use a plug in electronics duster or just allow your flute to air out naturally, as it's a sign to give it a break.. I feel like drying the bridge area does not adress the majority of the water that has collected in the mouthpiece area and will have dimenishing returns

Fipple!