How the paidi makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the paidi 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.
Press play above and watch the spectrum: the evenly spaced peaks are harmonics, and their relative strength is what gives the instrument its character.
From Wikipedia
Paidi (Chinese: 排笛) is an instrument that consists of two to four parallel dizis of different length bound together. It was invented by Zhao Songting at the beginning of 1960s. Compared with the conventional dizi, paidi has a wider range and can produce different timbres.
Other flutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a paidi sound like?
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 paidi?
It is classified as flutes (edge-blown) (Hornbostel–Sachs 421.122.1).