Listen to the bansuri
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
How the bansuri makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the bansuri belongs to the flutes (edge-blown): an air jet is split on a sharp edge, setting the air column vibrating – flutes, recorders, whistles and panpipes.
More broadly it is one of the aerophones (wind instruments), where sound comes from vibrating air.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
A bansuri/flute is an ancient side-blown bamboo flute originating from the Indian Subcontinent. It is an aerophone produced from bamboo and metal-like material, used in many Indian, Sri Lankan and Nepali folk songs. A bansuri is traditionally made from a single hollow shaft of bamboo with seven finger holes. Some modern designs come in ivory, fiberglass and various metals. The six-hole instrument covers two and a half octaves of music. The bansuri is typically between 30 and 75 centimetres (12 and 30 in) in length, and the thickness of a human thumb. The sound of the bansuri depends on size of the bamboo. One end is closed, and few centimeters from the closed end is its blow hole. Longer bansuris feature deeper tones and lower pitches. The traditional design features no mechanical keys, and the musician creates the notes they want by covering and uncovering the various finger holes.
Other flutes
More instruments from India
Frequently asked questions
What does a bansuri sound like?
Listen to 1 recording on this page. As one of the flutes, its sound comes from the way an air jet is split on a sharp edge, setting the air column vibrating.
What type of instrument is the bansuri?
It is classified as flutes (edge-blown) (Hornbostel–Sachs 421.121.32).
Where does the bansuri come from?
The bansuri originates from India.
Sources & credits
- Bansuri sample E bass by own work – Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q960389 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Bansuri – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Betelgeuse – CC BY-SA 3.0