I play the vanilla transverse flute and was thinking of getting an Indian Bansuri for the side board, as I heard a busker playing one and it looked quite fun. They're cheap as chips, but the following fears instantly spring to mind:
Is the embouchure different?
Is the fingering similar?
What's the projection like compared with Boehm's job?
Is it just a bit rubbish, regardless of the above?
I'm hoping that someone out there has tried one of these
Is the embouchure different?
It's more or less the same. It's just a bamboo flute.
Is the fingering similar?
It should be unless you want sharps and flats (relative to the key signature). The cross fingerings will be very different.
What's the projection like compared with Boehm's job?
Depends on the bansuri! Some are mellow and some are shrill. It depends on the flute in question and the key it is in. Either way though, they all sound awesome!
Is it just a bit rubbish, regardless of the above?
No. One thing I have fought for quite a while is the idea that the Boehm flute is superior. It's not. It's just different and mainstream, but people have some sort of snobbery about it. Try telling Jim Walker that they're inferior. He made his career playing all kinds of flutes in studio work.
How much did you pay for yours? I'm wondering if the cheap ones I'm seeing @ £30 or so are representative - especially seeing as they often ship in sets of 10+ flutes of different sizes!
