How the pifilca makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the pifilca 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
The Pifilca or Pivilca (Mapudungun language: onomatopoeia of its sound) is an aerophone of the flute family, a ductless flute, similar to a whistle. It is a typical instrument of the Mapuche people, and it is spread from central Chile to the Argentine provinces of Río Negro and Neuquén in Patagonia.
Other flutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a pifilca 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 pifilca?
It is classified as flutes (edge-blown) (Hornbostel–Sachs 421.111.22).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q3904898 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Pifilca – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Ana Orero – CC BY-SA 4.0